Another wasted visit, to watch a team of spineless, gutless and leaderless players fill Rangers shirts. This is a team that seems to show all its fight off the park rather than on it.
I would be lying if I said that this wasn’t expected or I simply had not seen this coming, you only have to look at our home form, or Mr Murty in post match interviews to see just how fragile this squad are.
On the tactical side I felt we got it all wrong, sacrificing our greatest strengths, in Murphy and Candaias in wide areas, tucking them in-field with no high press at all, we just ask them to press night up the park, why is beyond me. I had spoke all week about the need to win our battle and get tight on Brown, instead we gave him the freedom of the park to dictate, and pass the ball with no pressure at all, the same for Rogic playing slightly further forward.
Sunday’s first half was an insipid a display as I’ve witnessed, and I include a Kenny McDowell led team in that mould. We just had no answers, no player willing to accept any form of responsibility, roll up their socks and try to get any type of stranglehold on the game. We were second to every first, second and third ball. Completely unacceptable.
We then have players who see it fit to when subbed, publicly criticise the manager or get involved with team-mates, what has happened to our club? Is this what we have become? Rangers players or teams don’t do that, no matter what you feel.
I am no Murty fan. I think he set the team out to lose and his bench suggested he was always thinking he would be chasing the game, but who does Halliday think he is? This is a player who got tight not once nor could tackle a fish supper, let alone an opposing player. Right now he should be happy to be working in the pie stall at Ibrox, as opposed to starting in an Old Firm game. The level of indiscipline in this squad has now reached a point that something must be done, even by the board.
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Some of the level of play by so called senior pros was alarming, not just in the way they shrunk, or got out muscled for every ball but in the sheer fact they looked like the club or strip wore too heavy on them. I won’t call out every single one of them, there is simply too many. Playing for this great club should be a privilege, an honour that brings out the best in all your talents, making you strive to win even greater.
This team and group of players just can’t cope. We have seen the evidence and it hurts our eyes. No doubt we will get all the obligatory quotes in the press in the coming days. Talk is cheap. We face a genuine battle for second or third place now in the Scottish Premiership and this is not a team I would bet on at any level. Would you?
I am well aware Dave King has all the Wi-Fi signal of the Tora Bora mountains, but even he must have got wind of the result, performance and sheer anger now being felt by the Rangers support. Whoever is next appointed as the new manager is one massive decision and one he must get right.
This is a team and a group on life support and it’s just waiting for somebody to pull the plug.