Barry Ferguson could hardly have wished for a worst start as his interim spell in charge of Rangers began in dismal fashion away to Kilmarnock on Wednesday night.
Three days after Rangers’ backline buckled to gift St Mirren two unanswered goals at Ibrox – a defeat which proved to be the final straw as far as Philippe Clement was concerned – a team now under Ferguson’s charge found themselves two behind again.
Albeit, this time, with only 14 minutes on the clock and plenty of time to recover.
Now, it’s never a particularly encouraging sign when your big central defender is seen sprawling on the floor like an upturned turtle as an opposition player heads in unmarked at the far post. Yet, that is exactly what happened while Joe Wright gave Kilmarnock the lead.
Robin Propper has been unconvincing to say the least in Glasgow but this felt like a new low.
Stumbling over an unknowing Killie player in a crowded penalty area, this would set the tone for another poor evening on the Premiership stage. Rangers News handed Robin Propper a 2/10 for his ‘shocking’ display. And, in truth, his centre-back partner Clinton Nsiala didn’t fare much better.
Nightmare night for Rangers duo Robin Propper and Clinton Nsiala at Kilmarnock
Nsiala played Nico Raskin short with a tentative pass before Brad Lyons extended the lead in double-quick time.
Barry Ferguson thinks Clinton Nsiala will bounce back from his eventual mercy killing with just half an hour gone in Ayrshire. But, still, those urging Rangers to bring in new defensive reinforcements over the summer will not have changed their minds on the back of a calamitous opening.
The only disappointment, for Kilmarnock boss Derek McInnes, is that his hosts did not kill the game off before Rangers roared back through Vaclav Cerny, a Cyriel Dessers brace and a late Nedim Bajrami strike.
“That first 35 minutes, I thought we were in charge of the game,” McInnes sighs, disappointed his team could not get the job done.
“When we play against a team like Rangers, albeit they have some difficulties, they have some talented players and if you try and take them on in a possession-based game, sometimes it’s not your best option.
“I just felt as though we played forward, we were aggressive, we carried the ball in the wider areas. I thought we messed up their two centre-backs [Propper and Nsiala] and we got to where we needed to get to time and time again.
“I think the two goals we scored, we could have added to it in that period. So, really pleased with the start.
“That first 35 minutes, I loved the personality of the team, the aggression, how we played the game. We unsettled Rangers but I just felt we got caught up in the game a little bit and got a bit excitable.”
Vaclav Cerny and Cyriel Dessers combine to break Derek McInnes’ heart
Rangers halved the deficit through Vaclav Cerny, slotting home cooly after some good approach work from Hamza Igamane and Mohamed Diomande. Cyriel Dessers struck twice to take his tally to 20 after the break for the season, and McInnes was left with an understandable feeling of regret.
“I think Rangers’ response was good,” adds the former Aberdeen boss.
“We’ve got to recognise, we’ve played our part in [Cerny’s effort]. Yes, it’s a lovely turn from Igamane but there was an opportunity for us [to deal with it].
“Rangers were good enough to punish us. The second goal is disappointing because it’s a free header. Dessers’ goal in the channel [Rangers’ third of the night], that’s a straightforward one we should be seeing off.”
