When Robin Propper nodded the ball off Apostolos Stamatelopoulos for Motherwell to take the lead against Rangers, there was a sense of predictability about the entire thing.
Rangers have been forced to play the stuttering Dutch defender, 31, as injuries rule out John Souttar, Leon Balogun and Neraysho Kasanwirjo at a crucial juncture of the season.
Joining in the summer to much hype, the ex-FC Twente captain was branded as an experienced continental alternative to the outgoing Connor Goldson.
But since arriving in Scotland, Robin Propper has gotten a rude football awakening with the Dutch defender threatening to become Philippe Clement’s Karl Svensson.
Karl Svensson & Paul Le Guen
Cast your mind back to the summer of 2006 and you’ll remember the ill-fated French Revolution of Paul Le Guen at Rangers.
The former Lyon manager had been convinced to move to Ibrox by Sir David Murray with the lure of trophies and European success enough to secure the services of one of football’s brightest coaches.
And yet, in a matter of six months, things had collapsed to such a degree that Le Guen walked out on a three-year contract midway through his first season.
Whilst there are several players signed by Le Guen who failed to live up to their initial billing, Swedish centre-back Karl Svensson stands as the most glaring.
Highly rated when Rangers signed him from IFK Gothenburg, big things were expected of Svensson having just played at the 2006 World Cup with Sweden.
Rangers paid £700k to sign Karl Svensson but the transfer embodied much of what went wrong in Le Guen’s time at Ibrox.
Svensson – much like Robin Propper today – struggled to adapt to the chaos and pressure of Scottish football.
The Swede eventually wilted like a flower and bolted for Caen a year later after Walter Smith had came in to clean up the mess.
As reported by the Express, Rangers recouped the fee they’d reportedly paid to sign the centre-back.
Robin Propper & Philippe Clement
Someone at Rangers didn’t appear to give Robin Propper the memo when it comes to life at Ibrox.
Having guided FC Twente to a Champions League qualification spot last season, the Eredivisie side were irked when Rangers took advantage of a transfer clause to sign Propper in the summer.
But since then the gangly and laidback central defender has struggled with the intensity of life at Rangers, the pressure of having to win every week and the nature of Scottish football.
”The media presence surrounding the club is overwhelming,” said Propper, as quoted by Footboom.
“It’s just part and parcel of being at a top club. The fans hold very high expectations.
“While the play is reminiscent of the Eredivisie, I had to adjust to the different style here. Many Scottish teams tend to play in a very opportunistic manner, relying heavily on long balls.
”In the Netherlands, my preferred style involved a more methodical and patient build-up, but here, if you try that approach, the opposing fans will start to whistle.
“Only Almere City back home played in a way that resembled the Scottish approach. Rangers, however, strive to build from the back, which is quite rare.”
Struggling with the physicality of the league, Propper is targeted every week and every week he folds like a piece of cardboard with the slightest nudge.
Once again this was evident against Motherwell where Propper predictably sold the jerseys for the Steelmen’s opener.
In the end, Robin Propper will probably return to the Netherlands either in January or in the summer with his tail between his legs and a snobbish continental view on the Scottish game.
The reality is that the defender does not appear built for the expectations of playing at Rangers and everything else is just an excuse.
Insisting on Karl Svensson eventually contributed to Paul Le Guen losing his job at Rangers.
You get the feeling Robin Propper might be loading up the barrel for Philippe Clement too.
