There was plenty of positives to take from last night’s 3-0 win against St Johnstone. We have a squad which still has to prove it’s worth, and an away game against a side capable of making matches very difficult was one which brought some trepidation. Over the piece, Rangers proved to be better, and showed some real strength in areas where fans were having doubts.
The real talking points, though, came before the game. The reactions of MacLean and Wright to comments made by Pedro were over the top and highlighted some of the attitudes Scottish football seems to have towards foreign coaches. MacLean completely twisted the point Caixinha was making to suit an agenda. Wright was very dismissive of the path Caixinha has taken to get into management. Given that Pedro has already beaten St Johnstone away from home, with a team that contained four players under the age of 20, you’d have thought they’d be a little more respectful. Any worries about the opposition being more fired up than Rangers were shown to be unfounded.
Before the game on BT Sport, there was a debate between McCoist and Sutton regarding Scotland. McCoist was adamant that teams like Northern Ireland and Iceland had squads stronger than Scotland, which Sutton wouldn’t agree with. Whilst it’s fair to say McCoist didn’t articulate his point perfectly when comparing Lafferty to Griffiths, the suggestion by Sutton that Brown was a better player than Davis was fanciful. If you add that to some of the ludicrous contributions by Terry Butcher in commentary, it’s easy to see why so many Rangers fans struggle to enjoy the production of games on that channel.
Yet again, Kenny Miller wasn’t involved in the squad. This time around, it would seem he was missing due to injury. The team has done well without him, putting paid to the notion that his leadership is required. I was one who felt he played more for what he contributed in this regard than his impact upon the game in terms of goals or assists, but last night both Dorrans and Alves showed that there’s plenty of leadership in the team even when he doesn’t play.
In the lead up to the game, I was convinced that the suspension of Ryan Jack would make things more difficult. He has played well so far this season, and been important in the games we’ve won. Thankfully, Graham Dorrans was able to step in and offer even more than Jack, and Jason Holt provided great energy and attitude. Even without Rossiter and Kranjcar in the squad, we had a good midfield who dominated the possession overall. Jack will come back in to the side and do well, but it’s good to know we have options were he to miss out again.
There’s a fear when it comes to discussing such things, but last night we saw a team who looked a bit more confident in what they’re doing and solidly behind the manager. In the games to come, many of which would be considered ones we should win, this attitude and spirit will be key. Both last night and against Hamilton, we won well whilst having room for improvement, which is usually the sign of a good team. We have a semi-final against Motherwell next, a game with plenty of danger. We can go into that match with loads of confidence, though, and that’s been a rare feeling in recent times.
What were your talking points from last night? Tweet us @rangersnewsuk and we’ll be happy to discuss!
