Falkirk then Hibs – it doesn’t get easier for Rangers

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While a recent poll confirms Rangers fans still firmly believe Mark Warburton’s men will win the Championship title outright, the form of the past two months has certainly given a little room for doubt.

While the wheels have not exactly fallen off the cart by any stretch, the mortality of the Rangers’ team has been more exposed in recent times, with two draws from the last four league matches indicating a level of vulnerability which was thoroughly hidden earlier in the season.

Saturday’s 2-2 draw against fourth side Greenock Morton was another example of a team suffocating Warbs’ free-flowing tactics with a claustrophobic defensive approach, and while most times the Magic Hat’s men do find a way to come away with the three points, two failures in the past four matches does hint at a need to adopt a plan B.

This site has been slaughtered for suggesting ‘route 1’ football, with accusations of Luddite thinking and a lack of appreciation for the current tactics. However, it is less ‘route 1’ football and more a ‘plan B’ contingency which may include, on occasion, more robust football to break down physical defences.

The fact is that plan A ultimately did not work on Saturday, as it did not v Livi last month; and in those circumstances is it truly that backwards to propose an alternative approach (whatever it may be) on, say, the 60th (or later) minute of these matches where Rangers are struggling to break through?

The toughest spell of the season is now upon us – with Morton nabbing an unexpected point at Ibrox in a match expected to be a stroll for the home side we have reached a critical juncture.

There is just a small inkling of criticism at both the manager and the players now starting to bubble to the surface, criticism they were immune from when the results were so incredibly good earlier in the season, but which now is viewed as valid from some quarters.

The only way to shut these doubters up is to produce six points over the next 14 days. That will be a tall order – Falkirk nearly took all three points from Easter Road on Saturday, and Houston’s men have been far and away a much better side this season than last. Warbs has to take his men to their patch and produce a masterplan to secure the win, because Falkirk now know that all three points arguably puts them in the title race.

They will be set up to win, and with Rangers’ abysmal defence fully exposed on Saturday against the supposed ‘easiest’ fixture of this Xmas trio, the travelling side are vulnerable.

Too many players just have not produced in recent times; this site was slaughtered for daring to suggest Tavernier needed a rest – to highlight how poor he was on Saturday only enhances that. Others too have been below par, with Oduwa’s cameo bordering on embarrassing and Kiernan having his worst match in a Rangers shirt.

And now questions are being asked of the manager too.

The best way to answer every one of these queries starts by beating Falkirk.

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21 COMMENTS

  1. Although I appreciate the writers concerns that we are not winning every game, I'm sure the writer will appreciate that its impossible to do so. The club I feel are trying to move away from the usual style of play Scottish fans have been subjected to for decades. It won't be easy and IMO will take 10 years to come to full fruition, as a support we must change our mindset and back the club and team through good and more importantly bad times which will surely come. No more knee jerk reactions.

  2. the loss of most of our goals are mistakes by kiernana he is a liability and defo should not be in a rangers shirt next season!

    • For me the downturn in form coincided with W revealing his family were staying put around the start of October.Then we have the constant conjecture linking him with other jobs.Something has changed behind the scenes,make no mistake of that.I think he's sussed King is full a shite and sees no future here,maybe he can't handle the critisism of an away draw,he can't grasp it.
      As for plan B,W says plan B is do plan A better,ok if you have the players for it.I think we need to sit a bit deeper and lull teams in,get it opened up a bit,flowing again.We can't break teams down with tippy tappy when 10 of them are across the 18 yard line,and nobody will shoot either!The last 2 goals against Dumbarton and equalizer on Saturday with cutbacks from wide on the left showed how easy it is.Its no surprise we don't play well when Wallace is off the boil either.Sorry for the prolonged ramblin speil troops.

  3. What's happened to the deal for the 2 lads from Accrington Stanley?

    It's all gone quiet. Nothing to do with them asking for the £500k up front was it?

    King could just knock it off the £4.5 m he has in the bank to repay SD, whose going to notice?

    With the loan in default and penalties applied the amount due is now nearer to £6m and rising.

    With SD in total control of Rangers Retail the IP is gone for ever, as will King and Murray from the RR board shortly.

  4. A few weeks ago if seemed that even a 25 point admin deduction could be overcome if required…..not now.

    The lies to the EGM and in court last week that the loan was being repaid is a sign of desperation by the board.

    The loan is in default and is now well north of the original £5m due. Something major has forced the board to change it's stance on the loan repayment.

    In a few short weeks we have gone from having £5m in the bank ready for the lawyers to complete the legal paperwork, to a claim in court that repayment had been made, then to another claim that £500k is still to be collected.

    Is this an additional £500k because of the penalty clauses or did someone welch on their initial pledge?

    Where's the honesty and integrity we were promised?

    Murray, Whyte Green, King, new Chairman just a different set of lies.

    • Is it because of the time you have spent on your own boards that you think everybody is as stupid as you?
      Stick to posting on Celtic boards – they are gullible enough to listen to you – after all, they still believe in Runny Diarrhoea

      Silly Septic troll

  5. These are the players, apart from the loanees, who will be challenging Celtic next year and winning a European place for the following season.

    The Tims maybe p*ss poor but our back four is awful.

    Tavernier, Wilson, Kiernan…..that's why they are all playing in the Scottish Championship and not at a higher level, even then they are being exposed.

    If King doesn't come up with serious money in January we are going to be in a dogfight with Hibs till the end of the season .

  6. I just don't understand the panic to pay back the £5m loan….now nearly £6m with penalties if PMG is to be believed.
    The shareholders voted not to repay it at the previous General Meeting but this time we have not even been asked!
    Every day that passes without investment from King, his credibility rating plummets.

    His failure to invest a single penny will be out there for all to see as the various court cases unwind.

    Is the panic to repay the loan a last gasp attempt to get the securities and IP back before an insolvency event, either being forced by Ashley or because King and Co have ran out of money.

    Is the alleged £5m additional funds on top of the £2.5m, very optimistic, forecast shortfall for the season.

    If so kudos to the shareholders putting up the money with no security and severe doubt as to whom will be left holding the assets when the court cases run their course.

  7. Sorry I don't understand any of this.

    Last week in court the Rangers QC said the loan had been repaid, that's it as far as I'm concerned.

    The 3 Bears and King have committed to meeting any cash shortfall this season…..good enough for me.

    Warbs has been promised whatever funds are required to take us to the next level, including Champions League in the season after next….if it's good enough for the hat, it's good enough for me.

    DJ is adamant that King is keeping his powder dry till January, then the big money will be spent.

    King has Ashley exactly where he wants him……..another couple of rounds toying with him before delivering the final blow.

    . It's all good news from here on in. If there were any immediate issues Jacko would be all over them warning of icebergs ahead, but all ' s quiet.

    In King we trust, he's one of our own.

    • Well I don't know aboot anybody else but that sets my mind at ease,DJ says he's keeping his powder dry for January!Worries over,sorted,done!Let's dispense with "the Hat" pish anaw gonny?

  8. The stupidity,crassness and downright banality in the level of comment by some so called football supporters is mind numbing in the extreme.It is so obvious the people who rant on about Rangers on numerous sites are beholden to other clubs. As many of us say,'Get a life and expend your energy in backing your own football outfit.'Perhaps if all teams in the country adopted Messrs Warburton and Weirs' style of football, we might just show some progress as a football nation and be able to conquer the European giants of Iceland and Armenia.The abhorrent attitudes and negative narrative within our game are two of the reasons why we will be forever stuck in the mire of self pity and irrelevance of the Scottish game to European football and beyond.Rangers are showing admirable levels of improvement and building a strong foundation in all the required areas of a successful club.Trust our leaders to continue the fight.That is what our foes fear the most.

  9. I will say it again , experience is needed now to hold the midfield, give Kevin Nolan a call , he has wealth of it

  10. I cannot understand the level of disdain being directed at our defence, we have conceeded 11 in 16 games (same as hibs, joint best in the league). Our defence has looked shaky at times (that's football) but the attractive and exciting style of football we are playing demands that sometimes they be left exposed. Next time you start to fill these pages with doom and gloom, think back the previous years and ask yourself, is it REALLY that bad? Let's show the lads support, they are well aware of what's expected and I'm sure they will go from strength to strength as the season goes on.

  11. Its about time the players started to take pot shots,instead of trying to walk the baw into the net.As for winning the league we'll do it by about 9 points as hibs and Falkirk will faulter.

  12. There is no doubt, we need a solid spine within our team,, a commanding centre half, a talented central midfielder and a lethal striker… Nicky Clark and Miller are now our answer to score goals, Waghorn, gives his all, and i do like him,,but he does miss the easiest of chances which could finish teams off. Again we are carrying dead wood and the results are evident of that. Those young lads got too famous, too quick,, and theyre heads are in the lime light rather on the park nowadays,, They need to start getting back the true grit, speed and gallusness that gave them the unbeaten run in the first place. Its all well Warbuton saying its not good enough and need to learn,,but they have been saying that ever since we got beat by St Johnstone and Hibs, with draws from poor teams,,, and every week they have been playing as if they have learned nothing!!!,,, time to man up Rangers,,time to get tough Warbuton,, Im not confident in getting 6 points from hibs and falkirk,, not with the previous displays,,,

  13. Aye just forget that Tavernier can deliver a ball that even Kenny Miller can`t miss,his error proves he is human,his delivery of a cross is second to none at Ibrox and he should be taking all free kicks and corners,I don`t understand taking short corners to keep possession they should just get the ball into the danger area and the law of averages some will end up in the net,a bit of perspective is needed we have just dropped our first home points of the season and we are in December

  14. A bit hyperbolic to say the defence is "abysmal". The problem isn't the CB's; it is the lack of protection from a DM. Andy Halliday is often found wanting in that role.

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