Rangers got their home season off to a solid start with an ultimately fairly convincing win as Celtic stumbled in Kilmarnock.
Ibrox Noise brings you our belated ratings for a good afternoon’s work in Govan.
McLaughlin:
Had literally nothing to do – some catches, soft saves and kick outs – it wasn’t a challenging afternoon for our number two. 6
Tavernier:
This is an interesting one – a lot of fans have whined about how Tav would excel as a winger because he sucks as a defender. Well, we got to see that in action as he slotted effectively in as a flanker, and guess what? He had a good match. Provided excellent overlapping runs, width, and peppered in plenty of crosses. First time in a while we’ve been happy with his overall performance. 8
Goldson:
Wasn’t overly tested in this one, but did produce a fairly decent display, even if some of his distribution was a little off. 7
Balogun:
One tiny lapse in the box aside, another excellent performance from the new boy, and his defensive recovery and slide tackle in the first half gave some idea of his pace too. This guy is a class apart and already looks leaps and bounds Rangers’ best defender. 9
Barisic:
Like Tavernier, playing as a winger, and got in a tonne of crosses. 15, to be exact. Defensively not exactly pushed, or indeed needed, but found much joy on the left and was beating men convincingly. 8
Kamara:
A quiet but composed performance from Kamara, the Fin massively improved from a poor campaign last term. He looks like he’s massively upped his concentration levels, and his use of the ball is much tidier. Got a tonne of the ball but wasn’t doing anything outrageous. He’s not flashy but he’s getting a job done. 7
Jack:
Like Kamara in the double pivot, Jack wasn’t heavily noticeable in this one but had plenty of possession, and he was tidy and alongside the Fin the midfield felt structured. Solid. 7
Aribo:
Isolated wide right and clearly hated it – just can’t do much in a wing position, and it wastes him. Far better central. Probably Rangers’ weakest performance but it wasn’t his fault. 5
Kent:
Bright and energetic, Kent had a productive match – some great shots and he’s getting more confident. Still lets things bother him too easy, and lets the head go down with frustrated gesturing, but he’s looking a far stronger player now. 7
Hagi:
Despite a lot of fans claiming Hagi had a rotten match, what we saw and what the stats tell us prove otherwise. Like Kent, his movement was dynamic, and he didn’t hide. Far better central, and the fact he got in so many shots gives some idea of the improvement from Aberdeen. A lot better. 7
Morelos:
Ok, we were wrong to say he’d never play again for this club. *hands held up*. And the Morelos which showed up yesterday appeared to have rewound 6 months of garbage and was infinitely more industrious, hungry, and of course played a massive part in all three goals, nabbing two of them. His best display this calendar year by a distance. 9
Gerrard:
We have to applaud the manager for trying different things. He changed the formation to see if he could get Hagi and Aribo in harmony – sadly it didn’t work for Aribo but it’s the first time in a while we’ve seen the manager try something progressive, something different and just for that sheer willing to alternate, we applaud him, whether it worked or not. Otherwise, he’ll be happy with his team’s control in this one, even if breaking down the Buddies was a lot of huff and puff. 8
Subs (selected):
Arfield:
Pretty quiet given his impact at Aberdeen, didn’t really get into this one. 5
Barker:
Starting to resemble the Barker of old again, sadly. The pre-season confidence has evaporated and he’s looking a bit flat. Did manage one decent run and pull back, but it’s not as good as the cameo stuff he showed us some weeks ago. 5
Itten:
Probably the most inauspicious debut ever. Barely touched the ball once, and made no passes whatsever. Not really that excusable in a 15-minute cameo. n/a