If there was one overarching reaction to Thursday night’s demolition of Red Star at Ibrox, it was quite simply thus:
‘Why can’t they do this in the league?’
Why can’t a team who have taken apart Borussia, Prague and now Red Star overcome Ross Blooming County and Motherwell for chief’s sake?
The answer is simple – the players are no longer interested in success in the league, and that motivation died a long time ago.
At least, not to the extent they can get themselves up for a huge UEL match in front of a global audience in the world’s second-biggest club football contest.
It’s quite simply easier to be up for a match v Red Star than it is v Motherwell, simple fact.
We see every European midweek the real Rangers, and unfortunately, at the weekend and occasional midweel domestic fixtures see the one that just doesn’t care half as much about a rainy afternoon in the north of Scotland.
And you can see their point, right?
Allan McGregor, gaffe-ridden and shambolic in the league, on Thursday night produced a classic Greegsy masterclass of goalkeeping, a titanic display.
One he just doesn’t have the energy to produce at McDiarmid.
Frankly, who would?
Who would give St Johnstone the same energy they give Borussia?
It’s simple maths really.
Is it right?
Of course it isn’t right, but it’s human.
When you’ve won 55 and usurped Celtic from their throne, what’s left?
Defend the unglamorous SPL title?
Even knowing 56 will give the CL group stage isn’t enough to gee these players up for domestic football – not in the way they give their all for Europe.
There is a patent work difference, a graft difference, and an energy difference.
Rangers’ every player put their guts into Red Star, and showed this club is a real contender for this tournament, but they just don’t do that on the domestic front.
Frustrating? Yes. Infuriating? Yes.
Understandable, slightly.
But if we win UEL and get UCL that way, few will complain, that’s the truth.
You could say that or you could suggest that the three disallowed goals would probably have stood in Scotland without VAR and we’d be arguing over a 3 all draw. Fine margins won the game tonight. Massive result though, exactly what was required going to the hostility of Serbia.
Great save from McGregor for the penalty but he did get away with one major gaffe at the goal that was disallowed. Another great result with a string of excellent performances, though not everyone. But we’ve still got a job to do in Belgrade.
Effort and attitude aside I don’t understand how we can score 2 goals from 11 shots against Dortmund, 3 from 13 against Red Star but we can merely scrape one goal from 20 shots against Aberdeen. Those numbers are typical for domestic performances.
Fantastic result for the Famous💪😜 bouncy bouncy bouncy
The problem is they dont play football in diddy snp league plain n simple,
Rangers in europe are at another level where we need to be,where they play exciting attacking football and not sitting 11 men behind the ball on the goaline
Now we got to play dundee ffs uck here we go again mince😂😜
A lack of Motivation against motherwell, st Johnstone etc is obvious but what is also worth considering is that these teams play with eleven men behind the ball, something we don’t face in Europe which helps us enormously to play our own game.
Not disagreeing but one big difference is European teams come at us leaving our attacking players one on one with their defenders. That’s aside 11 men defending their own box in the SPL hoping for a point!
All very good inputs by all our usual contributors. I would add just a couple of things. Our players know what kind of audience watches these games. Scouts Agents , Managers etc. This elevates the chances of transfers and movement for them. Its a pity we didn’t walk out of Scottish football when we got shafted to the 3rd Division . I also think GVB enjoys this level too as ot allows proper coaching to be seen and felt unlike SPFL bullshit poor fare where its no skill no risk trash. Onwards 56…Europe Champions
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