So it’s the morning after the night before. An absolute shambles of a UCL campaign is done, and Europe is finished for this season.
The utter shock resonates still – how could Rangers go from, 6 months ago one of the greatest European seasons in our history, to this, officially the worst?
Yes, we at least got to the UCL, yes we worked hard to secure the place in the group stage and we earned it with a massive win over PSV, themselves a serious European team. But what came after that was… pitiful.
And let’s not forget, aside Bassey and Aribo this was not a massively different side, and yet, it was.
Look at the UEL final side:
McGregor, Tavernier, Goldson, Bassey, Barisic; Jack, Lundstram, Kamara, Kent, Wright, Aribo.
Only 4 of those players played last night, McGregor, Tavernier, Barisic and Kent, and Barisic only through injury to Ridvan. None of the rest played, aside as subs, and while Lundstram was suspended, he’s the only other. So while so many fans are saying ‘what’s happened to the team who got to Seville’ the answer is they’ve been completely broken up by sales and injury, not to mention loss of form.
The reality is recruitment this summer simply wasn’t good enough for the step up to UCL – aside Colak, who with chances would have scored plenty, the additions haven’t been up to the level of the players from last season, haven’t had the same energy. And this season Europe has been quite the opposite to last. The fall from grace has been painful and dramatic and we’ve gone from arguably one of our greatest ever seasons to without doubt the worst.
But it’s not the same players, and this needs to be realised.
Last season we very much had a settled team. McGregor, Tavernier, Goldson, Bassey, Barisic/Balogun; Kamara, Jack, Lundstram, Arfield; Kent, Aribo, Morelos.
This was the main pool last term, give or take, and that’s gone now – most of the players to fly so high in Europe last campaign aren’t there any more, or they’re in and out. We’re not giving justifications to any of those player decisions or exits or injuries, we’re just portraying the black and white.
That this isn’t the same team as last season, either in spirit or actuality.
And that’s made a big difference.
It can happen very easily in football ,liverpool for instance went from all conquering last season quadruple talk etc ,to a shell of a team this year .
I believe it only takes a few key injuries /sales /disharmony etc .
We have lost some very good players ,not replaced goalie ,defence or midfield adequately and the attacking force has been severely hampered by 2 sulking attacking players (arguably) our better attackers ) ,who desperately want out the club .
The tactics have also been more than questionable, especially the game at porkhead ,with no excuse of injuries or them having far superior funds than us .
New regime at top and clear out needed in summer for me .
None if the players this year hv the same energy as last year.
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