It must be said that Rangers’ defence, as listed in the UEFA squad to face the Poles, highlights the problems at the back. In total, there are six players (obviously excluding the now-injured Godfrey), comprising three centre backs and three full backs. The options are absolutely horrendous. Sadly, it reminds Ibrox Noise hugely of the days when Ben Davies was part of that list. Derek McInnes’ Rangers defensive options are not good.
Rangers’ defensive options are appalling
Rangers’ options in the rearguard are appalling. The defensive signings who have come in are simply not good enough. Rangers have made one defensive signing for the middle and technically one for right back.
We are not quite sure where Derek McInnes sees Ross McCrorie playing. McCrorie is an honest player. However, we are not quite sure that he makes the grade when it comes to European football.
We certainly do not think Makhanya does. In fact, we are unsure whether any of Rangers’ central options are good enough for European competition. Tuur Rommens is potentially the only exception. The addition of Clinton Nsiala is mild desperation in light of Godfrey’s injury.
As we already know, Rangers would ideally have been better off not competing in Europe this season. However, the club would have suffered a very, very big financial loss.
The fact is that Rangers need to win the league and become stronger domestically. European competition gets in the way of that, for sure.
However, the money is a big deal, even at Europa League level. The income is huge for FFP and Rangers’ revenue and turnover levels. Unfortunately, the defence is not exactly going to help much with that.
Rangers have not done enough work
As we know, the defensive options are limited. Rangers have not done enough work. Only two defenders came in and only one of them is a dedicated centre back. And he’s out for a month now anyway. Neither appears particularly adept at the back.
Rangers’ options in the rearguard are what we would quite clearly call weak. However, unlike Giovanni’s defensive crisis of late 2022, this situation is completely self inflicted.
This is simply a weak collection of players who are not good enough. Regardless of injury, the jury is most certainly still out on Ben Godfrey. Emmanuel Fernandez is way below the required quality, for sure. Nsiala… diabolical.
Tuur Rommens may or may not be good enough for European football. We do not know yet, but he shone in the league last season.
Last but not least, we have the right back options. We know that Dujon Sterling has not been bad in Europe. That is one fillip.
Philippe Clement surprisingly selected him as a left back cum left winger back in the day. He did quite well there.
Ross McCrorie has decent Europa and Conference League experience in all fairness. But overall,, we cannot say that this rearguard is ready for the calibre of opposition Rangers will face on the continent.
It could not even handle Dundee United, after all.
Pandur faces his European debut
This will also be Ivor Pandur’s first attempt at European football. The Croatian goalkeeper did not play a minute for his country. He has not yet plied his trade on the continent either.
Unfortunately, Rangers’ goalkeeping backups are probably the worst we have seen since the days of Jon McLaughlin. Allan McGregor was, of course, an outstanding number one. However, he had Jon McLaughlin and Kieran Wright as backups.
This was not great. Staggeringly, Giovanni van Bronckhorst made McLaughlin first choice in one of his few massive and glaring mistakes.
We could not understand that decision back then and were flabbergasted by it. Today, we still cannot quite believe he did it.
However, Rangers do not exactly have great goalkeeping options today either. The second choice is Liam Kelly. He is an honest enough goalkeeper, but he is below average.
There is a very good reason that he has not amounted to much at his age. We used to like him a great deal.
However, having seen him start serious matches between the sticks, he simply does not stack up. He is decent, but nothing more.
Rangers could struggle badly in Europe
Consequently, the whole rearguard shares that problem. There is no really strong centre back pairing. Neither full back position, aside potentially from Tuur Rommens, has a strong array of quality either. Derek McInnes’ Rangers defensive options are painful.
Rangers are very likely to get absolutely murdered by anything half decent in Europe. We do not want that to happen, but we do not have the players to do anything else.