Back to the Drawing Board

After a recent run of success, confidence was tentatively allowing itself to infiltrate the mindsets of both the players and fans, and hope that the run of straight victories and clean sheets could continue was warily creeping alongside it.

In order to sustain the current form, a tricky encounter at capable Falkirk had to be tackled, and although the small-town side had fallen away slightly in domestic standings, their quality had been evident throughout the season, particularly when their instrumental playmaker Latapy was in the lineup. At 38, the Trinidad & Tobagan was keen on aiding his side to victory over Rangers for the first time in around four decades, and improving Falkirk’s disappointing tally of only four victories in 27 at home.

Le Guen once again went with the same selection who had recently enjoyed such a good spurt of results, bar the continued choice of Papac at left back in place for the injured Smith, who, after recovery, was deemed unfit to start and made do with a seat on the bench, alongside the likes of Sebo and Buffel.

Atrocious weather conditions barely fit for playing in greeted the personnel of both sides and it was pretty clear that gale-force winds accompanied by torrential rain were not going to be conducive to fast, flowing football. Finesse would be conspicuous by its absence in this one, that was for sure.

Over the 90 minutes, a reasonably even game of football was presented; Falkirk made a real match of it, so much so they were the side to take a pretty early lead, Twaddle connecting with a corner and McGregor unable to stop it squirming past his despairing hands, and Clement likewise failing to clear the ball as it struck his shoulder area. Nestling in the back of the net, Twaddle’s effort put Falkirk’s tails’ up and while Rangers had a fairly substantial chunk of possession from there on in, until Buffel’s belated appearance 25 minutes from the end, there was very little bite or creativity up front. Novo pulled the only reasonably convincing save from Lambers with a carefully struck volley, but the Falkirk stopper was criminally under tested throughout this game. Even when the Belgian arrived for Papac deep in the second half, there seemed to be very little ability to exploit his good work – repeatedly getting in behind the Bairns’ defence with ease and throwing in decent crosses, yet no strikers were able to bury anything he did.

A major reason for this was Boyd’s injury in the first half – felled in a crude challenge, the former Killie forward fought gamely on until the pain overcame him and he limped off despondently to be replaced by Sebo. Had he been present, it stands to reason he would have been able to get into the best positions for any supplies coming his way.

This is not to take away from what Falkirk achieved – a victory. They fought hard, they fought pretty fair, and even managed some surprisingly impressive football along the way.

This was a day Rangers needed their big players to stand up and be counted, and only Prso really managed this. Ferguson’s distribution was poor, although he was hardly helped by appalling weather – he tried too many long balls which the wind ruined almost every time. Novo was full of running but not effective enough, the defence was fragile, and Clement was fairly uninspired, truly beaten on the day by the wily old fox Latapy.

So a major blip – and a quite embarrassing state of 16 points behind city rivals Celtic before Christmas, but incredibly still second in the league – what does that say about the rest of the SPL?

Moving onto the other major issue clouding the club at the moment, Chris Burke. Reported in the press as cancelling contract talks, then resuming them, before refusing an offer apparently in the region of £12,000 a week, the flame-haired winger has failed to endear himself to the vast majority of supporters with his apathetic and disloyal attitude. The club has supported the Scot during all his chronic injury woes, and owe him nothing. Yet the youngster is now trying to glean more money from them or move elsewhere. This appears to be motivated by a number of factors;
A Celtic supporting father who acts as his agent, a lack of passion on his own part for his employers, and most importantly; greed. In all his interviews he conveys huge desire for his club, even committing to wanting to win everything with them and to finish his career with them, yet first chance he has gained, he is clearly showing his words to be empty.

So, a poor result in Falkirk, and a prized-asset wanting away. All is suddenly a lot less rosy at Ibrox.