Many steps backwards.
Just when you thought maybe a tide was turning, a corner being turned and a hundred other whimsical superlatives were surfacing to describe a renaissance of Rangers, it comes to a shuddering and embarrassing halt at the hands of an ICT well below par and having failed to win a game in nine attempts.
Le Guen made one enforced change to his team, starting the maligned Slovakian Sebo in place of the injured Prso, without an ill Buffel to call upon for backup.
ICT, in 11th place in the SPL, stood between Rangers and a pretty successful festive period, and signs were more than promising that the Ibrox men could sustain the recent good form they had enjoyed and continue the clutch of passion surging through them, one which had aided them to a real battle against Celtic, and a hard fought defeat of Aberdeen.
However, by the final whistle of this encounter in the Highlands, another three points had been thrown away with all the progression reversed and passion missing.
This was truly a dire display, and ICT were worth their victory. They did not play especially well themselves, but the fact McGregor was the man of the match with stunning save after stunning save sums up the poverty of what was witnessed by the Rangers faithful.
From kick off, the complete lack of spark and guile was blatant, as Rangers lacked any kind of direction, with not even Ferguson able to control the game and dictate flow. Indeed, when Novo converted a soft (but still valid) penalty at the 20 minute mark it failed to paper over the cracks of a pretty bleak performance up to that point. Then it fell to Dods to equalise despite McGregor’s valiant attempt to save his side.
Cue half time, and surely the side would come out all-guns blazing in an attempt to reverse fortunes in this game and ramp the ante up a tad?
Not a bit of it; if anything the second half was even worse than the first, with McGregor being called upon to bail his team out at an alarming rate. Indeed, if we are honest, he stood between Rangers receiving a real thumping at the hands of a bottom-feeding side struggling to stay in the division.
There was just no cohesion, spirit or flair on display, despite Novo’s trickery in the second half. Where had all the passion gone? What on earth had happened?
Half time was Le Guen’s chance to truly flex his managerial muscles on an epic scale. His side was struggling, and needed a severe pep. So when the second half delivered a more inept display than the first, signs were there of a gargantuan problem which appeared to lay at the door of the boss.
We have not even begun to mention Sebo, the struggling former Vienna player, whose performances cannot be described as such. A good lad, but possibly the worst Rangers signing in the modern era, approaching the embarrassment of the likes of Ostenstad, Capucho, and even that insult to the jersey, Bernard.
A massive step back has been taken tonight, and suddenly the cracks have ballooned right back into focus.
Le Guen made one enforced change to his team, starting the maligned Slovakian Sebo in place of the injured Prso, without an ill Buffel to call upon for backup.
ICT, in 11th place in the SPL, stood between Rangers and a pretty successful festive period, and signs were more than promising that the Ibrox men could sustain the recent good form they had enjoyed and continue the clutch of passion surging through them, one which had aided them to a real battle against Celtic, and a hard fought defeat of Aberdeen.
However, by the final whistle of this encounter in the Highlands, another three points had been thrown away with all the progression reversed and passion missing.
This was truly a dire display, and ICT were worth their victory. They did not play especially well themselves, but the fact McGregor was the man of the match with stunning save after stunning save sums up the poverty of what was witnessed by the Rangers faithful.
From kick off, the complete lack of spark and guile was blatant, as Rangers lacked any kind of direction, with not even Ferguson able to control the game and dictate flow. Indeed, when Novo converted a soft (but still valid) penalty at the 20 minute mark it failed to paper over the cracks of a pretty bleak performance up to that point. Then it fell to Dods to equalise despite McGregor’s valiant attempt to save his side.
Cue half time, and surely the side would come out all-guns blazing in an attempt to reverse fortunes in this game and ramp the ante up a tad?
Not a bit of it; if anything the second half was even worse than the first, with McGregor being called upon to bail his team out at an alarming rate. Indeed, if we are honest, he stood between Rangers receiving a real thumping at the hands of a bottom-feeding side struggling to stay in the division.
There was just no cohesion, spirit or flair on display, despite Novo’s trickery in the second half. Where had all the passion gone? What on earth had happened?
Half time was Le Guen’s chance to truly flex his managerial muscles on an epic scale. His side was struggling, and needed a severe pep. So when the second half delivered a more inept display than the first, signs were there of a gargantuan problem which appeared to lay at the door of the boss.
We have not even begun to mention Sebo, the struggling former Vienna player, whose performances cannot be described as such. A good lad, but possibly the worst Rangers signing in the modern era, approaching the embarrassment of the likes of Ostenstad, Capucho, and even that insult to the jersey, Bernard.
A massive step back has been taken tonight, and suddenly the cracks have ballooned right back into focus.
posted by RangersMedia @ 12:17 AM
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