Back to the Drawing Board?
It had been a simply exceptional start by Rangers to the new season. Straight wins domestically resulting in a deserved return to the top of the table, with only 3 goals conceded in the process, and safe passage to the hallowed turf of the Champions League group stage were testament to the fruitful return to the football season for a Rangers team desperate to wrest the championship from the hands of Old Firm rivals Celtic.
However, one niggling doubt always remained – none of the perceived heavyweights of the SPL had yet been encountered like Hearts or Celtic; instead sides like St Mirren and Gretna had fallen at our hands.
So when on Saturday 15th September Rangers travelled to Tynecastle it was confidently approached by the fans who were pretty certain this Rangers side would overcome the Gorgie men despite them being one of the ‘better’ sides the SPL had to offer.
One major shock was announced prior to kick off, that being the ‘resting’ of Ferguson to the bench and Weir substituting as captain, while McCulloch was absent in favour of Beasley on the left. This all meant a debut for loan signing Faye from Charlton, a supposedly rugged and solid Senegalese central midfielder, and a chance for Thomson to show how he would cope without his regular partner in the centre.
This was, in short, Rangers first true test of season 2007/2008. Yes, Celtic had dispatched this side at Parkhead with embarrassing ease weeks before, but Rangers knew they would be hurting from that crushing and eager for revenge against an Old Firm team.
From the second the game started, it was clear Heart of Midlothian wanted to win this game more than the visitors. In Ferguson’s absence, there was absolutely no drive from the Ibrox men, who clocked up by far their worst display this season and allowed the Edinburgh men to pound them from the first whistle. Furthermore, not a single Rangers player shone, with only Cousin gaining possible pass marks during a quite appalling first half display in which two goals were shipped, one of which resulted from a comically naïve piece of play from an uncharacteristically dreadful Cuellar. The other was a tad fortunate by way of a deflection, but not undeserved.
Indeed, the final result of a 4-2 reverse was probably flattering to the Gers, who managed to get something like a foot in the door of the game via the introduction of Ferguson who single-handedly seemed to turn the game around for around 15-20 minutes including the winning of a penalty. When it went to 3-1 though thanks to a hopelessly crude penalty box foul from Hutton (also uncharacteristically below par) the game was surely up. A woeful piece of goalkeeping from the normally reliable McGregor led to the fourth, and while Beasley scored a fine second, it was nowhere near enough to save this game.
Rangers left Tynecastle with a severely bloodied nose, aided and abetted by their green and white rivals humiliating ICT at Parkhead. In short, this was Rangers first acid test of the new campaign, and sadly they failed it with bravado. This was not the display of a team who can win the league, and highlights the fact Smith still has work to do if his team are to commit a sustained challenge. It is great to beat the basement sides and clock up the points, but regrettably it seems to have created a false impression of how good Rangers are.
We wait with substantial caution to see how this team can respond over the coming weeks.
However, one niggling doubt always remained – none of the perceived heavyweights of the SPL had yet been encountered like Hearts or Celtic; instead sides like St Mirren and Gretna had fallen at our hands.
So when on Saturday 15th September Rangers travelled to Tynecastle it was confidently approached by the fans who were pretty certain this Rangers side would overcome the Gorgie men despite them being one of the ‘better’ sides the SPL had to offer.
One major shock was announced prior to kick off, that being the ‘resting’ of Ferguson to the bench and Weir substituting as captain, while McCulloch was absent in favour of Beasley on the left. This all meant a debut for loan signing Faye from Charlton, a supposedly rugged and solid Senegalese central midfielder, and a chance for Thomson to show how he would cope without his regular partner in the centre.
This was, in short, Rangers first true test of season 2007/2008. Yes, Celtic had dispatched this side at Parkhead with embarrassing ease weeks before, but Rangers knew they would be hurting from that crushing and eager for revenge against an Old Firm team.
From the second the game started, it was clear Heart of Midlothian wanted to win this game more than the visitors. In Ferguson’s absence, there was absolutely no drive from the Ibrox men, who clocked up by far their worst display this season and allowed the Edinburgh men to pound them from the first whistle. Furthermore, not a single Rangers player shone, with only Cousin gaining possible pass marks during a quite appalling first half display in which two goals were shipped, one of which resulted from a comically naïve piece of play from an uncharacteristically dreadful Cuellar. The other was a tad fortunate by way of a deflection, but not undeserved.
Indeed, the final result of a 4-2 reverse was probably flattering to the Gers, who managed to get something like a foot in the door of the game via the introduction of Ferguson who single-handedly seemed to turn the game around for around 15-20 minutes including the winning of a penalty. When it went to 3-1 though thanks to a hopelessly crude penalty box foul from Hutton (also uncharacteristically below par) the game was surely up. A woeful piece of goalkeeping from the normally reliable McGregor led to the fourth, and while Beasley scored a fine second, it was nowhere near enough to save this game.
Rangers left Tynecastle with a severely bloodied nose, aided and abetted by their green and white rivals humiliating ICT at Parkhead. In short, this was Rangers first acid test of the new campaign, and sadly they failed it with bravado. This was not the display of a team who can win the league, and highlights the fact Smith still has work to do if his team are to commit a sustained challenge. It is great to beat the basement sides and clock up the points, but regrettably it seems to have created a false impression of how good Rangers are.
We wait with substantial caution to see how this team can respond over the coming weeks.
posted by RangersMedia @ 11:09 AM
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