The 2-0 win over St Mirren at Ibrox felt like something of a routine three points. The team were 2 goals up after only 22 minutes and were dominating possession. The red card for McCrorie didn’t disrupt things hugely, as St Mirren failed to make much by way of pressure. As such, the talking points from the match weren’t plentiful, but there were still a few.
PLAYING WITH 10 MEN
We’re certainly getting some early practice in with this. The red card against Aberdeen was unlucky, as proven by the way it was rescinded. On Sunday, the red card for McCrorie was a correct decision. It may be that McGregor could have covered and prevented a shot, but we’ll never be certain. For the referee, the quick call he had to make was justified.
It was somewhat ironic after Gerrard’s comments last weekend that Rangers got another red card, though. After the match, the manager said he’s warned the team about their discipline. Let’s hope that’s the last we see of red cards this season.
JUDGING THE LEVEL OF THE TEAM
Rangers have a young squad filled with new signings. Eight of the starting eleven are considered new signings. Fans are desperate to see just where we are in terms of level domestically. In both matches, the red cards have made that impossible to judge. The attacking players are most affected by this. They’re unable to play their natural game in that sort of scenario. We are looking to find out if the performance against Maribor can be maintained. It’ll require yet more matches before we’ll know for sure.
EJARIA, KENT AND MURPHY
Related to this is some criticism from fans for Ejaria, Kent and Murphy. As above, it’s attacking players who are most affected by a red card. Fewer options to use, and more focus on being organised, tends to stifle their game. All three put in a great shift throughout their time on the pitch, though. Murphy and Kent also got assists, with both unlucky not to get more there. Ejaria does a lot more positive work than negative but seems to be judged upon what he tries going forward more often than not
THE IBROX ATMOSPHERE
There’s definite excitement among the fans at Ibrox right now. Frustrations at mistakes can still be heard, but it’s largely drowned out by positivity. The fans seem to be enjoying the game more, and that helps the players throughout the game. Morelos bopping his head along to his song, Barisic soaking up every second of his ovation, Coulibaly loving the fans as much as we love him – it’s the best relationship between fans and players in years.
Anything you’d like to discuss from Sunday? Tweet us @abouttherangers with your thoughts!
