By Alistair Aird
Week 11 of the 2022/23 Scottish Premiership season heralded the dawn of a new era. Technology was upon us, VAR had arrived! It had been called upon extensively in the early kick-off – which will undoubtedly bring some of the conspiracy theorists to the fore again – but one hoped that match referee David Munro didn’t have cause to refer to it too often as the Rangers players looked to reign in the rain and lift the gloom that has seemed to enshroud the club since the lashing from Liverpool 10 days ago.
The cacophony of boos that greeted the final whistle on Wednesday after the laboured performance against Dundee were hopefully still ringing in the ears of the Rangers squad. Too often of late they have performed in fits and starts, playing ‘safety first’ football that has been devoid of the high energy and intensity that had been the hallmark of the rousing run to the Europa League Final in May. As a collective, they had to take responsibility in this one to ensure that they left the field to hurrahs rather than heckles.
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Since losing narrowly to Rangers on the opening day of the season, Livingston had been inconsistent. Although the arrived in sixth place in the table, they had won five and lost five of their 10 league fixtures. This should have been routine for Rangers, but such is the feeling around the place at the moment, not many in attendance would have been supremely confident of securing all three points.
After shuffling the pack in midweek, the starting XI named by Giovanni van Bronckhorst was along more familiar lines. Back came McGregor, Davies, Barisic, Colak, Kent, and Arfield, and the alterations saw Rangers setting up in a 4-1-4-1 formation, with Arfield on the right of a four that contained Steven Davis in a more advanced, central role.
After an impeccably observed minute’s silence to mark the sad passing of the legendary Jimmy Millar, Antonio Colak got proceedings underway, with Rangers attacking the Broomloan Road end. But the direction of traffic would be towards the opposite end initially, as Livingston enjoyed the first foray into opposition territory. It wouldn’t be their last in the opening stages either.
Although Rangers responded when Kent did something that has been lacking in his game recently – beat the full back and fizzed in an excellent cross that unfortunately Colak couldn’t direct on target – Livingston increased the edginess after four minutes. It was all too easy as they advanced down the right-hand side of the Rangers defence and when the ball was crossed in low, Joe Nouble shot the ball beyond the despairing dive of Allan McGregor. Post-match, James Tavernier held his hands up and took responsibility for the part he played in the concession of the goal, and he was right. Once again, the defensive deficiencies in the captain’s game were cruelly and clinically exposed.
It was precisely the start Rangers didn’t want and exactly the one that David Martindale, the Livingston manager, did. His side could now sit even deeper and extend the invitation to the home side to try and break the barriers down. It was time for the players clad in royal blue to stand up and be counted. Alas, they once again elected to decline the opportunity.
After 17 minutes, the stats painted an all too familiar picture. Rangers had 75% possession, but no shots on target. 84 of their 96 passes had been accurate, but when you funnel the ball from side to side and play short passes that lack the required incision in the final third then this stat will always look positive. By the end of the game, the passing count stood at 594 (88% accuracy), but you don’t get points for pass completion.
But at this early juncture, the two shots on goal compared to the four from the visitors was the most damning stat of all. Although the shot count had risen to 24 by the end of the match, only THREE of them were on target, two of which came in stoppage time.
After 20 minutes, Barisic curled a deep cross into the box that was headed wide by the former Rangers player, Andrew Shinnie. From the resulting corner there was a shout for handball, but an intervention from VAR was not forthcoming. Even technology couldn’t offer Rangers a lifeline.
Slack and sloppy passing was now coming to the fore, although Arfield had a half chance to score when the ball was nodded down to him on the edge of the box. However, his right foot shot couldn’t find a way through the forest of white jerseys.
Aside from the perpetual hubbub of noise from the Union Bears, a hush had descended on Ibrox Stadium. Someone in a blue jersey needed to provide a spark to ignite this one, but as the minutes ticked by such that half an hour had elapsed, you were starting already to look to the bench for changes to made. And the fact that you knew that that was highly unlikely served to only reinforce the notion that this was going to be another one of those dark, dank, and doleful days.
But on 31 minutes there was a glimmer of hope. Kent got the ball out of his feet and curled an inviting cross that Colak got on the end of. The Croatian hitman couldn’t steer his effort on target, but it was a passage of positive play at least. Colak then pounced on a loose ball and lashed a shot wide of Shamal George’s left-hand post.
After 37 minutes, Nicky Devlin elected to divert an aimless cross from Tavernier wide for a corner, but still nothing happened when the ball broke inside the 18-yard box. Stale and static were operative words at this juncture to describe the way Rangers were playing.
With half time looming, Sean Kelly took out Arfield and Rangers won a free-kick in a promising position. Barisic stepped up but curled his shot wide. It was another opportunity to work an underworked Shamal George who was yet to get his gloves dirty. That in itself was shameful. Not only were Rangers trailing at home, but they were also showing no real intent to get themselves back into the game.
There was a double change for Rangers at the start of what you felt was a make-or-break 45 minutes. One of them appeared to be tactical – Matondo for Davis – while the other – Sands for King – suggested that the young centre back may have picked up a knock. Clarity on the latter was provided post-match when the manager revealed that the youngster felt nauseous. In fairness, he wasn’t the only one.
Rangers were the first to threaten when the action got back underway. Lundstram manoeuvred the ball onto his right foot and his shot at goal was deflected and spun wide for a corner. Once again, though, no advantage was forthcoming from the set-piece opportunity.
When Barisic tried his luck from distance, his shot also spun wide, and although the resulting corner was poorly executed, James Tavernier managed to register Rangers’ first shot on target. George dealt with it comfortably. Remarkably, FIFTY-SEVEN minutes had elapsed!
There followed some sustained attacking play from Rangers. But although the ball bobbed around the penalty area a couple of times, it didn’t break for anyone wearing blue. With over an hour gone, George still hadn’t been called upon to thwart or repel anything of note from the Rangers attack.
After 66 minutes there was activity on the Rangers bench. Alfredo Morelos was ready, and for the first time in a while, there was a positive change. It wasn’t ‘like-for-like’, and at long last we would get to see how Morelos and Colak would fair in the same team. Scott Arfield was the player to make way for the introduction of the Colombian.
While the change may have looked positive on paper, it most certainly wasn’t on the pitch. Any possible threats were either snuffed out with relative ease, or the execution of the final ball was awful. Time was running out, not just in this match but you had to feel for the manager too. It couldn’t go on like this.
We got our first intervention from VAR after 77 minutes. Morgan Boyes took out Morelos cynically and was booked by David Munro. However, the official was advised to check the incident again for a possible red card offence. Munro was convinced on second viewing that the challenge merited a dismissal. Rangers now had ten minutes against ten men. Surely they would get a positive outcome now?
Van Bronckhorst then made his fifth and final change. Sakala had come on for Matondo following the ordering off, now Kemar Roofe was on for Borna Barisic. It suggested that the time had come to throw everything at Livingston. Desperate times calling for desperate measures and all that.
Rangers now had three recognised centre forwards on the pitch. The trouble was that for players of that ilk to score goals, opportunities need to be created. Nothing clear cut was, and the fans started to exit in their droves.
As the clock ticked on to the 90th minute, Rangers had had 13 shots at goal. Only ONE was on target. But then out of nothing, the home side were level. Kent dinked the ball back into the heart of the box and it was thundered into the top corner by John Lundstram. That plus the announcement of seven minutes stoppage time lifted the volume in the voices of the supporters that remained. Was the greatest of all escapes on?
A corner was won on the left. Tavernier took it, but it came to nothing. Kent then fizzed in a cross that Colak headed towards goal. George palmed it over the bar. Rangers had gone from ropey to rampaging. But was it too little, too late?
Sakala forced another corner as the seconds ticked away, and when it fell to Colak, the Croatian’s header fell the wrong side of the crossbar. Morelos then spun away, but his low cross rebounded off him and a goal kick was awarded. And then the golden chance to snatch the points was spurned. Davies picked out Lundstram, but although he rose unchallenged, his header went over the bar.
The inevitable boos and calls for action came after the referee’s final whistle. It was another pathetic performance. Unacceptable was an understatement.
The post-mortem, inquest, and fallout after this one may be a long one. The question that needs to be answered, though, is will any decisive action be taken or will Rangers continue to muddle through the malaise?
The quest for 56 league titles has stalled, maybe even flatlined. Can anyone resuscitate Rangers? On the evidence of this match, unless there is a significant and positive mentality movement, it most certainly won’t be the current players or management team.