By Alistair Aird
Since Steven Gerrard took over as the Rangers manager in 2018 and started to reestablish our continental credentials, there has been a real buzz around Ibrox on a European night. Twas not always thus in the years that preceded the appointment of the Liverpool legend, with the humiliating loss in Luxembourg against Progres Neiderkorn still fresh in the memory. But whilst not quite dining at the top table, a sensational run to Seville coupled with a plethora of inspiring performances suggested that the name of Rangers was once more feared by the great and the good of the European game.
But there has undoubtedly been regression since Seville at home and abroad. Since losing out to Eintracht Frankfurt, Rangers have played 26 European matches under three different managers. Only seven of those matches (26.92%) have been won, while 12 (46.15%) have been lost. And the downturn in Rangers’ fortunes domestically arguably reached its nadir during a desperate defeat at Rugby Park on Sunday.
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It was against that backdrop that a ragged Rangers side welcomed the reigning Romanian champions, FCSB, to Ibrox for matchday three of the revamped Europa League group stages. Philippe Clement had said that the supporters would see a better version of Rangers in October, but with the tenth month of the year almost at end, there had been little to stimulate the senses of the supporters to convince them that their manager was doing anything other than waffling and talking poppycock. The anger that the supporters had vented in the dying embers of the Michael Beale era a year ago appeared to have been replaced by fans who were apathetic. While they would continue to back their team, this looked to be the new norm, a state of affairs that had been met with an almost grudging acceptance.
But this match offered an opportunity for a new dawn, a temporary reprieve perhaps for a group of players that had let their fans down badly after their terrible trip down the M77 at the weekend. Would the players finally step up and play and take what was now the umpteenth opportunity to convince their followers that they had what it took to make Rangers successful once again?
The manager made two changes to the XI that had started in East Ayrshire. By now the supporters knew that the changes wouldn’t be structural – it would be the rigid 4-2-3-1 come hell or highwater – and the personnel changes would be like for like. And that was indeed the case, with Leon Balogun replacing Robin Propper and Nico Raskin taking over from Mo Diomande.
At two minutes past 8pm, the referee got proceedings underway, and the fans did their best to rouse the boys in blue. Ibrox Stadium was once again calling, but it was silenced inside two minutes. Jack Butland was caught dallying on the ball and looked to have been robbed by David Misculescu. He tapped the ball into the empty net only to have his celebrations cut short when the referee decided that he had fouled the Rangers custodian. It looked to be a harsh decision. Nonetheless, a disastrous start had been averted.
Rangers responded with a rasping drive from Raskin that was parried away by the FCSB goalkeeper. That roused the supporters who roared their encouragement, and they were on their feet after 10 minutes when Rangers broke the deadlock. Vaclav Cerny danced on to his favoured left foot and rolled the ball into the path of Tom Lawrence who curled a shot into the bottom corner. It was a crisp strike, but Tarovanu in the FCSB goal should have done better in his attempt to keep the ball out.
For the home side’s number 11, it was a fifth goal in 13 appearances this season. For some context, he had scored six goals in his previous 41 matches in a Rangers jersey. Lawrence is clearly benefiting from a run of games in the number 10 role, although many still remain unconvinced he is the medium to long term option in that position.
But the sloppiness that has pockmarked Rangers’ play of late was never too far away. Ball retention was poor, and the careless surrendering of possession could and should have been punished. The fact it wasn’t was largely due to the ineffectiveness of the FCSB attack rather than any stellar defending from Rangers.
Tavernier, having another of what is now becoming a characteristic ‘quiet night’, was booked after 25 minutes for a late challenge on Tarovanu. Maybe it’s just a symptom of the system Rangers are playing, but the Rangers skipper isn’t the same attacking threat he has been in previous seasons. One goal and three assists in 14 games before this evening sums that up perfectly.
Butland redeemed himself after 28 minutes when he pawed a long-range effort from Luis Phelipe over the bar, but the fans were growing restless at how persistent the poor passing was becoming. But goals don’t just change games, they change the atmosphere too and within minutes of the home support howling in frustration, they were roaring to the rafters when Cerny manoeuvred himself on to his supposedly weaker right foot and curled a sumptuous shot into the far corner. It was a beautiful goal which added another twist to the story of what was unfolding into a very strange game indeed.
Clement had insisted that one of the principal issues in the recent erratic sequence of results was profligacy in front of goal. That most certainly wasn’t the case in the opening half hour of this match. Although they had been imprecise with their passing, Rangers had scored twice from the three shots they had had on target. Of the other five efforts registered, three had been blocked.
Five minutes from the break, Misculescu sliced a free kick wildly wide and that rather summed up the opening half for FCSB. Although they came into the match with a 100% record in the group, they had offered little and hardly laid a glove on a Rangers defence that has shown at times this season that it has something of a glass jaw, especially in big games.
Before the half ended, Cerny and Bajrami had efforts blocked as Rangers tried to kill the game off. And that was pretty much that for what had been bizarre opening 45. Ball retention had been poor, and the perception was that passing was sloppy. Yet passing accuracy in the final third was at 73% compared to 48% for FCSB. And Rangers had 15 touches in the opposition box, while FCSB had a mere three. On the basis of those statistics, it was therefore no surprise that Rangers were two goals to the good and looking comfortable into the bargain.
Rangers were forced to make a change at the start of the second half. Lawrence had taken a bad knock before the break and was replaced by Diomande. Once again, the ‘structure’ remained unbroken, with the Ivorian slotting into the middle of the ‘3’ that were operating behind Dessers. The Nigerian number nine had had another indifferent night up to this point. He failed to make double figures in terms of touches in the opening half and didn’t look likely to add to the seven goals he had netted already this season. The last of them came against Dundee in the League Cup on 21 September.
If your striker isn’t scoring, then you need to rely on others to do so and Cerny, another who has been lambasted at times this season, did just that with a glorious goal. A series of passes took Rangers from one end of the pitch to the other and Cerny scuttled into the box before keeping his composure to knock the ball into the net.
As the dust settled after the goal, Igamane came on for Dessers. The Nigerian walked off the pitch in some distress and headed up the tunnel. The manager admitted post-match to be taken aback by the player’s reaction – Dessers apologised after the game – but he appeared to still be suffering the effects of a collision a few minutes earlier when he seemed to be poked in the eye. Clement suggested that Dessers was struggling to see so time will tell if the injury rules him out of action for a period of time.
The third change of the night – once again like-for-like – saw Propper take over from a cramping Balogun. But the change didn’t disrupt the momentum and after Bajrami had stung the gloves of Tarovanu, Igamane bustled his way into the box and fired a right foot shot into the net. It was a composed finish to deliver what is his first goal in Rangers colours. That will do the young Moroccan’s confidence the world of good as he tries to convince the manager that he merits more game time.
Cerny was denied the chance to net a hat trick when he was replaced by Kasanwirjo after 73 minutes. Bajrami was also withdrawn, with his place on the left going to Zak Lovelace. With the visit of St Mirren, a trip to Pittodrie and a semi-final at Hampden on the horizon, cruise control had been activated by Clement.
The introduction of Kasanwirjo saw Tavernier move into a more advanced position and when the captain rose high to meet a cross from Jefte, the ball broke to Igamane but his snapshot was smothered by Tarovanu. That proved to be the last action of note in front of goal.
The attendance was confirmed as 41,191. For the best part of the year he has been in charge, Clement has talked of ‘synergy’ between the pitch and the stands. The fans more than played their part in that in this match. There had been spells where they understandably let their frustrations known, but for the most part, they had stood by the team and offered encouragement. And in the second half in particular, the players responded to that and drew energy from the backing they were given. That must continue as the challenge for honours starts to gather pace.
This was a much-needed win for Clement and his players. One swallow doesn’t make a summer, but this could well be the foundation upon which a new dawn is built. Let’s hope it’s not another false one.