'Shoddy, shabby & not good enough' - but Rangers do what they need to

"It's amended to beryllium fortunate than good."

An aged adage which sums up Rangers' tally successful nan qualifiers of nan Champions League truthful acold alternatively neatly.

The bully news is they are now conscionable 2 games - aliases 1 necktie - distant from nan convention phase, pinch Club Brugge of Belgium opinionated successful their way.

Making it to nan play-off information is arguably an over-achievement successful itself, fixed nan tricky tie against Panathinaikos successful nan past information and a squad being rebuilt nether a caller caput coach.

But leader Russell Martin is nether nary illusion astir nan standard of nan improvements needed.

You do not person to trawl done precocious statistic to activity retired Rangers person had their goalkeeper Jack Butland and immoderate unspeakable profligacy from their opponents to convey successful their 2 ties truthful far.

"We person a batch to activity on, but we're through," Martin told BBC Scotland aft Rangers overcame Viktoria Plzen connected aggregate contempt a 2-1 second-leg loss.

"Both goals are outrageous and we person to take sides better, but we take sides much than we should person because we are sloppy pinch nan ball."

It was evident why Martin was unhappy. In Plzen, Rangers conceded 27 shots, a staggering 21 of them coming from wrong their punishment area.

As a result, nan Czech broadside ended pinch an expected goals standing of 3.31, pinch Butland making 8 saves, pinch nan 1 to contradict Prince Adu genuinely world class.

Given Rangers' awesome first-leg performance, a one-off mediocre show pinch a comfortable 3-0 aggregate lead could beryllium forgiven fixed nan extremity result.

But early successful nan season, it has been a pattern. Rangers person conceded 97 shots successful their six games truthful far, an mean of 16 per game.

Had Plzen, Panathinaikos, Motherwell, aliases moreover Dundee been much objective past it could easy beryllium a different communicative successful this nascent campaign.

"Plzen had 4 100% chances and took 1 of them - and they each came from Rangers' mistakes," erstwhile Rangers midfielder Ian McCall said connected Sportsound.

"They were shoddy and shabby, but nan sanction of nan crippled is getting into nan adjacent round.

"There's an atrocious batch of money astatine stake, and they'll person a chance. But they'll request to take sides a batch amended successful position of not giving nan shot distant successful vulnerable areas."

Rangers' inability to support nan shot and move it up nan pitch, alternatively gifting it backmost to Plzen, was thing Martin picked retired too.

"There were immoderate bully moments we didn't make nan astir of, but I'm disappointed pinch nan number of shots and chances they person and astir of it is self-inflicted," nan Rangers caput coach added.

"Our level of value connected nan shot and determination making wasn't bully enough."

Wingers Oliver Antman and Djeidi Gassama, truthful influential successful nan first-leg victory, were hardly successful nan crippled earlier being substituted successful nan 2nd half. Mainly because Rangers could not get nan shot to them.

Their biggest passing combinations connected nan nighttime were betwixt Butland and his 2 centre-backs.

Things kept breaking down earlier it could get adjacent nan wide duo, pinch striker Cyriel Dessers not receiving a azygous walk from a cardinal midfielder earlier going disconnected pinch an wounded aft nan break.

Other than going through, nan large affirmative connected nan nighttime was Lyall Cameron grabbing his first Rangers goal, capping disconnected a coagulated individual performance.

Butland's shape is besides a large positive fixed his struggles successful nan 2nd half of past play and, contempt nan evident flaws, Rangers person recovered a knack of coming up pinch large goals successful Europe sloppy of nan momentum successful games.

However, that is not a sustainable look for occurrence successful European football's premier competition.

Club Brugge will undoubtedly beryllium a measurement up. Last play they reached nan past 16 of nan Champions League, yet losing to Aston Villa.

The teams shared a 2-2 tie astatine Ibrox successful pre-season, truthful location will beryllium a grade of familiarity, arsenic overmuch arsenic a friends tin replicate competitory action.

"If Rangers were playing against a amended value of team, moreover pinch nan 3-0 lead, this crippled could person gone to extra-time aliases they could person mislaid it," erstwhile Rangers striker Steven Thompson said connected Sportsound.

"They cannot spend to play for illustration that against Brugge. You tin guarantee they're not going to beryllium missing those types of gifts."

'Rangers were not good. Against a amended team, this could person gone to other time'

12/08/25

Andy C: It's grim watching. So galore times nan Gers gave nan shot distant nether self-inflicted pressure. Souttar and Butland look to beryllium nan only 2 who cognize what they're doing.

Graham: How agelong is it going to return for nan players to accommodate to nan caller "style of play" earlier nan fans suffer faith? Because correct now I spot nary improvements astatine all, if thing nan past fewer games I've watched has been nan worst watch successful years.

Ray: All that matters is they are done that's it. If they play arsenic severely against Brugge and spell done that's each that matters arsenic well. You request bully players to play Martin's strategy and nan other money whitethorn good thief him successful that quest.

Brian: Another woefully mediocre capacity from this squad - I honestly don't cognize what is going connected nether Martin and I fearfulness that it's not going to extremity good and will only group nan nine backmost moreover further. Sloppy defending and wasteful connected nan counter.

Florentina: A batch of antagonistic comments arsenic accustomed pinch Rangers, but we're done to nan adjacent round. People besides forget, that if it wasn't for our efforts successful Europe nan past fewer years, wherever would Scotland's coefficient be? Well done Rangers.