WILD BLUE SQUANDER
Wasteful Gers fail to breach Russians’ defences
THE cops threw a chain of steel around Russian fans off the field as Rangers fumbled for the key to break Spartak’s resistance on it. The visitors listed a Brazilian defensive midfielder named Fernando but for Rangers this really should have been a case of The Winner Takes It All. They were architects of their own misfortune on a night in which they created a new record of 11 games undefeated in European competition for a single season but still trooped off frustated. There was no questioning their energy and commitment but when they needed calm heads in creative areas they found only clouded judgments and error-strewn execution. Time and again passes were overhit and subtlety in and around the penalty box was absent.
This will go down as an opportunity missed – even if Rangers secured a point that keeps them at the top of Group G.
Their misfiring malaise was summed up perfectly midway through the first half when they sliced the Russians apart for the first of too few occasions.
Alfredo Morelos played in Daniel Candeias on the left in a rare, slick attacking movement and the Ibrox roar was silenced as the crowd rose in anticipation of the opening goal. Lassana Coulibaly stood unmarked on the six-yard line waiting for the low ball that would have left him a tap-in but Candeias instead lofted a high cross into the night sky.
The home support suffered a night of anguish and yells of excitement were matched by howls of frustration at the wastefulness of their side in crucial areas.
James Tavernier took two corners on the stroke of half-time as Rangers searched for the opener that might just have seen the Russians buckle.
He hit both set-pieces weakly into
the front post in a display of penaltybox profligacy that, with others, cost his team its chance to plant a firm foot in last-32 territory they haven’t visited for close to a decade.
There was a luminous ring of yellow vests around the visiting fans of Spartak Moscow, who have proved to be no angels in Europe over recent seasons.
Significantly they were surrounded by a couple of hundred of Police Scotland’s finest as the wise decision was made to allow part-time security to sit this one out in other areas of the stadium.
They may carry a reputation for notoriety but, in fairness, the visiting support appeared to show no interest inside the ground for launching a defence against anything other than their favourites.
They needed it too with interim boss Raul Riancho taking the bold decision to leave seven regulars behind to focus on Monday’s crunch league fixture against Rubin Kazan.
Spartak were without skipper Denis Glushakov and defender Andrei Yeshchenko after they were accused of pressing the like button on an Instagram post by Russian actor Dmitry Nazarov mocking then manager Massimo Carrera, who led them to the title last year.
And star striker Luiz Adriano, suspended after punching an opponent in Champions League qualifying, wasn’t there either.
That collective absence gives an indication of where Spartak’s priorities lie and while Rangers fans desire title success more than anything, this competition has provided rehabilitation for them on the European stage. Soviet and Russian sides have featured largely in the history of the Light Blues, way back to 1945 when Dynamo Moscow, Tiger Khomich and all, played out a 2-2 draw in front of 90,000 enthralled fans at Ibrox.
The same club were the opposition when Rangers enjoyed their finest European achievement in Barcelona in 1972 and in recent times Dynamo Kiev and CSKA Moscow have all been put to the sword against the Ibrox men.
The Spartak side on display are not in their class and if their approach was tentative it was only in part a result of the early tempo set by Rangers.
The second half followed a similar pattern to the first as the Light Blues controlled large chunks of possession without ever carrying conviction when it mattered most. Their night was summed up with the last kick of the game when Eros Grezda blazed over from 18 yards.
The ball had barely landed in Row Z of the Copland Stand before Kevin Blom blew for full-time to muted applause from the home support.
It was the Dutch ref ’s first visit to Scotland in seven years after admitting his last game in Glasgow plunged him into a “valley of depression”.
Scotland needed a win over Czech Republic in a Euro 2012 qualifier and were 2-1 up in injury time when Jan Rezek went down in the box under no pressure from Danny Wilson – and Blom bought the dive.
Blom was candid enough to admit to depression for the next 12 months but he fairly skipped off the pitch last night, leaving Rangers to suffer a bout of the self-inflicted blues.