THE NIGHTMARE OF NIEDERKORN
Listless Rangers get a rude awakening which is likely to haunt them for rest of the season
TWENTY-FOUR hours after the Tour de France came to town, Pedro Caixinha’s new-look Rangers came to a shuddering halt. One from which they will do well to recover.
Regardless of the infancy of the Portuguese’s Ibrox project, this was nothing short of humiliation. A shameful, listless display which got exactly what it deserved.
To put the scale of this defeat in context, consider this. Progres Niederkorn, fourth in the Luxembourg league last season, hadn’t won a European match in 13 attempts, scoring once and conceding 41 goals in the process. Even an evolving, undercooked Rangers side should be taking care of them in their sleep.
For all Caixinha will talk of the need for time and patience, this is a result that will haunt him for a long time to come.
Frankly, a rump of the Rangers support will already question the wisdom of his appointment. And who could honestly blame them?
After the club’s six-year absence from European competition, Caixinha had talked with cautious optimism about reaching the group stage. AEL Limassol were already in his sights. What he believed to be unthinkable — namely defeat to a team from Luxembourg — is now all too real.
If there has been a worse result in Rangers’ long European history, no one here could recall it.
Leading through Kenny Miller’s goal from the first leg, they ought to have gone for the jugular and got the job done with something to spare. Yet, even allowing for early-season ring-rust, they were completely off the pace.
Yes, they struck the woodwork twice at the death, but by that stage they were eyeing a miracle.
Niederkorn scored twice in nine second-half minutes through Emmanuel Francoise and their skipper Sebastien Thill and would not be denied.
Such was the poverty of the performance from the Scots, at times you could scarcely believe what you were witnessing.
On the day that Graham Dorrans inched closer to becoming the Rangers manager’s ninth summer signing, Caixinha’s selection further demonstrated the wind of change blowing through the club.
Daniel Candeias displaced his Portuguese compatriot Dalcio in the side, with Jordan Rossiter ousting Jason Holt to make his first start since August. Colombian striker Alfredo Morelos was preferred to Martyn Waghorn.
Backed by more than 2,000 travelling fans, Rangers went in search of the goal that would kill the tie stone dead.
Both Candeias and James Tavernier were guilty of poor deliveries from advanced areas before Miller worked Niederkorn keeper Sebastian Flauss with a low shot that stemmed from Niko Kranjcar’s corner.
The minnows no doubt felt their hopes of pulling off the greatest result in their history rested with set-pieces. When Tavernier fouled Matias Marques, Olivier Thill saw Wes Foderingham’s suspect positioning. His free-kick had the keeper scrambling to make up the ground only for the ball to land in the side netting. It should have been all the warning Rangers needed.
Moments later, another chance passed the visitors by. Morelos cleverly dummied Lee Wallace’s cross to give Kranjcar sight of goal. The Croat skied the ball over.
As the midway point of the first half arrived, the script remained the same. Another Kranjcar corner allowed Fabio Cardoso to control with his chest and volley across goal. Miller was inches away from converting with a diving header.
By that stage, Niederkorn were starting to fancy their chances. Neat footwork by Francoise presented Mike Schneider with half a chance on the edge of the box. His lack of composure allowed Foderingham to rest easy.
Niederkorn’s admirable defensive organisation was disrupted by what looked a serious injury sustained by Flauss. Charly Schinker replaced him in goal. Rossiter tried to make the sub’s first task to retrieve the ball from the rigging but his drive drifted wide.
The men from Luxembourg certainly had their chances. Quite why Olivier Thill was allowed to motor from middle to front at will just before the break was anyone’s guess. Fortunately for Caixinha’s men, his fizzing drive was marginally off target. Morelos had struggled to make any kind of impact and was hooked, with Dalcio introduced and Miller shunted to centre-forward.
But Niederkorn restarted with greater attacking intent. Olivier Thill spotted Wallace out of position and threaded an excellent pass to Francoise. He steamed clear on goal and let fly. Only Foderingham’s outstretched hand prevented the opener.
Outwardly, Caixinha remained calm. Heaven knows how he managed it. Another Kranjcar corner found David Bates lurking at the far post but his header was poor and again the home goal remained untroubled.
Josh Windass was next to be introduced. Candeias made way, the game having passed him by. A goal for Niederkorn still seemed as likely as one for the Scots.
Sebastien Thill wasn’t far away from providing it with a wellexecuted floater from the edge of the box that drifted a yard wide. Rangers’ response was a Ryan Jack header from Kranjcar’s corner that was easily gathered by Schinker.
Just after the hour mark, the Croat struck the bar with a header from three yards from a Wallace cross when it seemed easier to score. The consequence was drastic.
With Rangers unable to clear their lines after a corner, Metin Karayer drove at the right side of their defence with purpose.
His in-swinging cross was a gem. Francoise simply had to stretch out a leg and flick the ball beyond Foderingham from close range. A truly staggering upset was on the cards.
One squandered Kranjcar freekick later, we moved into surreal territory. Windass conceded a needless free-kick near the right touchline which Sebastien Thill took charge of. His delivery was outstanding and caught the entire Rangers’ defence sleeping. To Foderingham’s horror, the curling strike beat him at his far post.
Mexican Eduardo Herrera represented Caixinha’s last throw of the dice from the bench. Windass hit the crossbar with a header while Miller did likewise with a shot in the closing stages. But, amid an onslaught of long balls, Niederkorn held on for the greatest result in their European history and Rangers’ worst.