5 THINGS WE LEARNED LAST NIGHT
1
GRAEME MURTY looked a man in despair after Rangers’ 2-1 defeat to Dundee last Friday. Five days later, the interim manager was all smiles as his tactical rejig came up trumps. Recalling Carlos Pena and moving Ross McCrorie forward from centre-half, Murty deployed a midfield diamond that cut through Aberdeen almost at will during the first period. It was a smart move — and one that outfoxed Derek McInnes in the opposition technical area. Confronted by a formation he didn’t expect, the Dons boss couldn’t find an answer.
2
WHAT a difference it makes to Rangers when they are rewarded for a rapid start. Time and again this season, the Ibrox outfit have began well but failed to capitalise. The tempo drains from their play, the opposition grow in composure and the result can drift away. Jason Holt’s (right) energy was crucial to make things different last night, winning the penalty James Tavernier converted. Rangers’ confidence — and the whole atmosphere inside Ibrox — lifted with it.
3
CONCEDING a needless penalty and given the runaround in midfield, Greg Tansey summed up Aberdeen’s off-the-pace efforts before his 43rd-minute substitution. He will wince at watching replays of the spot-kick. Clattering through Jason Holt with a distinct lack of composure, it was pretty much the definition of a self-inflicted blow. While a hernia operation has hampered his introduction to life at Pittodrie, Tansey will need to do better than this.
4
THE curious case of Carlos Pena continues to intrigue. Although little more than a passenger in some of his previous appearances, the Mexican now has five Rangers goals. Last night’s formation certainly suited for his 67 minutes on the pitch. The energy of Kenny Miller and Josh Windass created space to be exploited from deep. Pena (right) timed his run to perfection when clipping home the second goal and had a clutch of incisive passes. But he was also knocked off the ball with ease at times. So can he become an effective Rangers player? Er, maybe.
5
DAVE KING might have been the happiest man inside Ibrox last night. While one win can hardly mask the numerous underlying issues, the nature of it might help to drain some of the heat out of this morning’s AGM. Fielding questions about why no new manager has been appointed five weeks after Pedro Caixinha’s dismissal will be easier given Murty’s sterling efforts here.