NO DANGER FOR THIS RANGERS
Progress is palpable as Ibrox men come through their first European hurdle
MAKING inroads on Celtic. Winning a trophy somewhere down the line. Progress for Steven Gerrard is unlikely to be quick, easy or in any way guaranteed. Yet here in Skopje there was an immediate improvement in one of the new Rangers manager’s key performance battlegrounds: Europe.
There’s no cause to hang out the bunting for a Europa League first qualifying round win over FK Shkupi of Macedonia, a sixyear-old club performing in UEFA competition for the first time. The Ibrox side will meet better opposition. Possibly as soon as the next round when NK Osijek of Croatia look the likeliest opponents.
Yet it is only 12 months since Pedro Caixinha’s hopelessness as Rangers manager was exposed by Progres Niederkorn at the same stage of the same competition in Luxembourg. The roots of Gerrard’s arrival as Ibrox boss were sewn the night Caixinha was pictured taking refuge in a bush outside the stadium, bandying words with the travelling supporters.
In contrast, the former England captain has Rangers fans eating out the palm of his hands, a 700-strong travelling support content with passage to the second qualifying round. They learn tomorrow night whether they play Petrocub of Moldova or Osijek, with the sides tied at 1-1 after the first leg.
This was never one of those backs-to-the-wall nights when heroic blocks and seat-of-thepants defending were needed to cling on to a 2-0 lead from the first leg by hook or by crook. The truth is that it never needed to be.
Naturally, Rangers keeper Allan McGregor had his moments, pulling off a couple of timely firsthalf saves when Shkupi threatened to raise the tempo from ponderous to mildly threatening.
Yet, the second leg bore marked similarities to the first. The Macedonians passed the ball smartly, but lacked penetration or firepower to draw real blood.
Rangers looked as likely to score as the home team and, if there is disappointment for Gerrard the perfectionist, it will be the failure to take a few opportunities to put this tie comfortably out of reach. Umar Sadiq, the striker loaned from Roma, is expected to receive international clearance in the coming days and already looks a necessary addition to a team weakened by an out-of-touch Alfredo Morelos.
James Tavernier’s stoppage-time penalty in Glasgow and Jamie Murphy’s first-half strike were enough in the end. The local climate also did its bit when rain showers took the edge off the sticky heat, dampening hopes of an unlikely fightback. If a temperature of 24 degrees at kickoff prompted a bead of sweat on Rangers brows, the situation never threatened to over-heat.
In Basil Nchama, their best player in Glasgow, Shkupi’s hopes lay. The winger cut in from the flank in eight minutes, laying on a shooting chance for team-mate Ron Broja which was dealt with.
A long-range shot from Baze Ilijovski forced McGregor to push over during a busy few minutes when the Rangers keeper also parried a driven 20-yard effort from Kristijan Stojkovski.
Yet the ‘home’ team — nominally at least after moving the tie from their 6,000-seater Cair Stadium to the National Stadium — were toothless. Nchama’s removal 11 minutes before halftime due to injury pretty much extinguished their attacking menace. Under normal circumstances, Gerrard wants his team to be aggressive, employing a high-energy high press. This wasn’t the night for that. Rangers clung to what they had and threatened on the break in both halves. Josh Windass could have grabbed the tie-killing goal in 24 minutes. Gathering a raking crossfield ball on the halfway line, the attacker had only one intention, reaching the edge of the area before releasing a tricky daisycutter unconvincingly spilled by home keeper Suat Zendeli. By making it to halftime unscathed, Rangers were almost there, Shkupi’s selfbelief draining fast.
It could have gone completely when Windass cut in from left in 54 minutes and curled a right-foot shot towards the top corner. Zendeli parried and Morelos had the opportunity to turn the loose ball into the net. It wouldn’t quite fall for the Colombian striker and that’s not unusual these days. The subject of a big-money bid from China in January, Rangers must wish now they had grabbed it.
Suited and booted for the occasion, Gerrard was just about relaxed enough to remove his club blazer in the final stages.
Teenage winger Glenn Middleton was handed half an hour and threatened to make an impact when he smashed a weighted through ball into the side-netting. A Tavernier free-kick was also saved acrobatically by Zendeli as Rangers came closer to putting a cherry on the cake.
Shkupi had one last crack at making things interesting in 88 minutes, the first — and last — real chance of the half coming when Muarem Muarem outpaced Tavernier and forced McGregor into one final block with a low angled shot.
Accustomed to high standards, the Liverpool legend warned his charges before kick-off he would accept no repeat of last season’s humiliating defeat to Progres. No excuses was the mantra. They didn’t need them in the end. On a stage when Scottish clubs have come an embarrassing cropper far too often in recent seasons, Rangers prevailed. Few doubt that sterner tests await.