NO BARTON NO BENEFIT
After Old Firm and Joeygate, it’s more misery for Warbs as Gers’ sluggish form goes on...
Joey Barton has done little to inspire Rangers when he has been on the pitch this season.
And the midfielder’s absence couldn’t spark the reaction needed to end a week from hell with a win. Ross County celebrated a hard-fought point after a scoreless draw on their first ever visit to Ibrox.
But the result means yet more misery for Mark Warburton with further points dropped as Gers’ sluggish start to their top- f l ight return continued.
The heat has been turned up on the Englishman ahead of a crucial period and he must find a solution to the Barton fal l- out tomorrow.
Warburton claimed Scottish football leaves him feeling depressed and the failure to win
here would have done little to improve his mood as the draw rounded off a miserable seven days.
It started with a 5-1 hammering at the hands of Celtic before bad-boy Barton was banished following a training ground bust-up.
That should have galvanised Warburton’s men and while they created enough chances they again came up short at this level – with boos ringing out at full-time.
Rangers have claimed just two wins from six league games and the Hoops could go six points clear of their rivals with a game in hand if they win at Inverness today.
Queen of the South are next up in the Betfred Cup on Tuesday followed by a tough trip to Pittodrie where Gers face last season’s runners-up Aberdeen.
Warburton was breathing fire after the stinging criticism following the Parkhead defeat but his team couldn’t deliver on his claim that the critics would be made to eat their words.
This was a pivotal day after marquee signing Barton’s bust- up saw him ordered away and his team-mates should have been desperate to prove a point after his criticism of them led to the Murray Park row.
It was Armed Forces day but an internal Ibrox conf l ict dominated the build-up to the visit of the Staggies with the Barton controversy disrupting preparations.
The midfielder’s training ground spat with Andy Halliday – who replaced him in the starting line-up – and subsequent run-in with Warburton saw him banished from the club.
And while Barton spent the day a couple of hundred miles away in north- west England, his team-mates were looking to kickstart their season and bounce back from their Old Firm derby drubbing. Joining Halliday in the middle of the park was fit-again Jason Holt, making his first appearance in over a month and only his third of the season due to an ankle injury. Martyn Waghorn also returned after being injured in the first league game of the season with Clint Hill and Danny Wilson in the heart of the defence, replacing the suspended Philippe Senderos and crocked Rob Kiernan. County were dealt a huge blow when Liam Boyce was ruled out with a back injury on the day the Northern Ireland striker was named Premiership Player of the Month af ter his f ive goals in August. Josh Windass was one of the few in blue to emerge with Parkhead pass marks last
week and he had the ball in the net after three minutes only to be ruled offside.
His surging run then carved out another chance when Holt was taken out after playing a forward pass with play continuing with Windass in possession.
The Englishman’s pace took him beyond Andrew Davies and round keeper Scott Fox but Davies recovered to clear Windass’s effort off the line.
Halliday was determined to put on a show in Barton’s absence but he was too eager in a strong challenge on Martin Woods which resulted in treatment for the County man.
The Staggies then went close midway through the f irst half when Davies headed the ball into Alex Schalk’s path.
The Dutchman fired through a ruck of bodies but Ibrox No. 1 Wes Foderingham did brilliantly to get down low to his left and deny him.
At the other end Windass was the main threat and he went close on a couple of occasions, including a long-range shot just off target after Woods had passed straight to the former Accrington man. Rangers haven’t scored in the first half
at home in the league this season and they couldn’t change that stat here.
But Warburton’s side came so close to opening the scoring 12 minutes into the second period.
Staggies keeper Fox denied Waghorn with a brilliant one-handed save then Hill got on the end of Barrie McKay’s delivery from the corner only for Woods to head off the line.
Warburton freshened things up with Kenny Miller and Michael O’Halloran replacing Joe Garner and Waghorn and that double change almost paid off immediately for the Ibrox boss.
Windass was again at the heart of the move with a ball from the right for O’Halloran who crashed his header off the crossbar before Foderingham was called into action at the other end to beat away a Schalk effort.
Fox then saved a hooked effort from Hill as Gers pushed for a winner. But they were vulnerable to a Staggies counter and substitute Tony Dingwall hit the side-netting with an effort the visiting fans thought had earned the League Cup holders a historic win.