We must do better insists Warburton
TALK of a Premiership title challenge next season courted plenty of favour at Ibrox this week, but bottom-of-the-table Livingston gave Rangers a slight reality check with the sluggish leaders turning in arguably their worst display under Mark Warburton, while still comfortably maintaining his 100 per cent record.
An excellent first-half training ground goal from captain Lee Wallace was added to by Martyn Waghorn just before the interval. Sub Nicky Law added a third to put some gloss on the display late on, but the swashbuckling, all-out attacking football of this season was missing in a rather flat performance.
Chairman Dave King had insisted they would be looking to challenge for the title next season and he was backed up by Warburton, but the Rangers manager was left annoyed by his side’s slack performance yesterday.
‘We fell way below our standards,’ said Warburton. ‘There is no lack of respect to the opposition — far from it — but we know that today we didn’t move the ball well. We didn’t take care of it. We didn’t create enough chances. We dropped too deep.
‘But the good thing from that is that we had an inquest. The players demanded it and we let them talk. They were angry because they weren’t at the right level this afternoon. They had a few heated words and that’s great because we will work hard this week and demand even more.
‘That’s a healthy thing to do. We have to recognise that we can’t go and steamroller teams every week. There are some really good teams in this league so we have to take care and make better decisions.
‘Their reaction was an angry one, which is great — I’m delighted with that.’
Depite Warburton’s critical viewpoint of his side’s performance, Rangers were still worthy winners and it is perhaps an indication of how high their standards are now that there were a few moans and groans from the crowd yesterday, despite the result, although Livingston certainly belied their league position with a spirited, disciplined performance.
Livingston nearly handed the home side the perfect start and they were so nearly the architects of their own downfall after just four minutes when on-loan Arsenal kid Gedion Zelalem robbed Declan Gallagher to allow Waghorn a free run on goal, but he was denied by a fine diving save by visiting keeper Darren Jamieson.
Jamieson soon occurred the wrath of a packed Ibrox by timewasting before a goal kick ... after just over five minutes!
However, Rangers were soon given a rare fright at the other end when Gallagher tested Wes Foderingham with a header in the box, although the offside flag was already up. But the home side’s lead was only delayed until the 16th minute and what a superb strike straight from the training ground.
A free kick, gained when Darren Cole was booked for halting Nathan Oduwa, was taken short by Andy Halliday into the wall where Barrie McKay laid the ball back into the direction of Wallace. The Ibrox skipper then lashed a magnificent drive into the corner of the net with Jamieson not moving.
Rangers, who had two penalty claims turned down within a minute after runs from Waghorn and Zelalem, were not quite as incisive as they had been recently though, and it took a fine fingertip save from Foderingham to stop Liam Buchanan restoring parity with a rasping drive.
James Tavernier was inches away from grabbing his almost customary goal from a 25-yard free kick which whistled past the post.
Waghorn always looked a danger and he doubled the advantage with a quality strike five minutes before the interval. Collecting the ball from a McKay pass with his back to goal inside the box, he swivelled round to create space for himself and produced a fine finish off the post.
There had even been the odd groan or two from the spoiled — this season at least — home supporters and they hoped Rangers would step it up after the break, but the second half onslaught never quite materialised.
Wallace had them on their feet with a trademark burst forward before being tripped on the edge of the box, but Tavernier’s free kick was deflected wide.
Law then clipped an effort wide, but Rangers were struggling to find a way through a well-organised Almondvale defence, who had long since decided that damage limitation would be the order of the day.
Law eventually wrapped up the scoring — not that the result had ever been in any danger — with a flashing shot into the top corner with ten minutes left after fellow sub Kenny Miller had teed him up.