RANGERS TAKE STEP TOWARDS TOP FLIGHT
Warburton’s men closing in but still leaking goals
ANDY HALLIDAY could be celebrating his first title as a Rangers player next weekend — but the midfielder last night admitted he is preoccupied by the defensive failings that are currently undermining the goalscoring work of Mark Warburton’s side.
If Hibs fail to win at St Mirren next Saturday, a Rangers victory over Raith Rovers will secure the Championship title and, with it, automatic promotion, the prize Halliday has craved since joining his boyhood favourites last summer.
Although yesterday’s 4-3 win over Queen of the South brought Rangers closer to a top-flight place, there were too many echoes of last Friday’s 3-2 defeat at Falkirk for the goalscorer’s liking.
‘The key to last week was to learn from it and I don’t think we’ve done that because, at the end of the day, it’s another three goals conceded,’ stated Halliday.
‘It’s something we must rectify. The defensive shape and the lack of goals we conceded in the run of games before that was different class. That’s something we’ve got to get back to.
‘It’s just lapses in concentration, simple as that. There have been
errors all over the park, myself included, for the third goal (yesterday). It’s not good enough.
‘We’re all set to try to win the title as soon as possible, but our performances and our results since the start of the season don’t deserve it to be petering out.
‘We don’t want to limp over the line. There are six games to go and we want to win all six. We certainly can’t go into every game having to score four goals to win.’
Unspoken in all of this is the prospect of facing Old Firm rivals Celtic in next month’s Scottish Cup semi-final, a match that is certain to provide a stiffer examination of Rangers’ credentials than any of their league assignments.
‘We take strength from the game against Dundee as there were no lapses in concentration, no errors in that game,’ added Halliday.
Manager Mark Warburton agreed that his team had been ‘loose’ but denied his defence was the cause of the problem. He said: ‘It’s not about one defender or us as
a defensive unit. It’s about us as a team. Everyone goes on about the defence but don’t forget they conceded two in 10 prior to that.
‘Rob Kiernan has been outstanding this season, and Danny Wilson alongside him. Tav (James Tavernier) and Lee (Wallace) have contributed going forward and defensively.
‘We will add one more because we will need numbers next season.’
In addition to the ‘four or five’ new faces Warburton expects to recruit for next season, the Rangers fans can look forward to the probability of Harry Forrester — who scored their opening goal yesterday — extending the short-term contract he signed upon his switch from Doncaster Rovers.
‘Harry will be in discussions with us now, and we are looking forward to him having a longer-term future with us.’
A stuttering first half saw Rangers held 1-1 at the break but a three-goal burst after half-time saw Michael O’Halloran, Halliday and Tavernier effectively secure the win. The finishing line of this league campaign is now in sight but Warburton admits the journey towards the Premiership has been a lot longer for the club’s fans than it has for him since his move from Brentford last year.
‘I wasn’t here the last four or five years, so I don’t know what they’ve been through but I can imagine,’ he said.
‘The club has been through a traumatic time and the aim was very clear — get Rangers back to where they need to be. We are now two wins away.’