JAGS STAR AZEEZ TAKES A SWIPE AT IBROX DEFENDER SENDEROS FOR FOUL TACTICS
PARTICK THISTLE striker Ade Azeez last night accused Rangers defender Philippe Senderos of catching him off the ball as Thistle chased an opening goal at Ibrox.
Senderos, who was later yellow-carded for a cynical foul on the forward, collided with Azeez midway through the opening period as Thistle tried to capitalise on an enterprising start to the game.
Red-carded on his debut against Celtic, former Arsenal stopper Senderos again looked uncomfortable on his return to the team and left Azeez feeling aggrieved at his tactics.
‘There were times I had got down the side of him and I felt like he was trying to play mind games with me to rock me up a bit,’ said Azeez, a summer signing from AFC Wimbledon.
‘I don’t mind that side of the game, but when it gets to the point where maybe it is a bit unfair and he is never looking at the ball, well….
‘I don’t think the referee or fourth official saw it. Senderos blocked me. He got me in my face.
‘I’ve got my eyes on the ball and he has just checked across me. I don’t think he had his eyes on the ball but, unfortunately, he got away with it.’
A former England youth internationalist, 22-year-old Azeez admitted his opponent had been cute in committing the foul that saw Stephen Finnie produce a yellow card. ‘I guess that’s why he has played at the top — he has used his experience,’ added the Thistle striker.
‘A professional foul and he just got a yellow for it. I don’t know who was covering but the referee said I was going away from goal.’
Thistle boss Alan Archibald refused to make an issue of either Senderos or the referee, instead focusing on his team’s failure to convert territorial gains into goals.
‘We knew it would be a tough game as Rangers keep possession well,’ he said.
‘But we knew we could exploit them down the sides and we did that at times. It was just our final ball in the final third which let us down.
‘You must score goals when you get chances and we never took our chances. Their second goal was a big blow, both the timing of it and the fact they didn’t have to work for it.
‘That has been a recurring theme for us all season, not making teams work for their goals.’
Although Thistle trailed by two goals at the interval, they did carve out one clear opportunity soon after, when Rangers keeper Wes Foderingham just managed to avert a goal at the second attempt.
‘We got a reaction after half-time and Chris Erskine had a great chance,’ continued Archibald.
‘I thought it was going in. Not going in had more of an effect because we dropped back another three of four yards. Once you give Rangers time to play, they take it.’