A new season but same old Rangers
YOU have nine — yes, nine — substitutes at your disposal this season. Crazy as it seems, you can bring on five of them during the 90 minutes. Yet, there Rangers were at Pittodrie yesterday afternoon, over an hour in, their grip on a game that should have been wrapped up by half-time faltering and nothing happening on the bench.
A recurring criticism of Steven Gerrard during his stint as manager at Ibrox has been that he is reluctant to make changes, struggles to influence a game in-play.
Based on what unfolded against a largely dreadful Aberdeen side, those opinions are not going to change any time soon. In truth, nothing much looks like it has changed since last season ended with his team admitting they could no longer handle the pressure.
Sure, you can dress up an openingday victory in the Granite City as a successful venture to one of the most difficult grounds in the league. Rangers deserved to win.
The question is this, though: Did any Bluenose watch that match and
really believe these players have the look of champions? That this side has the merciless edge that will stop Celtic winning ten in a row?
Ryan Kent, his £7.5million fee still weighing more heavily around the neck than any of his favourite rappers’ dookie chains, did look much brighter than in the fading twilight of last term and conceded that his goal has to be the first of many for a side unlikely to have Alfredo Morelos to rely on for much longer.
Joe Aribo was really good in the first half. Leon Balogun made a strong debut at centre-back, albeit in a test of defensive resolve more akin to standing up to the Ant Hill Mob rather than standing firm at Fort Apache. That’s not enough, though. Not when so many of the same old issues remained apparent.
In the first 45, Rangers dominated an Aberdeen team shorn of Sam Cosgrove’s presence up front and exhibiting all the bite and vigour of a squished earthworm.
Yet, their only efforts of note came from Kent’s goal, a blocked Aribo shot and a drive from Ianis Hagi that was too close to the keeper.
There was a lack of dynamism in midfield from Ryan Jack and Glen Kamara against opponents themselves lying deeper than the Pacific’s Mariana Trench.
James Tavernier, caught out a couple of times, got his usual slating on social media. It is only a matter of time until his continued captaincy — an error on Gerrard’s part — becomes a major discussion point again.
Early in the second half, it was clear that the game was drifting. Like so many of Rangers’ matches do. Even Kent conceded afterwards they have a history of starting well before losing their way.
Chances were rare. Hagi, still a major gamble at £3m despite the hype, was ineffective. A skirmish in the 59th minute that saw Allan McGregor save on the line should have been the catalyst for Gerrard to switch things up and get the points nailed down, but nothing happened.
It took 77 minutes for Scott Arfield to come on and put Hagi out of his misery. Even then, ahead of Andy Considine walking for a shocking challenge on Arfield, Aberdeen were looking the more dangerous.
This needless rule over using five subs should benefit Rangers, who have a bigger squad of better players than everyone outwith Celtic.
But Dons boss Derek McInnes effected more of a change on the flow of play by throwing on the first of his four replacements just after that goalmouth scramble.
You can argue that Gerrard lacked game-changers in reserve, but whose fault is that? He is in his third year now. He signed Greg Stewart, Jamie Murphy and Brandon Barker. Jordan Jones already looks pencilled in to spend most matchdays in the Eros Grezda Suite.
In the past five years, Rangers have committed over £40m of fees alone on players. You’d never know from looking at yesterday’s subs.
For long enough, it has been evident that having 37-year-old Jermain Defoe, now injured, as the only back-up to Morelos carried risk.
Gerrard needs at least two decent strikers when Lille — or whoever — pony up the cash for the Colombian, who surely has to leave now.
More in midfield would be welcome too, but let’s not get carried away by the recent comparisons to Patrick Vieira should Bongani Zungu arrive from Amiens. After all, rather like his use of substitutes, Gerrard’s use of the transfer market has not been entirely convincing either.
There is no room for further mistakes from him or his players. Yet, even on the first weekend of the new campaign, Rangers already carry the look of an outfit destined to stumble at some of the same old hurdles as before.