- Rangers last clean sheet was against St. Mirren five games ago
- Nine goals have been conceded in the four games since then
- If that pattern continues against Hearts, Rangers risk title KO
Rangers’ last clean sheet was against St. Mirren five games ago, highlighting an increasing problem for Danny Rohl’s team.
Motherwell took full advantage of that vulnerability on Sunday as they secured a 3-2 win at Ibrox.
The Steelmen may only have recorded five shots on target and eight touches inside Rangers’ box, but they made it count when it mattered.
Those two small details are only part of the story, given that the visitors outclassed their hosts in the first half and even when Rangers got on top in the second half, their threat remained.
Steelmen expose Rangers lack of mettle
Jens Berthel Askou’s finely drilled team unit made Rangers’ press redundant, always finding the spare man, and this was keenly felt in midfield.
Nico Raskin and Tochi Chukwuani were secondary to much of what was going on around them.
However, Rangers’ collective defence was not resolute in the crucial moments.
Individual errors were compounded by collective failings and if Rohl can’t arrest the issues, Rangers will be out of the title race next Monday.
When asked about the issue, the German coach acknowledged the goals conceded, but didn’t really confront it head-on.
“I think I said this many times, we need more clean sheets, because it makes our job really hard to come “back, he said.
“We need a lot of energy to come back. I see different kinds of goals; it’s not always the same goals, which kind we conceded.
Rohl continued, “I’m disappointed with the first and the third goals conceded today, both similar with the transition moments. This is difficult, of course, at 3-2. We gambled in this moment, we tried to make the 3-2, and then they made a quick attack, and finally there was a deflection.
“I look not for excuses, but over the full 90 or 100 minutes, in some moments, you felt the 50-50 situation, which was a little bit on Motherwell’s side. This is also football.”
Read Rangers analysis
In one or two of the final four games, it may be OK to score more than the opposition, but without clean sheets, you’re asking for trouble.
Rangers’ route to the title is simple. It’s win or bust.
That starts next Monday at Tynecastle, with the Gers defence needing to come out on top. A clean sheet would go a long way to getting the required result.
