Rangers managed to snatch a flimsy 1-0 win against Jablonec tonight, but let’s be real, it was a tough watch at Ibrox. What should have been a straightforward step toward advancing became another dreary affair, punctuated by a winner from Ryan Naderi and a whole lot of head-shaking. The half-time whistle even got booed, if that tells you anything about the vibes.
Devlin’s Disaster: Why Was He Even Out There?
Of all the dullness on display, Cammy Devlin’s five-minute cameo stood out like a sore thumb. This guy, brought in to add steel and be a “senior man,” made a blink-and-you’ll-miss-him appearance off the bench and immediately fried his own brain. His night ended with a completely deserved red card for a ridiculous and totally needless lunge. Devlin was supposed to nurse that flimsy 1-0 lead to the endgame, not contribute to the same mental frailties that dogged the team on the run-in last season. He was meant to be part of the solution, yet here he is, instantly part of the problem. Honestly, if Jablonec had been up to much, that red card could have absolutely torpedoed the win. Good thing they were organized but unthreatening, committed but completely lacking a goal threat, creative only in their dramatics. You haven’t seen such swooning since the golden age of Hollywood divas.
Workmanlike Win or Warning Sign?
It was Rangers’ job to bring the creativity to break Jablonec down, and man, did they ever make a meal of it. What we got was a “12-course banquet of huff and puff,” finally broken by one of the few coherent bouts of football that led to Naderi’s winner. This team just isn’t smart yet. They’re not coached to find space, to drag defenses out of shape and then hit them hard. It’s workmanlike, honest, but awfully lacking in inspiration. Poor Emmanuel Fernandez had another difficult experience, struggling to play forward with no options ahead of him, forced back, drawing groans of derision. When he tried a risky ball and missed, the crowd erupted again. Coach Derek McInnes, for his part, spent much of the night pacing madly in his technical area, probably hitting 10,000 steps in 15 minutes. This club has spent fortunes, close to 30 new signings since the consortium moved in last summer, and you have to wonder if it’s been spent badly. Maybe McInnes needs another coach, a different skill set, new thinking.
Look, the positives are a one-goal lead and a clean sheet to take to Jablonec next week. We saw industry from Djeidi Gassama and James Penrice, plus assured defending from Olwethu Makhanya, and signs of improvement in Naderi. They didn’t get booed off at full time, which is something. They absolutely *should* put Jablonec out of the competition next week, but after tonight’s performance, there are no guarantees. They need to figure out how to be a smarter team, fast, or that return leg could get ugly.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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