Rangers suffered a humiliating 3-0 defeat at Ibrox, igniting boos from fans and early departures. Under manager Russell Martin, the team shows a lack of defensive discipline, favoring attacking play without adequate caution. Previous matches had masked defensive issues due to luck, but this match exposed vulnerabilities that went unaddressed. The offensive play has been commendable, yet the inability to manage defensive responsibilities presents a significant risk, especially against capable opponents like Brugge, who can exploit these weaknesses.
When Ibrox turns on its own like this, there's a temptation to put in the earplugs and don the crash helmet. It ain't pretty. It's as visceral as it gets; loud and vicious, words coming like blades, capable of cutting their target in half.
Under Martin, Rangers have one way of playing and stout defending isn't a part of it. Not yet at any rate. Caution is thrown to the wind.
Rangers had negotiated ties with Panathinaikos and Viktoria Plzen in previous weeks and, while there was praise for getting through, the realists weren't blind to the luck they experienced along the way.
Their offensive stuff had been good - very good at times - but what about the rest? Could Rangers afford to give up so many chances to Brugge, a club that has sold around 70m worth of talent this summer?
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