Michael Stewart was unimpressed after watching Rangers defeat Kilmarnock 4-2 at Rugby Park on Wednesday night.
The Gers recovered from a two-goal deficit in Barry Ferguson’s debut game as manager of the Ibrox club.
While they have no chance of defeating Celtic to the title due to the 13-point margin, they should not give up trying to close it.
Although Cyriel Dessers’ second goal of the game was a strong strike, Stewart was dissatisfied with the defensive effort he watched on BBC Sportscene.
Stewart left aghast by defensive work from Robbie Deas
Rangers have had it tough this season and even though they managed to add three points to their tally on Wednesday, their rough edges still showed.
Under Philippe Clement, the Govan-based outfit seemed to have no vision and often put in rather unremarkable performances.
And, while it felt like it was headed that way for Ferguson’s first game, the second half of the clash proved otherwise.
Speaking live on BBC Sportscene (26 February, 19m, 50s), Stewart gave his verdict on the Nigeria international as well as the defending of Derek McInnes’ men.
“It’s a brilliant finish but it’s horrendous defending,” the player stated.
“But yeah, take nothing away from Dessers, he just side-foots it into the corner of the net.”
Ferguson has a thing to prove with Rangers.
While the Gers’ performances under Clement were sometimes uninspiring, now that they have little to play for, the Ibrox club should give it their all to end the Scottish Premiership season strongly.
Rangers may find themselves in the later stages of the Europa League, but given the quality of the other clubs in the competition, such as Tottenham and Manchester United, it’s unlikely that the Scottish club will advance much farther.
They may not even make it past their next game against Fenerbahce unless they perform as well as they did in the second half of their game against Kilmarnock.
Of course, anything can happen in football, but the Gers’ chances of reaching the Europa League semi- or quarter-finals appear to be a pipe dream.
Of course, only time will tell what the future holds, but if Ferguson can build a name for himself in the Gers’ hot seat, he may be able to argue for a contract extension beyond the end of the 2024/25 season.
