System worked — players failed to finish

We controlled the match from start to finish but missed the simple things. The tactics were fine; the team created chances and balls into the box. The problem was the players' finishing and deliveries.

To be fair, the system actually did its job. After last week's collapse we saw a different performance: Rangers dominated for long spells, kept the opposition at bay and carved out clear opportunities into the box. The problem wasn't the shape or the plan. It was the execution in the final third.

We controlled the game

There was genuine control on the ball and on the tempo. We got numbers into the wide areas and put crosses into dangerous zones. To watch it unfold, you could see the plan — get service into the box and punish teams from inside the penalty area. For long periods we did everything the manager asked of us. We also limited the opponent to very little, which makes the failure to score even more galling.

The finishing and the deliveries

Here is the rub. Players like Moore, Skov Olsen, Sterling and others frequently failed to deliver a decent ball at the right time. The runs into the box were often off or the timing poor. Even with that, we still produced big chances. Chermiti had two presentable efforts, Raskin had one well blocked off the line, and Fernandez saw a header denied by Djiga. Four clear openings, any one of which might have been the winner. Instead they were wasted.

Why it matters and what it means

Look, sitters have been a recurring issue all season. Missing clear chances against Celtic, Motherwell and Livingston has cost points. The truth is that tactical plans only get you so far if the final ball and the finish aren't there. We're not a team that can simply overwhelm opponents with endless high-quality chances; we create decent chances and rely on players to take them. When they don't, we pay the price.

So the argument isn't about the manager's system. It's about recruitment, confidence and basic technique in the final third. Fans are rightly frustrated, but the blame for that day sits with the players on the pitch more than with the person drawing the lines on the training ground.

On Rangers News Views we've been saying the same: organisation matters, but so does finishing. Get the basics right and that controlled performance turns into three points.

Written by wslgers4ever: 11 April 2026