Yesterday left more questions than answers

A mixed evening. Some real positives through the middle, but nerves at the crucial moments, a flat bench and a few selection decisions that didn’t help. Here’s my take on what went wrong.

I came away from yesterday feeling more annoyed than thrilled. There are bits to like — the centre-halves in particular — but too many moments where the team looked edgy and the subs barely changed the game. These are my honest impressions, straight from the terraces.

Keeper and defence

Let’s start with Butland. He’s been a dead cert from the spot in recent times, but yesterday he didn’t have that same look of authority. Not poor by any means, just not the confident figure we saw last week. At the back, Djiga and Fernandez looked the most reliable pairing. You can see why you’d want them together — they’ve got pace and reading of the game. Souttar, when he came on, seemed nervous. That’s not a criticism of the player as much as an observation of the moment; coming on cold into a tight game can do that.

Midfield shape and tactical moves

Tactically we didn’t really change much. Subs felt like like-for-like swaps rather than genuine attempts to alter the shape or tempo. If the bench is meant to be the cherry on top, yesterday it was thin and a touch unimaginative. The midfield workrate looked okay at times, but we never quite controlled the game in the areas that matter.

Attack, bench and penalties

Up front I think Chukwuani offers more dynamism than Diomande right now. Naderi being used as Chermiti’s back-up runner feels wasteful — he’s the one making the smarter, sharper runs and should be getting the ball in those moments. Chermiti still doesn’t convince as a natural Rangers number nine, and expecting Moore to be a match-winner every week is unfair on an 18-year-old who’s still finding his feet. The bench lacked a genuine game-changer. Finally, the penalties exposed something more worrying: the team looked nervous. When it mattered most, we crumbled a bit. That mental edge needs fixing fast.

To be fair, there were positives to build on. But if we want consistency we need stronger tactical tweaks from the bench, smarter use of the forwards we trust, and a steadier head at crucial moments.

Written by MrPotatoHead: 3 April 2026