Rangers access UEFA payout after Plzen, lack of control explained

Lyall Cameron scored his first goal since his move from Dundee to ease any nerves after Rangers had fallen behind just before the break. A late winner for the hosts was never going to deny Rangers a place in the play-off round.

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A defeat but a win overall

While far from a cauldron of noise, with the Doosan Arena no doubt dampened by this 11,700 crowd knowing the odds and a three-goal aggregate score were stacked against them, Martin’s side managed the game’s early stages fairly well.

Jack Butland’s main involvement in early stages was to play out under pressure, often looking long beyond Plzen bodies after inviting a press. However, as the half wore on an inability to keep the ball, or hold it up top, became a growing issue. Oliver Antman provided a couple of cute passes that threatened to prise an opening with a tame Jefte effort, which the Brazilian did well to fashion, the only shot of note until Butland’s palms were stung by a Lukas Cerv tester from range and Lyall Camerom had an acrobatic effort of his own held.

Then, the hosts turned the screw and scored what was a deserving opener. Minutes after Rafiu Durosinmi was guilty of latching onto a throughball but firing wide, Amar Memic stole behind the Rangers defence, with a static Jefte caught under a long diagonal, to cut back for Durosinmi who opened the scoring.

That awakened the hosts and their crowd before Cameron would dampen any hopes of a comeback after a ball over the top that Mohamed Diomande cutback to Danilo was eventually converted by the former Dundee midfielder. Rangers would still concede plenty of shots, despite experiencing moments in transition themselves that were passed up, and a header from Svetovar Markovic 10 minutes from time made the final stages anxious for the visitors.

How did Raskin far as the No.6?

Martin’s pre-match press conference ended with an enthusiastic appraisal of Nico Raskin, whose omission from the No.6 position he thrived in last season has been questioned.

Joe Rothwell was brought in by Martin to provide a metronomic and often quiet impact at the base of midfield. Unlike Raskin, whose presence on the pitch is always obvious for better or occasionally worse, the 30-year-old does simple tasks well and provides security in a team full of risks. But if the Belgian international is to remain at Ibrox this season, as Martin reiterated he’d like him to emphatically on Monday, you sense the high and wide No.8 role occupied to this point won’t get the best out of him.

Martin talked about the ‘expectations’ of the role that Raskin must fulfil pre-match, surely referring to the fact that, sometimes, the combative midfielder can be guilty of forcing moves rather than pausing. That said, his tendency to stop counterattacks and snap into second balls was an important detail in an opening 45 minutes that featured so many loose passes. In contrast, at points Rothwell’s ‘safe’ passing was missed.

It is no bad thing that Rangers can rely on competition. A club of their size can only have guaranteed roles for players that never drop their levels and if competition brings out the best in Raskin, there remains a future for him anchoring this team.  

Issues building out from the back

Of Butland’s 35 passes played before the break over half, 19, were long balls. That in and of itself was not necessarily an issue, nor a contradiction of Martin’s possession-heavy ideals. Fundamentally his football centres on trying to find the free player and when Plzen pressed man-for-man, especially considering the No.1 isn’t at his most comfortable playing short under pressure, there was space to transition into at the top end of the park.

Cyriel Dessers had a little joy with his back to goal. One solution to offer a pass through the pitch saw Antman roll inside to try but too often the away side’s gameplan exposed weaknesses of their forward and goalkeeper, the former’s hold-up play and the latter’s ball-playing ability. Not yet consistent enough on the ball to allow possession to truly take the sting out of a game the visitors needed their transitions, so effective the week prior, to be far cleaner. For this writer the issue lay less with the goalkeeper and more with his lack of reliable receivers of the ball.

Although the circumstances that forced Dessers off, injury, were unfortunate, Danilo’s comfort in deeper areas to link play and offer a passing option made Rangers look far more comfortable for a time. Rangers can perhaps carry one of Dessers and Butland when being pressed like this but, if they want to control games with the ball, surely not both.

The achievement of reaching UCL play-off

Reaching the Champions League, something Rangers have done just once since 2010, would be a humungous achievement and it is very achievable. Such has been the contrast between overperforming on the continent and severely underwhelming domestically, a trip to St Mirren sandwiched between a double-header with either RB Salzburg or Club Brugge will matter more for Martin in the eyes of many because, simply, sustainable domestic success is so desperately desired.

And yet, with around £4million extra secured for reaching the play-off which should help the club in their pursuit of another left-back, suddenly dining at European football’s top table looks very achievable indeed. Rangers have beaten better sides than Brugge or Salzburg in Europe these past few years. The question as to whether they’re ready for that test is another matter, although you sense they’d welcome the funds to accelerate the growing process.

What’s more, for the heat Martin has taken domestically, credit is due in return as after an early pairing against Panathinaikos made any qualification a tricky task following so much work on the squad.

Positions to still address

Martin proclaimed last week that his side ‘weren’t anything close to being done’ in the transfer window and while more, must, go out than come in to trim down this unit, a few targeted additions are required regardless of whether this side reach the Champions League or

Butland, who spoke passionately about his place and future at Ibrox pre-match, is expected to stay, but that does not mean a goalkeeper to challenge him, who is better versed in a high-possession game, comes into challenge the Englishman. His shot-stopping since the summer has impressed and a late save form goalscorer Durosinmi saved the blushes of John Souttar just before Plzen’s second, that owed to poor marking. It’s important to remember the Ibrox side only saw off their Greek opponents in the previous round thanks to some big saves.

Meanwhile, the addition of another striker will depend on whether Hamza Igamane remains in Glasgow. The Moroccan simply has to be first choice; otherwise, if only because of the options and variety he brings his team. Dessers hobbled off the pitch after a stretcher was requested and Rangers will hope his ankle is only rolled and nothing more serious.

Left-back, too, remains fluid. Rangers want to sell Ridvan Yilmaz, and remain apart on valuations with his former clu,b Besiktas. Jefte’s future is also somewhat up in the air, although due to interest in his homeland. The club would like to keep him, alongside a more experienced left-back with that a priority find before September 1. However, their resolve could be tested for an individual signed for under £1m last summer. Those three positions are the spots to watch before the window closes in three weeks. Nobel Mendy, expected to be unveiled as a Rangers player on Wednesday, will add some depth and a left-foot at centre-back.