Rangers

Alasdair Lamont
BBC Sport Scotland Commentator

Rangers' abject performance in Sunday's defeat by Kilmarnock caught few people by surprise.

Given the opportunity to narrow the gap on the top two, Philippe Clement's side should have come out all guns blazing to show they were genuine title challengers.

Instead what the travelling supporters saw was another half-hearted, uninspired display, lacking any clear structure or gameplan, leaving them well adrift of Celtic and Aberdeen.

That Rangers find themselves third in the table is no early-season quirk. They are the third-best team in the league right now.

The Aberdeen side I saw at Celtic Park on Saturday, put together at a fraction of the cost, looked better by just about every measure of a good football team - and there will have to be a marked improvement in Rangers between now and next midweek if they are to take anything from their trip to Pittodrie.

Before that, Rangers must first negotiate their next Europa League match against FCSB, the former superpower of Steaua Bucharest.

On the face of it, it appears they have suffered a similar fall from grace as their hosts, sitting fifth in the Romanian league, so it is absolutely key to Rangers' ambitions of progressing in Europe that they beat the Romanians before turning their attentions to St Mirren at the weekend.

The worrying thing for Rangers fans - there are a few actually - is the lack of improvement in the team since the start of the season or, you could argue, since Clement took over. Are Rangers really any better than they were when the Belgian took charge a year ago?

Which players are playing better currently than they were under Michael Beale?

Not James Tavernier. John Souttar has been excellent but should have done much better for Kilmarnock's goal. Nicolas Raskin has regressed, Mohamed Diomande isn't having the influence he had on games when he first came in in January, Cyriel Dessers continues to frustrate.

Clement asked for time for this team to gel, to be judged once the new players had integrated a few months down the line. So here we are. He says there is more potential in this group than is obvious right now.

If he wants to avoid the same fate as Beale and Giovanni van Bronckhorst before him, it is his job to nurture that potential and start to turn his vision for Rangers into something the supporters can get behind before it's too late.

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First-team players Ianis Hagi and Danilo started and scored in Rangers B's SPFL Trust Cup win over Stenhousemuir on Tuesday. (Record), external

And Zak Lovelace was withdrawn early from the 4-1 win to preserve him for upcoming first-team games. (Sun), external

Livingston manager David Martindale suggests he would be more concerned about facing St Johnstone than Rangers as things stand. (Record), external

Ex-manager Martin O'Neill believes Celtic are hampered by Rangers' downturn in fortunes as healthy competition between the two improves both sides. (Football Scotland), external

Read Wednesday's Scottish gossip

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Rangers manager Philippe Clement must guide his side through a lengthy upturn in form to "keep the grumbling away" at Ibrox, says former midfielder Kevin Thomson.

The Govan side passed up the chance to close the gap on top two Celtic and Aberdeen on Sunday when they slumped to a poor defeat at Kilmarnock.

Clement’s men have now lost two and drawn one of their eight league games and are six points adrift of the summit.

Ex-Rangers player Thomson says Sunday’s loss only “adds to the frustration” that has been building within the fanbase.

“When that happens it starts to become difficult,” he told BBC Scotland.

“I get a feeling within the fanbase that [this] isn’t good enough for their craving. When that becomes a problem you get a lot of scrutiny.

“Rangers now find themselves in a position where they need to put a big run together heading into the next Old Firm derby to keep the grumbling away.“

Jamie Currie
Fan writer

It was a chance to claw back some points on Sunday and the bottom line is we blew it. Pure and simple.

Given the draw between Celtic and Aberdeen on Saturday, the match against Kilmarnock felt massive and yet Rangers played like it was a Sunday kickabout with a hangover down the park.

The performance lacked absolutely everything. There was no cohesion, no real patterns of play, no clear-cut chances and of course, for all the credit John Souttar got for his Scotland performance, he was at the heart of things again when they went wrong at the back.

Frankly, it's one of the worst games of football I have watched in the last 20-odd years. I know the conditions were awful but this was another level.

We are now six points behind, have scored one goal in four away matches in the league, and are playing terribly. The club is a mess off the park and the team look like they go into every game terrified to make mistakes. When they are at points of the game where you just need to clear your lines, the indecision comes along and the mistakes happen.

The forward players offered nothing and this is what happens when you have to rely on Cyriel Dessers week in, week out. He's not clinical enough, he doesn't work a backline enough and he doesn't hold the ball up enough. I am sick to the back teeth of having to talk about this guy.

Now we have the manager. He spoke about the pitch constantly pre-match and almost gave the team an easy out for their lacklustre performance. Furthermore, if the one-man attack isn't working, change the system. The midfield look lost and there is no protection for the defence.

It's all a bit boring at the minute – we've had the same issues team wise for ages yet nothing changes.

But we have to go on Thursday and Sunday and see what happens. We're having to hope things get better when we can all see this is going one way.

Philippe Clement is no longer secure in his role as Rangers manager despite recently signing a new contract until 2028, with results failing to match expectations and with John Bennett exiting as chairman, although no change is imminent. (Football Insider), external

Philippe Clement has a 66.7% win percentage as Rangers manager, which is less than predecessor Michael Beale's 72.1% but more than Giovanni van Bronckhorst's 61.8% and Steven Gerrard's 64.6%. (Glasgow Times), external

Manchester United are taking early measures to prevent Rangers supporters from accessing the home sections of Old Trafford, despite their Europa League meeting being over three months away. (The Herald), external

FCSB owner Gigi Becali has, via the Digisport outlet, named the Romanian side's starting line-up for Thursday's Europa League trip to face Rangers. (Rangers News), external

FCSB head coach Elias Charalambous says he knows nothing of Philippe Clement's problems as Rangers manager and predicts a tough test for his side in Thursday's Europa League game at Ibrox. (The National), external

Former Rangers manager and striker Ally McCoist has confirmed that he will not be appearing on the 2024 series of "I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here!" after being heavily linked with an appearance on the ITV programme. (TalkSport), external

Read Tuesday's Scottish Gossip in full here.

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Philippe Clement says frustrations from the stands were perfectly understandable after Sunday's 1-0 defeat by Kilmarnock.

Marley Watkins' late goal earned the Ayrshire side all three points, with Rangers now six points behind Celtic and Aberdeen.

Despite the worrying league positions and fan discontent, Clement insists he has belief in his players.

"It's normal that [the fans] are unhappy," Clement said.

"There's not one person on the staff or one player who was happy after this game, after losing.

"So that's normal. The players showed respect towards the fans, the fans showed what they felt about the results, and that's normal.

"So it's about getting back the results, that's the main thing, and then the fans get behind you.

"I think the anger has to do with a lot of things. So I will be focused on the sporting side to get the best out of this squad.

"We're going to work really hard with this squad, and there is a lot of potential in this squad. Much more potential than people see maybe for the moment. So it's about working hard with them and making them better."

Former Rangers striker Ross McCormack says manager Philippe Clement is under "huge pressure" after Sunday's loss at Rugby Park.

Listen to today's episode of the Scottish Football Podcast.

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Leon Balogun says Rangers must "face up" to criticism from supporters following their 1-0 defeat to Kilmarnock on Sunday.

Philippe Clement's side are third in the Scottish Premiership, six points behind the top two, and have scored just one goal away from home in the league so far this season.

The away end at Rugby Park made their feelings clear at full-time after a lacklustre display, and Balogun said the reaction was justified.

"The supporters really give their all to support us everywhere, near and far," the defender said.

"But it comes with something. You can’t just take that for granted. I'm not saying anyone does. But you have to know that if you don't deliver, it can be uncomfortable.

"And you have to try to live up to their expectations as much as you can.

"It's not always reasonable what you then receive. I'm not for abuse of any sorts. But the criticism that comes up after a day like that, I think you have to face it.

"You have to understand them. You have to understand what this club stands for, the history of the club.

“If you sign for this club, you have to know that there's a lot of expectation. And if you don't live up to that expectation, there might be really uncomfortable moments."

Watch highlights from Kilmarnock's win over Rangers in the Scottish Premiership.

Rangers fans, we asked for your thoughts after your team's 1-0 defeat by Kilmarnock at Rugby Park on Sunday.

Here's a taste of what you had to say:

Matt: Lacklustre. Sloppy. No Fight, no spirit, but more worryingly, it's not surprising. Club is in a right mess from top to bottom and the only ones who are hurting are us, the fans. Philippe Clement has a major problem, fans starting to lose belief and we've been here far too many times.

Anon: Utterly gutless! Rotten from the first minute and no real game plan, empty jerseys - no fight, no passion and sadly no hope! We will be lucky to finish third with that squad.

Ian: Clement said earlier in the season to judge his team in October. This is now October and the team show no signs of improvement. The midfield three and front three are as poor a front six as I have seen for years. We also should have sold James Tavernier in the summer if not sooner. Recruitment has been terrible for years, and there is a long season ahead.

Margaret: Why oh why can we never take advantage when Celtic drop points? It seems as if our bottle goes. So disappointed - we don't seem to have the fight to win.

Alexander: Totally inept and tactically incompetent. No direction from middle of the park which allowed Kilmarnock to play their own game. Rangers players were easily knocked off the ball and and deserved what they got. Nothing. Things need to change and fast.

Ronnie: Arguably our most important league game of the season after Saturday's result at Parkhead. A golden opportunity totally squandered in what was the worst 90 minutes I've seen from a Rangers side against domestic opposition in a long time. No pass marks other than Jack Butland. We looked like a Championship side again. It's beyond forgivable.

Chris: How many real Rangers men are in this team? All this lot are playing for is the money not the jersey. Unless we get a player base of young academy players in the team we are not going anywhere. Buying injury-prone mercenaries is not a viable strategy.

Neil: Rangers are a total shambles from top to bottom. An arrogant board, clueless manager and disinterested players. The fans are being asked to support mediocrity. Enough is enough.

Roy: First and foremost is the formation. Mr Clement sticks to his 4-2-3-1 and we are struggling to score goals. Up until about seven or eight years ago, Rangers regularly played two up front. Somehow, we need to get back to that, whether that means 4-4-2 or 3-5-2. Currently, we are just not good enough and will struggle to finish third!

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FCSB prepared for Thursday's Europa League visit to Ibrox with a 2-0 win away to Dinamo Bucharest, their fifth consecutive victory stretching their unbeaten run to 10 games.

The victory for the reigning champions lifted the side previously known as Steau Bucharest above their hosts into fifth place in Liga I, seven points behind Universitatea Cluj.

Head coach Elias Charalambous rotated his squad by making five changes from the side that defeated Buzau 3-2 last time out.

Romania striker George Birligia marked his return to the starting line-up by putting FCSB ahead with a superb overhead kick after 26 minutes - his fourth goal in six games since joining from CFR Cluj.

However, it was not until three minutes into stoppage time that substitute winger Alexandru Musi, the summer arrival from Petrolul, secured the points with a low shot on the turn.

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• Marley Watkins has scored three goals in the Premiership this season (one in this game), more than any other Kilmarnock player.

• Kilmarnock are undefeated in their last five games in the Premiership, their last longer unbeaten streak was from 2 March 2024 to 27 April 2024, a run of six games.

• Rangers have failed to score in three of their eight games, only St Johnstone (four) and Ross County (four) have failed to score more often in the Premiership this season.

• Kilmarnock have scored in their last five games in the Premiership, their longest run of games with a goal in the competition since a run of 15 games from 23 December 2023 to 13 April 2024.

Former Rangers midfielder John Lundstram branded former Ibrox team-mate Robby McCrorie a "muppet" after the goalkeeper celebrated his Kilmarnock side's victory over the Glasgow visitors online on Sunday. (Daily Record), external

Rangers' 1-0 defeat to Kilmarnock means Philippe Clement's side are now ranked as the joint-worst team in the Scottish Premiership for finding the net away from home. (Daily Record), external

Read Monday's Scottish Gossip in full here.

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Rangers are six points off the Scottish Premiership pace following a 1-0 defeat at Kilmarnock.

It was a rather flat performance at Rugby Park.

What did you think? Let us know here.

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"It was not good enough," Rangers boss Philippe Clement told BBC Scotland. "First half, we didn't create enough and gave away too much in duels. Second half, was much better, we took control and made chances, but to concede in that fashion is disappointing.

"We need to adapt and play on any surface. It's different kind of football [on Kilmarnock's artificial pitch] but everybody comes here at some point of the season and we did well here before.

"Intensity is an easy word to say but you need to find space to play and Kilmarnock did that really well. We could have done better in our duels, for sure.

"With the goal, our right full-back (substitute Neraysho Kasanwirjo) is late to step forward and catch players offside, but that is something we have to learn from.

"We've played eight games, so there are 30 more to go in the league. It's about learning the lessons from these games, like we have done before."

Colin Moffat
BBC Sport Scotland

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Rangers were found wanting in all departments, but what will concern manager Philippe Clement the most was the demeanour of his players.

The "attitude was miles off," observed former Ibrox striker Billy Dodds on punditry duty.

The visitors certainly did not look like a team hungry to force themselves into a title race, struggling to match Kilmarnock's appetite for the fight.

Defenders were passive, allowing too many long balls to drop on the artificial surface.

The midfield offered next to nothing, with central duo Mohamed Diomande and Connor Barron turning back too often.

Rangers have only scored 12 goals in their eight Premiership matches - half Celtic's tally - and striker Cyriel Dessers was starved of service for long spells.

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Kilmarnock: McCrorie, Mayo, Deas, Findlay, Ndaba, Armstrong, Lyons, Donnelly, Kennedy, Watkins, Vassell.

Substitutes: O'Hara, Burroughs, McKenzie, Watson, Murray, Anderson, Mackay-Steven, Bainbridge, Wales.

Rangers: Butland, Tavernier, Propper, Souttar, Jefte, Barron, Diomande, Cerny, Lawrence, Bajrami, Dessers.

Substitutes: Kelly, Dowell, Kasanwirjo, Balogun, Igamane, Raskin, McCausland, Fraser, McKinnon.

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Kilmarnock have Stuart Findlay back and midfielder David Watson is set to play through a shoulder knock. Joe Wright completes a three-match suspension while Liam Polworth (calf) remains out alongside long-term absentee Kyle Magennis.

Rangers midfielder Ianis Hagi is suspended but Danilo, Ross McCausland and Tom Lawrence could return. Oscar Cortes, Ridvan Yilmaz and Rabbi Matondo remain out.

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Rangers defender John Souttar says he is physically ready to deal with a taxing run of fixtures.

Souttar, 28, has struggled with injuries throughout his career, but has impressed for both club and country this season, before a run of seven games before the next international break in November.

When asked if he was playing the best football of his career, Souttar said: "It's probably the longest spell that I've had.

"I'm 28 now and my body is in a good position to play these games. You need to play every three days if you want to play consistently for Rangers in defence.

"A lot of it is about growing up as well and your body handling playing every three days.

"I wouldn’t say I've changed anything specifically, but I'm just doing all I can off the pitch to make sure I can produce every three days.

"Every footballer wants to play all the time, so it's more games, less training, and that's what it’s going to be for the next three or four months.

"I feel in a really good spot physically that I can do that, and I'm looking forward to all the games.

"It's the games that you want to play. We all want to play in the big nights and play in games which means a lot, and I think every game for the rest of the season will be."