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Sport

19th Jul 2017

Rangers tried to play it out from the back and it didn’t end well

Not exactly champagne football

Darragh Murphy

Pep Guardiola would have every Rangers player involved in this piece of play sold immediately.

During Tuesday’s friendly behind closed doors, Rangers fell to a 1-0 defeat to Scottish Premiership rivals St Johnstone, just two weeks after being dumped out of the Europa League by unheralded Luxembourg outfit, Progres Niederkorn.

Manager Pedro Caixinha is not enjoying a great run of luck and he saw his side concede an embarrassing goal on Tuesday at Auchenhowie.

Supporters love watching sides play out from the back and it looks gloriously fluid when it works and results in goalscoring opportunities at the other end but maybe Caixinha needs to fine tune his team’s method.

Substitute goalkeeper Jak Alnwick fluffed his clearance and Ryan Jack’s touch under pressure resulted in the ball being gifted to St Johnstone’s Callum Hendry, son of Scotland legend Colin.

Hendry’s goal was beautifully taken but supporters simply couldn’t believe how awful Gers’ play was in the build-up.

And while the play in their own box had supporters shaking their heads, the lack of goals in preseason will also come as a cause for concern.

But the manager doesn’t seem to be worried.

“The boys are getting the message and getting the idea,” Caixinha told Rangers TV after the game.

“We are creating a lot of scoring chances and we know the goals are going to appear at the right moment.

“There is nothing to be shocked or alarmed – if the team was not producing or the team was not playing or giving the philosophy we want from them, then I would be worried.”