Kris Boyd on mistakes Steven Gerrard's Rangers continue to make
Analysing what went wrong for Rangers in the Europa League
Friday 4 October 2019 17:10, UK
Sky Sports Scotland pundit Kris Boyd looks back on Rangers' disappointing night in the Europa League, highlights his issue with modern-day full-backs and praises the evolution of Alfredo Morelos.
Rangers were left empty-handed in their second Europa League group fixture on Thursday as they lost 2-1 to Young Boys in Switzerland, despite Alfredo Morelos giving them a first-half lead.
Ibrox boss Steven Gerrard lamented more "individual mistakes" which gifted goals to the hosts, with captain James Tavernier coming in for criticism in the defeat.
Sky Sports' Kris Boyd analyses where his former side are going wrong in key moments.
Rangers keep making the same mistakes
The worrying thing for me is that it is the same mistakes being made in the same areas of the pitch in big games which are costing Rangers when it matters. In the last Old Firm game we highlighted it in the studio - the problems lie down that right-hand side.
Tavernier is excellent going forward but being so advanced leaves a big hole behind for Connor Goldson to deal with nine times out of 10 when Tavernier leaves that area.
It is a case of understanding that and of game management. Rangers are losing goals in big games - in the Old Firm and in Europe - down that right-hand side because that is the area that is open for teams and those sides of a good standard will punish you.
Modern-day full-backs are trying to play football in an area where, if you lose it, you will get punished and people have criticised me for speaking out on that, and saying this is the right way. It is not always the right way.
Young Boys' first goal in Bern can be brought back to this - Tavernier was trying to overplay 30 yards from his own goal. You only need to look at what happened to Manchester United against Arsenal last week - a mistake trying to overplay led to the equaliser from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
If Tavernier had been in the right position in the lead up to the hosts' second goal then Rangers do not concede. It would have been a simple clearance had he been tucked in two or three yards closer to Goldson but his first thought is to attack. That would have been a big point for Rangers, they would have been top of the group.
Tavernier - the modern day full-back
Domestically, Tavernier is a massive part of why Rangers can be successful this season and why they score the number of goals that they do. However, when he is asked to defend against the better teams it is the same mistakes and nobody seems to be learning.
But when you have got a modern-day full-back like Tavernier, if he starts lobbing the ball away aimlessly up the park, the fans will then start asking why he is doing that when he can be so good on the ball.
So I can understand why Tavernier and other full-backs in that mould want to play that way but there must be a realisation that, in those particular areas of the pitch, he is a defender first and foremost and there is an opportunity to actually play the ball up the line to look for a forward instead of trying to overplay.
If you moved full-backs up the pitch you probably would not notice a huge difference between them and wingers now but teams will lose goals overplaying in those areas.
A point that got away
Going away from home in Europe is always difficult, pretty much anything you can get on the road is a bonus even though there are games you lose when you think 'we should have got something out of that'.
Rangers played well in spells but Young Boys' home record is outstanding - they have not lost there in a year - so going there and getting a point would have been a really good result and that will be what annoys Steven Gerrard today.
They would have picked up a great point and would have topped the group but he will be disappointed that they have not been able to close the game out and get the result over the line.
It is only the second game of the group and all teams are level. It is all to play for but Gerrard will feel that it is a point that got away.
Europa League not a 'bonus' for Rangers
The main aim for Rangers is to try and win silverware this season domestically, but I'm fed up hearing about the Europa League being a 'bonus' for them. Rangers are a massive club and they should be playing in Europe every year.
Rangers and Celtic are at this level and it is up to them to progress in Europe. The biggest names are in the Champions League but look at the quality in Rangers' group - Porto have won the Champions League, Feyenoord have a good reputation on the continent and Young Boys beat Juventus in the Champions League last year.
In Celtic's group, Lazio are a huge European name, Rennes won the French Cup last season and CFR Cluj put them out of the Champions League.
These are big European names that are coming to Ibrox and Celtic Park - this is not a 'bonus' - they have to enjoy these games and enjoy the challenge. Rangers and Celtic should be fighting to reach the latter stages of the competition and, once you get into the latter stages, anything can happen. I played in the UEFA Cup final in 2008 and it was one of the proudest moments of my career.
Rangers' home games will be crucial now. If they can take nine points at Ibrox that could see them through but the double header against Porto is massive because they still have some very talented footballers.
The evolution of Morelos
He scored again on Thursday night and we are seeing a totally different side to him this year. I had a go at him last season because of the stupid yellow and red cards he was picking up and said the best way to silence opposition fans was to score goals - he is doing that this term again.
I think of him as an 'instinct striker' and thought he struggled with one-on-ones last season when through on goal but he is scoring them this campaign.
He has competition from Jermain Defoe now that he did not have in the first half of last season especially. He could miss games through suspension and knew he would be coming straight back into the team but not this year. Defoe is there and ready to take his starting spot.
Morelos looks fully focussed on helping the team, on scoring goals and he is obviously watching Defoe, speaking to him and learning from him. He has to be fully focussed because if he is not, then Defoe will be.
That goes throughout the whole Rangers team - there is a competition for places this season. People know that if they do not perform, unlike in more recent years, there are other players desperate to come in and take their place.
