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Today's ratings from today's game, in which we acted like a complacent top team who didn't seem to understand that we couldn't just turn up and win.
It was long ball, long ball, and long ball again in the second half, with Routledge completely and utterly anonymous and Taarabt trying to 'do something' while the rest of the team simply watched on.
Anyway...
Kenny: 7 - A good save in the first half and he was chipped beautifully in the second. Some of his kicking - directionally was poor and seemed to struggle under pressure.
Orr: 5 - Ripped apart constantly and the gap between him and Walker - who we miss so, so dreadfully - became apparent because he tries to get forward, he struggled to get back. Could we find a replacement? Please!
Gorkss: 6- Communication between him and Connolly failed at times - as they have this season - and his distribution was poor. Also shaky
Connolly: 8- Man of the Match today. Cut out everything, and he's NOT the weak link in the central defense.
Hill: 7 - Actually was pretty good today. He battled and got back and cut out more than I've seen. The goal he scored against Pompey seemed to have done his confidence no end of good. But he'll struggle with more pacey - and better- wingers.
MIDFIELD
Faurlin: 5: When he plays well, we play well - it's as simple as that. And today, he didn't.
Taarabt: 7: As much as people hated his selfishness, he was the only player in the Rangers side today to show a bit of adventure. I'd argue that because no-one else was doing any work, Taarabt felt like he had to take the game and carry the team on his own. He shouldn't have to apologise for that. Some of his balls out to Routledge in the first half were absolutely sensational.
Derry: 9: Had a poor first 15 minutes, but was then pretty perfect. He was booked for reacting to a foul on Routledge in the first half - and we need him to behave himself. We don't need a two-match ban for him with 8 games to go so please Sean - ****ing behave.
Routledge: 6. In the first half Routledge was our best player. His speed and some of the work with Taarabt was first class, and he constantly worried Preston. He was booked for nothing (if there was an appeal system then I'd scream out for the judges!). In the second half, he was absolutely anonymous. I didn't notice him - even with his red boots. The fact that he had to switch from the right wing hurt him dreadfully.
ATTACK
Miller: 7/ Moen: 5 Miller shone out today as another player who worries defences. He played well with Helguson up front. A little turn and tweak in the second half took him out of the game, and his replacement Moen did nothing for the confidence. He's not good on the left? Why change Routledge when he'd been doing well, Neil?
Helguson: 8/ Hulse: 6 Nice finish for the goal and he worked absolutely tirelessly today. The Miller/ Helguson combination is a pretty nice thing to have, if they both stay fit or Miller doesn't go back to West Brom. Rob Hulse, however, went through another game without creating a chance, and against one of the poor defences in the league, completely lost on header after header late into the game after some nice touches early on.
Nice to see Buz back (7), by the way after his lay-off. Let's hope he regains match fitness quickly so we can pick ourselves up from the game.
MANAGEMENT
Warnock (5)
I don't know what NW said to the team at half-time, but it didn't bloody work in the second time. The long-ball hoof tactics are impossible when you've got Hulse struggling, and he didn't look to a Plan B. Yes, we shouldn't blame the manager when we're top of the league by 5 points, but then again, it should be OK to say a few harsh words after creating little or no chances in 180 minutes of the football that we've seen this week. NW has to find a Plan B - because the Hulse situation is worsening by the minute- and let's hope Buz is part of this. And also, his decision to put Routledge on the right was an absolute failure today, and bringing on Moen did not inspire the side so much as destroy it.
TEAM PERFORMANCE: 5. We were complacent today. We thought we'd turn up and win, and didn't bank on a Preston team who's suddenly playing like a team who wants to fight for their lives. Scunthorpe may well be the same. Let's hope we can pick ourselves up confidence-wise against Ipswich, eh?
It was long ball, long ball, and long ball again in the second half, with Routledge completely and utterly anonymous and Taarabt trying to 'do something' while the rest of the team simply watched on.
Anyway...
Kenny: 7 - A good save in the first half and he was chipped beautifully in the second. Some of his kicking - directionally was poor and seemed to struggle under pressure.
Orr: 5 - Ripped apart constantly and the gap between him and Walker - who we miss so, so dreadfully - became apparent because he tries to get forward, he struggled to get back. Could we find a replacement? Please!
Gorkss: 6- Communication between him and Connolly failed at times - as they have this season - and his distribution was poor. Also shaky
Connolly: 8- Man of the Match today. Cut out everything, and he's NOT the weak link in the central defense.
Hill: 7 - Actually was pretty good today. He battled and got back and cut out more than I've seen. The goal he scored against Pompey seemed to have done his confidence no end of good. But he'll struggle with more pacey - and better- wingers.
MIDFIELD
Faurlin: 5: When he plays well, we play well - it's as simple as that. And today, he didn't.
Taarabt: 7: As much as people hated his selfishness, he was the only player in the Rangers side today to show a bit of adventure. I'd argue that because no-one else was doing any work, Taarabt felt like he had to take the game and carry the team on his own. He shouldn't have to apologise for that. Some of his balls out to Routledge in the first half were absolutely sensational.
Derry: 9: Had a poor first 15 minutes, but was then pretty perfect. He was booked for reacting to a foul on Routledge in the first half - and we need him to behave himself. We don't need a two-match ban for him with 8 games to go so please Sean - ****ing behave.
Routledge: 6. In the first half Routledge was our best player. His speed and some of the work with Taarabt was first class, and he constantly worried Preston. He was booked for nothing (if there was an appeal system then I'd scream out for the judges!). In the second half, he was absolutely anonymous. I didn't notice him - even with his red boots. The fact that he had to switch from the right wing hurt him dreadfully.
ATTACK
Miller: 7/ Moen: 5 Miller shone out today as another player who worries defences. He played well with Helguson up front. A little turn and tweak in the second half took him out of the game, and his replacement Moen did nothing for the confidence. He's not good on the left? Why change Routledge when he'd been doing well, Neil?
Helguson: 8/ Hulse: 6 Nice finish for the goal and he worked absolutely tirelessly today. The Miller/ Helguson combination is a pretty nice thing to have, if they both stay fit or Miller doesn't go back to West Brom. Rob Hulse, however, went through another game without creating a chance, and against one of the poor defences in the league, completely lost on header after header late into the game after some nice touches early on.
Nice to see Buz back (7), by the way after his lay-off. Let's hope he regains match fitness quickly so we can pick ourselves up from the game.
MANAGEMENT
Warnock (5)
I don't know what NW said to the team at half-time, but it didn't bloody work in the second time. The long-ball hoof tactics are impossible when you've got Hulse struggling, and he didn't look to a Plan B. Yes, we shouldn't blame the manager when we're top of the league by 5 points, but then again, it should be OK to say a few harsh words after creating little or no chances in 180 minutes of the football that we've seen this week. NW has to find a Plan B - because the Hulse situation is worsening by the minute- and let's hope Buz is part of this. And also, his decision to put Routledge on the right was an absolute failure today, and bringing on Moen did not inspire the side so much as destroy it.
TEAM PERFORMANCE: 5. We were complacent today. We thought we'd turn up and win, and didn't bank on a Preston team who's suddenly playing like a team who wants to fight for their lives. Scunthorpe may well be the same. Let's hope we can pick ourselves up confidence-wise against Ipswich, eh?
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