A 2-2 draw between Celtic and Aberdeen handed Rangers a significant boost ahead of locking horns with Kilmarnock at Rugby Park. A win would have closed the gap to three points with both, but a lacklustre performance from Philippe Clement’s men resulted in a shocking 1-0 defeat similar to the previous campaign.
Below are the Rangers players rated in their defeat against Kilmarnock.
Jack Butland: 5.5
Could have done little to stop Marley Watkins’ late winner. Was hardly tested otherwise except for that one occasion which made all the difference this afternoon.
James Tavernier: 6.5
A dire display from the skipper who was neither effective with his crosses, link-up play and attacking moves nor looked confident against Killie’s long balls and direct play while staging counter-attacks.
John Souttar: 7.5
Made a crucial clearance early into the game to deny the hosts a goal-scoring opportunity. Dominated the aerial duels and maintained composure in the heart of the backline.
Robin Propper: 6
Looked nervy in deep defence. Looked rusty with his tackles and was eventually taken off for Leon Balogun around the hour mark.
Jefte: 6.5
An afternoon to forget for the Brazilian who, despite making some successful dribbles down the left, failed to threaten enough with his overlapping runs and one-twos around the box.
Connor Barron: 6.5
Did not look comfortable in the centre of the pitch, particularly when the home side plotted attacking moves with swift transitions. Was replaced by Nicolas Raskin just over the hour mark.
Mohamed Diomande: 6.5
Was combative in midfield. But the Ivorian was disappointing with his final deliveries after carrying the ball from the deep.
Vaclav Cerny: 6.5
Forced Robbie McCrorie to make a save early into the contest. Was largely ineffective other than that and it took Clement 80 minutes to take the Czechia international off for Neraysho Kasanwirjo.
Tom Lawrence: 6
Returned to action recovering from a brief injury layoff. However, the Welsh playmaker failed to leave an impact before making way for Kieran Dowell late in the match.
Nedim Bajrami: 6
Lost the majority of duels, got dispossessed a few times and lacked accuracy while attempting from a distance.
Cyriel Dessers: 5
His lack of pace and lethargic runs were easily intercepted by Killie defenders. Forced McCrorie to make a save, also, hit the woodwork from the resulting corner. Was replaced by Hamza Igamane midway through the second half.
Rangers Substitutes Vs Kilmarnock
Nicolas Raskin: 6
Failed to make any noteworthy contribution in the middle of the park.
Leon Balogun: 6.5
Tried to calm things down and play it out from the back since replacing Propper.
Hamza Igamane: 5.5
An off-target attempt just before the final whistle was the only highlight.
Neraysho Kasanwirjo: 6
A defensive change from the Belgian boss which rather backfired late into the outing.
Kieran Dowell: 6
Had little to offer in the final few minutes of the match.
