It might have ended with wild celebrations in the away end at Dens Park, but let’s be honest – Rangers had no business winning that game.
Barry Ferguson’s men came from 3-1 down to snatch a dramatic 4-3 victory over Dundee, with Cyriel Dessers netting a 93rd-minute winner to seal the most unlikely of comebacks. But if we’re taking off the blue-tinted specs for a moment – this was a deeply concerning performance for large spells of the match.
All Over the Place at the Back
From the first whistle, Rangers looked rattled. Dundee came out hungrier, more aggressive, and tactically sharper. Simon Murray caused chaos in the box inside two minutes and opened the scoring from a corner. Not the start you want, but it got worse.
Jack Butland, who had looked back to his best against Fenerbahce and Celtic, inexplicably spilled a tame shot from Murray, allowing Shaughnessy to pounce and double the home side’s lead. It was a soft goal and one of several moments where Rangers looked completely lost defensively.
Dundee weren’t just sharper – they were dominating physical duels, pressing hard, and forcing Rangers into uncomfortable areas. The midfield couldn’t keep hold of the ball, and the defence looked like they’d only met that morning.
Ridvan’s Rough Night – and Butland’s Slip in Form
Ridvan Yilmaz had a shocker. His passing was erratic, his positioning was poor, and he lost battle after battle. It was no surprise that Jefte was finally brought on after the hour mark – though many in the stands were crying out for that change at half-time.
Butland, as mentioned, had a day to forget. Late to react for the third goal, he looked like a shadow of the player who had kept Rangers in games earlier this month. A bad day all round for the defence and keeper.
Changes Spark a Reaction
Ferguson rang the changes at the break – Bailey Rice and Ianis Hagi came on as Rangers switched to a 4-3-3 in a bid to get a grip of the match. The inclusion of young Rice showed faith from the manager and a real need to inject creativity and composure.
But after a short spell of pressure, Rangers collapsed again. Dundee’s Scott Tiffoney burst through a non-existent defensive lines and lashed in a fine finish to make it 3-1, with Rangers’ defence once again falling apart under pressure.
Danilo the Difference
The real turning point came with the introduction of Danilo on 64 minutes. Not that Igamane was playing badly – but he’s clearly being shoehorned into a role to accommodate Dessers. Danilo immediately improved the movement and link-up play in the final third, allowing Rangers to dominate the last half hour.
And finally, we started to see some life.
Danilo teed up Tavernier, who thundered a long-range rocket into the net to bring it back to 3-2. Five minutes later, it was Tom Lawrence – so often sidelined through injury – who produced a brilliant finish from the edge of the box after being picked out superbly by Nico Raskin.
Suddenly, it was 3-3 and game on.
Dessers – The Enigma
Let’s talk about Cyriel Dessers. The man who drove Rangers fans up the wall for 92 minutes, then sent them into raptures in the 93rd.
He had 12 shots in this game. 9 on target. At least 4 of those were clear-cut chances he should have buried. Time and again he blasted straight at the keeper or rushed his shot. Even the chance he did finish in the second half was chalked off for offside. The Rangers fans were getting the full Dessers treatment.
And yet – with seconds left on the clock, up steps Dessers. Tavernier launches a long ball, a defender glances it on, and Dessers takes it down beautifully before finally showing some composure to slot it past the keeper.
It was his 100th appearance, and what a way to mark it. But this is why he’s so frustrating – his work rate is never in question, but the finishing, the decision-making, the missed chances… they’re hard to ignore.
A Win That Can’t Be Allowed to Papers Over the Cracks
There’s no denying the excitement of a late comeback win. But Barry Ferguson was right after the match – some bad habits crept back into this Rangers performance. And if we’re honest, it wasn’t just bad habits. It was a lack of consistency, poor defensive organisation, and worrying lapses in concentration.
The team can’t keep giving themselves mountains to climb. Three goals conceded to a Dundee side sitting second bottom is not acceptable.
Small Comforts
Still, the image of Simon Murray – Dundee’s best player on the day – slumped on the bench at full-time, wondering how his team let this one slip, will bring a smile to many Rangers fans. He gave us problems all day, but it’s his team left with nothing.
Final Thoughts
Rangers leave Dens Park with three points – and a lot to think about. There’s fight in this squad, no doubt. But until the defending improves and the performances become more consistent, we’ll be left relying on moments of magic rather than controlled wins.
Let’s hope Ferguson and his staff can tighten things up ahead of the next test.