ANY Rangers team, no matter who the manager is or how many new signings are made, will always have a chance with Kenny Miller in it.
At an age when most of his contemporaries are on the golf course or in a television studio, the club’s most senior player continues to baffle all with his level of performance and ability still to sniff out a goal in the most frustrating of circumstances.
Miller was it again at Ibrox in his side’s first crack at Europa League, scoring in the first-half against Progres Niederkorn, a goal which won this Europea League qualifier first-leg on what was in some ways a historic evening in Glasgow.
Read more: COMMENT: Rangers are back in Europe, but going where and how quickly?
Rangers’ last European match was six eventful years ago when an exit at the hands of Malmo in the Champions League qualifiers triggered a series of events which led to the club’s eventual liquidation. Quite a bit has happened since then.
There would be no such drama against the men from Luxembourg. However, don’t be fooled into thinking this is a done deal. Much stranger things have happened.
Niederkorn were for the most part well organised without close to being great. They would have taken this result beforehand and will be more attacking next week. This tie remains in the balance, although you would fancy Rangers to get the job finished.
Famous last words.
Pedro Caixinha, the Rangers manager, would have been happy enough. He got a win, saw some encouragement from a few and nobody go injured. And in Miller the Portuguese knows he has a player who seems at 37 to be approaching his peak years. The freak.
Three new signings started; defender Fabio Cardoso along with Dalcio on the wing and Ryan Jack in midfield. Also in the eleven was captain Lee Wallace whose season ended prematurely through injury and, more surprisingly, Niko Kranjcar who lost seven months of the previous campaign with a bad knee injury.
So, it was new-ish team set out by Caixinha. No matter what the result and performance, it would have been ridiculous to draw any conclusion about this Rangers team either good or bad. But as we are in the business of doing just that, there was enough for the supporters to be pleased about and, at the same time, feel nervous about the return.
Read more: COMMENT: Rangers are back in Europe, but going where and how quickly?
Dave King addressed an appreciate crowd before the match, the fact the chairman was at a game was notable. He spoke of everyone remembering about the standards required which, in short, meant don’t sing any naughty songs.
And the atmosphere resembled the first night of an old beloved pub opening after a long period of refurbishment. It was “good to back” exclaimed a banner.
The most pleasing aspect for Caixinha was Kranjcar who produced some lovely touches and showed a passing range which was the reason the Croat was bought a year ago. He really looked the part.
And it was Kranjcar who was first to claim a real chance on 15 minutes when a shot from the edge of the box didn’t quite dip enough.
Rangers began to play some decent stuff and on 24 minutes their passing and movement should have led to a goal. Kranjcar and Wallace combined well on the left, the ball made its way to Miller who poked a pass through two defenders to James Tavernier on the right.
The right-back’s cross was accurate, the header from Krancjar, of all players, five yards from goal was anything but. Next to go close was defender David Bates who rather scooped his effort over from a Miller corner.
And then the breakthrough came from that up and coming lad called Miller on 36 minutes.
Read more: COMMENT: Rangers are back in Europe, but going where and how quickly?
On the edge of the Luxembourgian area, the old fella took a quick free-kick to Kranjcar who knocked the ball back into the path of his team-mate and Miller’s low finish was sublime.
Krancjar was denied a goal three minutes from the break when Sebastian Flauss made a fine save. The goalkeeper did even better moments later when he dived to his left to prevent Cardoso from a debut goal.
The question now was whether Rangers could get a few more in a bid to make the return a straightforward affair is such a thing exists. They could not.
Miller, the dud, put a curled shot wide 90 seconds into the second half and then, from nothing, Rangers keeper Wes Foderingham just about managed to palm a shot from Alexander Karapetian past his post.
Daniel Candeias replaced Jason Holt before the hour to become the night’s fourth debutant for Rangers. Then Kranjcar left to a thunderous ovation and on came the lesser spotted Jordan Rossiter.
Candeias, who looked sharp, had a shot stopped by the legs of Flauss and at the other end good strength by Tavernier prevented Karapetian getting the ball inside Rangers’ box. And then the visitors had a more than decent shout for a penalty. A warning that the next round will be a test.
European football has not got any easier in Rangers' absence.
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