Robin Propper ‘horrible’ at St Johnstone, Rangers flop ‘looking for a way out’
Robin Propper’s struggles at Rangers continued with another feeble and error-prone performance in the first half against St Johnstone, as he was criticised by Derek Ferguson and Neil McCann.
The centre-back continued to be bypassed too easily in midfield, exposing the Light Blues defensively on more than one occasion. Since his arrival in the summer, his performances have been marked by uncertainty and his latest display in Perth felt like more of the same.
There were also concerns about the Dutchman’s physical condition. He appeared to show signs of distress early in the match, sparking fears of an injury, but ultimately carried on until half time, yet Ferguson wasn’t impressed by how uncomfortable the defender looked.
The former Gers midfielder said on BBC Sportsound, “Propper is struggling. He’s been pretty vocal over the last couple of weeks that he’s finding it tough in our league. He’s been asked the question early on. It’s quite worrying when you see him struggling as bad as that. Look at the body language – he’s looking for a way out already.”
He then added: “Propper was showing signs of distress earlier, but he seems to have recovered. It certainly wasn’t cramp because we were only five minutes into the game.”
Then in the 33rd minute the 31-year-old tried to head a bouncing ball in midfield and it went straight over his head leading to a St Johnstone cross by Makenzie Kirk which had to be cleared by John Souttar.
McCann said on Sky Sports (12.34pm): “It’s a wicked cross isn’t it? But again John Souttar getting himself into a really good spot. A horrible miss from Propper, totally mistimed. He’s [Kirk] got the overlap with [Graham] Carey but he just wanted to put it in there.”
Robin Propper a poor Rangers signing by Philippe Clement
Football Insider opinion
The Glasgow side have already recorded three league defeats this season, an unacceptable tally for a team expected to challenge for the title. The lack of consistency has left the club languishing behind not just Celtic but eight points of second placed Aberdeen.
Philippe Clement’s has been under major pressure since the 3-0 defeat to rivals Celtic earlier in the season, a result that underscored their shortcomings and intensified pressure on the team.
The Belgian is still clinging onto his job at Ibrox following their underwhelming league performances this season but must improve domestically in a big way.
It’s been a tough transition for the Propper since his summer switch from FC Twente, as he’s struggled to get to grips with the Scottish Premiership’s physical edge. Rangers have managed to keep just one clean sheet in their last seven games, highlighting ongoing defensive issues.
The 31-year-old hasn’t coped well in Scotland, in contrast to stronger performances in the Europa League campaign, where the side have been far better on the whole, highlighted by their 4-1 win over Nice in the last match.
Clement’s side hardly shone against St Johnstone but did eventually take the lead in the 63rd minute, as James Tavernier looked to have his first league goal of the season but it went down as Jason Holt own goal, which ended as the margin of victory.
In other news, Steven Naismith has given his verdict on Lawrence Shankland joining Rangers.
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