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FOOTBALL

Tragedy for John Souttar puts football in perspective

Livingston FC v Rangers FC - Cinch Scottish Premiership
New signing Souttar, right, is dealing with the death of his older brother
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New Rangers defender John Souttar has started his first campaign at the club while in mourning for the loss of his brother Aaron. In a poignant message posted on Facebook, the family revealed the desperately sad news and the Scotland player described his older sibling as “my brother, my hero, my best mate”. Aaron had suffered from motor neurone disease and passed away last month, aged 42.

Souttar was criticised for performing poorly on his debut against Livingston last week, where he was culpable in Rangers losing the first goal to Joel Nouble, but at that point there was no knowledge of his tragic personal circumstances. Souttar did not travel to Belgium for Rangers’ 2-0 defeat to Union Saint-Gilloise in the Champions League third qualifying round on Tuesday, two days before his brother’s funeral, but may return in today’s Premiership fixture against Kilmarnock if he feels able to be involved.

Today’s game will be one where the Rangers fans who file in to Ibrox — restless, a touch anxious, needing reassurance — will have a checklist of demands headed by the essential need to beat Derek McInnes’ Championship winners. That is the bare minimum but they have plenty of requirements beyond that.

Creating numerous chances and scoring three or four goals would be welcomed from a team which has managed only one from open play in its two games so far. The urgency, tempo and aggression which were startlingly absent against Union Saint-Gilloise in midweek will have to be back with a vengeance if Kilmarnock are to be beaten with any degree of comfort. Rangers will be expected to move the ball far faster than they did in Leuven.

If it is likely that the shape will change from the 3-4-2-1 of midweek — five defenders and two defensive midfielders would be unthinkably conservative against newly-promoted opponents at Ibrox — then so, too, must the supply to the forwards and then the quality of their finishing and interplay.

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“We have prepared the players well for this game,” said Giovanni van Bronckhorst, insisting there was a “hunger and desire to turn it around”. He went on: “Our improving point needs to be when we are on the ball. We need to improve what we didn’t do well on Tuesday. We need to improve against Kilmarnock with our positions, speed of play, with our movements, runs and creating chances.”

Personnel-wise, Rangers fans long to see Ryan Kent back in the team — he crossed for Scott Arfield’s goal at Livingston but an ankle injury ruled him out of the European game — and they also want Rabbi Matondo and Antonio Colak to look far more prominent and menacing. Ridvan Yilmaz would be a more palatable option at left back than Borna Barisic, and given his sizeable transfer fee many would like to see centre half Ben Davies replace James Sands from the start rather than in the closing stages as he did on Tuesday. Beyond that, nothing would thrill the near 50,000 home crowd more than some active service for Alfredo Morelos.

“The biggest change will be that Alfredo will be in the squad,” Van Bronckhorst said. “He has been training really hard the last weeks with the team and we think he is ready to be in the squad. Hopefully he can play some minutes as well.”

It is 20 weeks since Morelos’ last competitive appearance. Van Bronckhorst’s revelation earlier in the week that Morelos could feature in Tuesday’s second leg against Union lifted the fanbase but it would be unrealistic to burden the striker with too much expectation given that length of absence. He would need game time today to convince as being as realistic option for the all-or-nothing second leg of the Champions League third qualifying round.

There has been little attacking spark from Rangers so far. Colak will surely keep his place in the side at kick-off given the absence of alternatives with neither Morelos nor Kemar Roofe available to start. Colak is not quite the whipping boy — it is still far too early for opinions to harden on any of the new recruits — but he has been a largely anonymous presence so far, even if he could hardly be held accountable for Rangers’ midweek defeat given how rarely he was given the ball.

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Against Livingston he was a passenger too, albeit he scored a fine goal which was harshly disallowed for offside. Colak does not come deep for the ball or run towards team-mates to make himself available for it, and he could do with better service and then taking at least one chance today to stop any murmurings taking hold in the stands. The same applies to Van Bronckhorst after that Tuesday night debacle. After two drab away performances, this new Rangers team will be in competitive action at Ibrox for the first time. Both McInnes and his striker, Oli Shaw, spoke the other day about hoping to turn the home crowd against Rangers by denying and frustrating them. The mood is ripe for that given the precariousness of the Champions League tie.

A home win is likely and that would lighten the mood for Rangers, but even after 180 minutes, patience is wearing thin with a reassembled team which has yet to impress and has only three more days to click when it really matters.

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