Rangers ‘as bad as I’ve seen’ as Keane revels in Ferencvaros win

Rangers were comfortably second-best as they slumped to yet another Europa League defeat, according to victorious Ferencvaros boss Robbie Keane, and didn’t “deserve” the goal that they got.

Danny Rohl’s side have now just taken one point from their first six league-stage matches but are still not officially out of the tournament, with Ludogorets coming to Ibrox and a trip to Porto to come in January.

In reality, though, it would take a miraculous sequence of results for Rangers to progress after another dismal night in continental competition.

The Scottish Premiership outfit went in front in Budapest after VAR intervened to overturn the original decision to disallow Bojan Miovski’s acrobatic volley, but goals either side of half-time from Bence Otvos and Barnabas Varga turned the game.

“It would have been a tragedy if we didn’t get anything out of the game,” former Celtic striker Keane said. “I thought we were the much better team from the start.

“They got the goal, questionable if I’m being honest – the VAR lines I’m not sure about. I don’t think they deserved that goal.

“We’re closer to qualifying, regardless of who it’s against. Of course it’s a lot sweeter [to beat Rangers], but I wasn’t thinking that way.”

For Rangers and for Rohl in particular, there was a frustration in how they conceded both goals.

Otvos’ deflected strike came at the end of a slick passing move – which Keane was quick to praise – but the Hungary midfielder was left all alone inside the box.

If that was a momentary lapse amid nice opposition play, Varga’s winner was far worse.

One long ball picked out Callum O’Dowda in acres of space and he swung the ball towards dangerman Varga. Centre-back Emmanuel Fernandez turned his back on the cross and lost track of Varga, who was able to plant a header into the net.

Fernandez put his hands to his head, almost in disbelief at what he had done.

“I’m very angry about our conceded goals,” Rohl said. “This is the disappointment for me. We played a solid first half, go in the lead, then the first conceded goal.

“Second half, we missed so many transition moments, and the second goal is too easy. These are the parts at the moment where we are not clinical enough.

“All in all, Manny [Fernandez] and Nasser [Djiga], I see big steps forward. I am more angry about how we have our position for the long ball. I will never blame one player for one action.”

While Rohl did not dig out his defenders, former Rangers striker and coach Billy Dodds wasn’t as generous.

“The Rangers defence, that was as bad as I’ve seen it this season,” he said on TNT Sports.

Given some of the goals Rangers have coughed up under Rohl and his predecessor Russell Martin this season, that is quite the statement.

Rohl’s assessment was that those two defensive mistakes cost Rangers, but in reality, the margin of victory could have been greater for Ferencvaros.

“For the second game in the row in this competition, I see a team who is competitive and a team in a forward process, but I see a team, especially in this competition, destroy the hard work in two, three situations,” Rohl said.

The home side had 13 shots in the Rangers box, four of which were squandered by striker Bamidele Yusuf, who could have had a first-half hat-trick.

In attack, Miovski’s fine finish was the one moment of quality for a Rangers side who struggled to create. Indeed, their seven shots was the lowest they have registered in a Europa League match this season.

Keane – assisted by former Aberdeen boss Stephen Glass – was asked if he was surprised by the Rangers team he came up against, but chose to focus on his own high-flying outfit.

“I knew they were going to play three at the back,” he said.

“I can’t speak too much about them because I’m not bothered about them. I knew we’ll always score. We were brilliant tonight, everybody to a man.”

Paul: Fernandez and Djiga are a complete bombscare at the centre of Rangers defence. They don’t know how to defend.

Craig: Rangers are completely inept at defending. The same story game after game. While it was a good goal, it was unchallenged and the Rangers defence simply watch it go in the net. It’s almost comical now.

Brian: Fernandez is truly us one of worst professional players I have seen in my life – truly atrocious.

Alexander: You couldn’t make this defending up. Schoolboys know the basics better than this Rangers defence, there isn’t one of them would get a game at amateur level, this is appalling.

Jimmy: Can’t wait for January and hopefully we’ll get rid of the rubbish in the defence. Surely we won’t buy worse.