Rangers' unbeaten run continues but pundits see room for improvement
Rangers' 2-0 win at St Mirren extended their unbeaten run to 12 games and left them a point off the Premiership top, though Kris Boyd and Chris Sutton say something is still missing.
Rangers made it 12 matches without defeat in all competitions with a 2-0 victory at St Mirren on Saturday, winning 10 of those games and moving to within a point of the Scottish Premiership summit. Ryan Naderi opened the scoring from the penalty spot, and Dan Neil's deflected second-half strike sealed the win in Paisley.
Despite the result, former Rangers and Scotland striker Kris Boyd told Sky Sports that there is "something missing" from the current side. He said Rangers teams of the past would have turned such a performance into three or four goals. Former Celtic striker Chris Sutton, his fellow pundit, argued that Derek McInnes' team still lack control and a killer instinct, warning that this could eventually cost them.
The statistics point to the same issue. Rangers have the best defensive record in the top flight and the third best attacking record, but their expected goals in 12 league matches this season stands at 29.8, while they have scored just 21. Against St Mirren, Naderi should have scored before his penalty, and strike partner Kevin Kelsy missed a host of chances early in the second half.
Injuries to Youssef Chermiti and Lawrence Shankland partly explain the wastefulness, but Naderi and Kelsy have performed admirably, with only two matches since August in which neither scored. The concern lies behind them: Kim Min-su has yet to score or assist since joining from Girona, although he created more chances than anyone on Saturday, while Badredine Bouanani has shown quality without regular end product.
McInnes acknowledged that plenty of promising attacking positions failed to produce a shot because players took the wrong option, stressing the need to make better decisions at speed. Neil said the team must be more clinical, and McInnes described the recent run as "not perfect", citing draws with Hearts and at Dundee while insisting his side must keep improving. Sutton suggested that if Rangers find another gear, other teams in the league should be worried.
Image: SNS / BBC Sport
