Mark Warburton’s Glasgow Rangers side have looked vulnerable at times this season.
Rangers manager Mark Warburton
Former Rangers captain Craig Paterson has explained that he feels that the current Gers back-line has taken too much of the blame for the side’s slightly disappointing defensive record, the Evening Times reports.
Mark Warburton’s men are currently fifth in the Scottish Premiership, seven points behind the league leaders. And with the Light Blues conceding more goals than any of the teams above them, it is perhaps not that much of a surprise that the defence has taken some flak.
Rangers defender Clint Hill
But Paterson has insisted that the way that several of the goals they have conceded have been scored means that the whole team needs to improve when it comes to trying to keep the ball out of their own net.
“I hate when people talk about the defence and blame everything on them,” he said, as reported by the Evening Times.
Rangers’ Philippe Senderos
“A lot of the goals Rangers have conceded have been from set pieces. That means that midfielders and forwards come back and mark in the box and you lose goals when players drop their men.
“But defenders carry the can because people look at the goals against column and decide that the back four or the goalkeeper are the problems. Everyone in the team has to do their job defensively.”
It would arguably be wrong to blame the side’s mixed start solely on the defence. Going forward, it is safe to say that the Gers have been much less ruthless than they were in the second tier last season.
Six sides have scored more goals in the top flight than Warburton’s men. The team’s leading goalscorers have just two strikes each, and that is arguably a statistic that will need to improve dramatically if the team hopes to move themselves up the table.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
