Frontline Football Blog

It occurred to me last night I might well be part of Rangers problems this season. Four times I have managed up to Ibrox and four times I've failed to see Rangers win. Not exactly the proudest record of a bear but fans can't blame me, can they?

Well why not, fans have blamed everyone else but things aren't as bad as many have been making out (Celtic are still poor and will continue to drop points) and the criticism of some of our players is highly unjustified.

Take Sasa Papac for example. A player who honestly gets better every time he takes the field, yet is attacked on a weekly basis by Rangers fans for presumably not being Artur Numan. We don't need a new left back next season. Papac is good enough, strong in the tackle, tactically sound and more confident by the week.

I had a constant wry smile on my face (as did the fan next to me) as fans spat out anti Kirk Broadfoot remarks while ignoring the fact Steven Davis was having his worst 90 minutes in a Rangers shirt or that Kris Boyd was, Kris Boyd was, Kris Boyd was playing?

Yes, Kirk Broadfoot struggles to put a cross in but so do most centre backs. Maybe going to reserve games and shouting at the even worse Steven Whittaker would be more constructive as it is the former Hibernian mans lack of progression since joining Rangers which forces Smith to play Broadfoot at right back.

Anyway, surely Steven Davis should be the one putting balls in the box?

No, he gets let off by most of the subjective Rangers support because he is playing out of position. So what I say? He is supposedly a Barclays Premier League class player, therefore he has to be able to cross a ball, no?

I think it is funny how a national broadcaster rated Broadfoot at seven for Wednesday night and we as fans had him at less than three. Scapegoat is the word, the only mistakes Broadfoot made were in attack but defensively, along with Papac, has been consistent and played in a defence that has conceded less than a goal a game.

The best defence in the league but it is still not good enough for some. Maybe it is not perfect but it sure as hell isn't worth moaning about.

There are six players in front of them who can be moaned at for Rangers failure to score against Inverness Caledonian Thistle so blame them for the defeat and focus your attention on them during the games.

It actually scares me how many within Ibrox have no clue as to a players ability. Broadfoot can be clumsy but he makes some remarkable passes at times and does things going forward he gets no credit for. In fact, many say he has" no footballing ability." I say this is nonsense, he is an international footballer.

Sasa Papac was in the box more than Kenny Miller on Wednesday night yet people still say he doesn't get forward enough. Maybe those people want him in the front row of the Copland or Broomloan stands? Funnily enough, I remember Papac flat on his back having crashed into the advertising boards in front of the Broomloan stand.

I for one, appreciate the effort.

Now it is evident there are problems with the team at Ibrox and we are definitely not playing well at all but our defence has been solid, so I say, look further forward for your scapegoats and use your "footballing brain" when criticising players during and after a game.

Or you could just criticise me as I'll be at Ibrox on Sunday, so if we are forced into a replay or are unimaginably out of the Homecoming Scottish Cup, the buck stops with me.