Andy Halliday has expressed his belief that the criticism of Rangers’ performance in their victory over Dundee United on Sunday has been exaggerated.
Rangers returned to winning ways at Tannadice, bouncing back after an uninspiring international break and the sting of an Old Firm defeat to Celtic just two weeks prior.
Tom Lawrence was the man of the moment, silencing his critics with a superbly executed chipped finish that proved enough to secure the all-important three points.
His goal allowed Rangers to maintain the five-point gap behind Celtic in the Scottish Premiership, ensuring they remain in the hunt.
From the outset, Rangers looked sharp and determined. They dominated the early exchanges, with Dundee United on the back foot for much of the first half. The visitors moved the ball well, creating neat interchanges and showing good movement in attacking areas.
However, as the game wore on, some fans and pundits felt that Rangers had taken their foot off the gas.
Dundee United’s second-half performance was much improved, and they had several chances to draw level, which added to the sense of frustration among the Gers faithful.
But former Rangers midfielder Andy Halliday isn’t buying into the criticism and is adamant that his former club’s performance was more professional than some are giving them credit for.
Andy Halliday Defends Rangers’ Display
Speaking on Clyde 1 Superscoreboard, Halliday defended the showing, saying:
“I think there’s been a lot made of Rangers’ performance yesterday (Sunday) that was, for me, a little bit over the top. I thought they were really good for large spells of the first half, and in the second half, although not quite the same output going forward and in possession, I thought they remained very, very comfortable throughout.
“And for me, if that was a Celtic victory, you’d be saying it’s a professional victory, job done. But I think with the moment Rangers are in just now, you are really wanting them to go and put in a Ross County-esque performance to erase the memory of two weeks ago (Old Firm loss). But I thought they were never in any danger of dropping the three points.”
Halliday’s view is clear: Rangers did what was required to secure the win, and while it wasn’t a show-stopping performance, it was enough to get the job done. He believes the reaction has been overly harsh, particularly given the circumstances surrounding the team in recent weeks.
Philippe Clement ‘Proud’ of Rangers Stars
Halliday isn’t the only one to see more positives than negatives in Rangers’ display. Manager Philippe Clement also emphasised the professionalism of his side and pointed out the difficulties they had to overcome ahead of the match.
With limited time to work with his full squad due to the international break, Clement felt the victory was something to be proud of.
“It’s the only reaction that I demand, that I expect. It was a difficult couple of weeks, yes, but that was that one result. And it was a really bad result,” Clement said, referring to the Old Firm defeat.
“But it was a long time before we could get another game. I said it before this game, I would have preferred to play three days afterwards. But it was not the case.
“It was international week, so a lot of players left. So it’s not easy to come then to Dundee and to play that way with a lot of players who are new in the building and a lot who have been away with national duty.
“So I’m really proud of the players, what they did today. And you saw already direct back the synergy with them and the fans. So that’s a crucial thing also.”
Both Halliday and Clement seem to agree that while the performance wasn’t flawless, it was a step in the right direction for Rangers, and the three points were all that really mattered in the end.