Rangers Fall Short Again in Title Race as Celtic Close In
Glasgow Rangers have once again let the Scottish Premiership title slip through their fingers, with Celtic now just one game away from securing their fourth consecutive league crown.
The Light Blues are not in domestic action this weekend, having already been knocked out of the Scottish Cup, and currently trail their city rivals by 15 points with only five games remaining. To overturn this deficit, Rangers would need to win all of their remaining fixtures while hoping Celtic lose every one of theirs — along with a monumental 43-goal swing in goal difference — a scenario that is virtually impossible.
Barry Ferguson, in interim charge until the end of the season, has struggled to make a strong case for the permanent role. His side could only manage a 2-2 draw with Aberdeen in their most recent Premiership outing, a match that saw them rescue a point with a late strike from Ianis Hagi, preventing what would have been a fourth loss in six league games.
Despite going down to ten men following Ross McCausland’s red card and trailing 2-0, Rangers showed resilience to claw back a draw.
McCausland’s Dismissal Explained
Ross McCausland’s red card against Aberdeen can partly be attributed to the circumstances he was placed in. The Northern Ireland international, primarily a winger, was deployed as a right wing-back — a position unfamiliar to him, particularly defensively.
With no right-back covering behind him, McCausland was frequently exposed and forced into uncomfortable one-on-one defensive situations. As a result, he committed a series of poor tackles while trying to recover from positional errors.
Even so, with 66 first-team appearances under his belt, the 21-year-old should have known better than to make a rash challenge while already on a yellow card. Regardless of his tactical deployment, the second booking was avoidable and cost his team dearly. Both the player and Ferguson share the blame for the sending off.
Why Rangers Should Consider Moving On from McCausland
Looking ahead, Rangers would be wise to consider offloading McCausland in the upcoming transfer window. Despite coming through the academy and making 66 senior appearances, he has failed to establish himself as a first-team regular.
This season, McCausland has made just four starts in the Premiership, and his output has significantly declined compared to last term:
(Stats via Sofascore)
With no goals and only one assist this campaign — matched by a single red card — McCausland hasn’t provided the quality expected in attacking wide positions. This further highlights the error Rangers made in selling Fashion Sakala.
The Mistake of Selling Fashion Sakala
Former manager Michael Beale’s decision to revamp the attack in 2023 saw the departures of Antonio Colak and Sakala, the latter being sold to Al-Fayha for a reported £4 million.
Despite not being the most polished player, Sakala delivered 12 goals and eight assists in the 2022/23 season. He could operate across the front line and brought energy and unpredictability to Rangers’ attack.
(Stats via Sofascore)
Alan Hutton once described Sakala as a “firework” due to his explosive play, and his departure left a clear void. Since moving to Saudi Arabia, Sakala has continued to impress with 29 goals and 15 assists in 68 appearances, including seven goals and four assists in 24 league games this season.
These numbers prove that Sakala remains a potent attacking force, something McCausland has yet to demonstrate at Rangers. Selling Sakala and persisting with McCausland has proven to be a misstep that the club should look to rectify this summer.
Sold by Beale: Rangers messed up selling Ibrox star who’s miles better than McCausland – opinion
