George Overhill

Fri 14 October 2022 20:10, UK

Rangers had an “inferiority complex” against Liverpool and never believed in what they were doing as they were thrashed 7-1 says Graeme Souness.

The Sky Sports pundit has played for and managed both teams, and acknowledges the gulf between the two financially, but cannot excuse the fact that the home side appeared to have no confidence in themselves as members of a “great club” to get the job done on Wednesday (12 October).

Scott Arfield had put Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team ahead with their first goal in the competition for over a decade, but the injury to Connor Goldson with the scores level helped lead to an alarming collapse that saw substitute Mo Salah score a six-minute hat-trick on the way to an historic Gers defeat.

In his Mail+ column on Friday (14 October) the former legend for both clubs said: “The 7-1 win made it a wonderful occasion for Liverpool but I was disappointed that Rangers looked like a side with an inferiority complex.

“I accept that the way the Premier League has evolved creates a financial gulf. Liverpool’s most expensive player was Darwin Nunez, who cost £68million. Rangers’ most expensive player, Ryan Kent, cost £6.5million. 

“But Rangers were either going to get rolled over by Liverpool or get in their faces and they never set about them. They never really believed in what they were doing.

“I left the ground feeling that they had let their supporters down by not showing the belief which is part and parcel of being a player at that great club.”

Damning assessment

Everybody knew that it is going to be a tough task to overcome the side that was in the final in May, and can spend so much more money on top players.

But not everything in football is as straight forward as the biggest and most expensive side always winning, as the very same players proved on multiple occasions last season.

And arguably for the first time in this year’s European campaign the players looked like they were playing with a bit of belief in the first half, harnessing the Ibrox atmosphere like they had to do.

A 1-1 scoreline at the half was nothing to be sniffed at, and with the home crowd and a willingness to go at an out of form Reds team there should have been a result there.

But Goldson’s exit, and then going behind, led to the side completely vanishing when they really had nothing to lose and might as well have gone for broke, as the outcome couldn’t have been any worse.

The recent heavy losses in Europe and the Old Firm derby were damaging, but this one must have truly put the entire regime on notice.

Whether the manager needs to be replaced, underperforming players like Kent left out entirely, or an overhaul behind the scenes, nothing should be off the table currently with how poor the bad results are lately.

In other Rangers news, Graham Spiers believes compassionate leave may be required for one BBC man after the result.