Rangers ‘fallen well short’ as Billy Dodds makes Europe claim
Billy Dodds has made a claim about Rangers in the Europa League as they have fallen well short of standards domestically this season.
The Gers are out of the Scottish Cup after losing to Queen’s Park and find themselves well off the pace in the league.
Celtic are leading the Scottish Premiership with a 13-point gap, all but ending the Light Blues’ hope of lifting a title domestically this season.
Clement’s only hope remains in the Europa League, but fans will be wary of expecting too much from the Bears in the competition.
Billy Dodds says Rangers well suited for Europe
Dodds feels the Glaswegian outfit have “fallen well short” in terms of consistency in the current campaign.
The ex-Gers ace believes the Light Blues suit playing in Europe as the style of play suits them, and the players can express themselves.
But Dodds has been left disappointed with the Bears being unable to get victories when the going gets tough, which has been seen time and again this season.
Speaking on the Go Radio Football Show, the former striker said: “They suit playing in Europe, sometimes away from home, when it’s pretty open and they get the ball, space; look really good players and are ruthless at times. When it comes to breaking down teams they find it hard at times as well.
“You’ve got to find a way, whether you’re playing well and it’s a cruise for you or it’s a bit dogged, difficult.
“We can all get defeated, but we’ve got to put a run of games together that are consistent, and that’s where Rangers have fallen well short.”
Europa League delight unlikely at Ibrox
Ibrox has witnessed some special Europa League nights, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see some fans being confident about winning the competition.
Considering the form the Gers have been in this season, it feels highly unlikely that they’ll lift the trophy at San Mames in Bilbao.
There are some top teams like Lazio, Manchester United and Tottenham still alive in the competition.
Athletic Club will also have an added incentive to make the Europa League final in their home ground.
As a result, the Scottish Cup was the only realistic chance the Light Blues had of winning a trophy this season, but that isn’t possible any more after their embarrassing loss.
The Bears had found a bit of form recently, with Clement’s team in high spirits, but Queen’s Park stopped them right in their tracks.
Ibrox has been a fortress for the Glaswegian outfit in the Scottish Premiership, but their form away from home has been underwhelming.
| Scottish Premiership record 2024/25 | Matches | Wins | Draws | Losses |
| Home | 13 | 12 | 1 | 0 |
| Away | 13 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
The Gers need to desperately make changes to how they operate if they want to get back to competing with Celtic domestically and be a force to reckon with in Europe.