Nasser Djiga brutally called out after Rangers embarrassment vs Alloa
Rangers star Nasser Djiga did not have his finest hour in the 4-2 win against Alloa on Saturday.
Russell Martin‘s side were looking to rebound from two consecutive draws in the Scottish Premiership against League One opposition in the Scottish League Cup.
The Rangers boss made a questionable call on Kieran Dowell before the contest, starting the beleaguered midfielder on the flank, rather than Findlay Curtis.
However, his centre-back choice may have been the biggest mistake after the Ibrox side’s performance against the Wasps.
Djiga is a rod of criticism amid Rangers scenes
Rangers took the lead against lower league opposition through Nadim Bajrami, but they were pegged back 12 minutes later, with Bailey Rice struggling to defend.
There were calamitous scenes in the penalty area, as Max Aarons‘ clearance bounced off Joe Rothwell and into the net for the equaliser.
Djiga was still down after he collided with an Alloa man, rather than helping his teammates to defend, and that earned him some scalding criticism from Michael Stewart.
Speaking on Premier Sports (16 August, 18:09), he said: “Djiga is back quick enough when the ball goes in the back of the net, complaining.
“He has not helped his team out one little bit. He was lying on the ground as if he had been pole-axed, and whether it’s a foul or not, he needs to get back and help his team out.
“They were left short of numbers at the back, brutally exposed, and he’s on the ground rolling about.”
Rangers should not be concerned by Djiga blip
Djiga has proven to be an astute signing so far for the Gers, forming a solid partnership with John Souttar at the heart of defence.
He did get sent off against Dundee for hauling down Finlay Robertson, and will therefore miss the clash with St Mirren on 24 August, but he has been tremendous other than that incident.
- Djiga has featured seven times for Rangers so far
- Signed on a season-long loan from Wolves
- Helped them keep two clean sheets
He could have missed the Old Firm clash with Celtic, but the Gers decided to remove their request to postpone the league match with St Mirren.
Stewart is right, he did leave the Gers in the lurch on this occasion, but he has already proven that he can be a reliable asset for Martin’s side in the future.
He just needs to learn to cut out moments like that from his game and not repeat them; otherwise, it could be trouble for the Light Blues.
However, if he was going to make a mistake in any game, a Scottish Cup game, where the Govan outfit are expected to win anyway, is better than a high-stakes Champions League contest.
Martin needs to ensure that happens.
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