0 key passes, 0 dribbles: Rangers must bin dud who was as bad as Fernandez

And so, another European run is effectively over as far as Rangers are concerned, with the Ibrox side left languishing on just a solitary point in the Europa League, following Thursday’s defeat to Ferencvaros.

After the positivity of a comfortable 3-0 win over Kilmarnock at the weekend, things had initially started brightly away in Budapest, with the resurgent Bojan Miovski steering the away side into the lead.

Even while ahead, however, the Light Blues were sloppy in possession and lacking defensively, having been pegged back with almost the last action of the first-half following a well-worked Bence Otvos goal.

The comeback was then completed with less than 20 minutes to play, as the hosts’ Hungarian talisman, Barnabas Varga, nodded home at the backpost, after capitalising on some calamitous defending from Emmanuel Fernandez.

That lapse in concentration from Danny Rohl’s left-sided centre-back seemingly epitomised this season as a whole for the Gers, with the squad assembled by Kevin Thelwell and co over the summer simply not up to scratch.

Emmanuel Fernandez's horror moment vs Ferencvaros

Rohl has been dealt a dismal hand, following a head-scratching summer of recruitment, with the 36-year-old no doubt particularly hampered by the lack of depth – and quality – at the heart of the defence.

In Nasser Djiga – a man too often at the scene of the crime – the new Gers boss has inherited an increasingly error-prone figure, even while showcasing signs of life against Kilmarnock.

The man alongside him, Fernandez, had initially looked like a class above following his reintroduction amid the change in the dugout, notably netting a bullet header against Livingston to mark a fine start to life under Rohl.

Frustratingly, like many of those around him, the 24-year-old has regressed since then, culpable for the opener in last week’s 2-2 draw with Dundee United, while enduring another horror moment on Thursday evening.

In a piece of defending that almost left TNT Sports commentator Ally McCoist speechless with incredulity, Fernandez bizarrely went AWOL as the lethal Varga converted for what proved to be the winner, with the towering centre-back facing in the wrong direction while attempting to deal with the cross into the box.

Quite why the summer arrival – who lost ten duels in total on the night, as per Sofascore – did not try and engage with either the ball or the man, well, only he knows, with that moment of madness proving so costly on what proved to be another miserable European night for the Glasgow side.

Of course, in Fernandez’s defence, he wasn’t the only villain against Robbie Keane’s side – far from it.

​Rangers' worst performer vs Ferencvaros

It was all going so well, with Miovski – the man who had netted a brace at the weekend – defying the offside flag to convert in acrobatic fashion, sending the Gers into the lead just before the hour mark.

And yet, old habits die hard, with a well-worked effort from the home side seeing things levelled up on the stroke of half-time, with Djeidi Gassama notably culpable for failing to track his man in the build-up.

Rumours were rife on Thursday that the ex-Sheffield Wednesday winger is the subject of interest from LaLiga high-flyers Villarreal, although there was little in his performance to suggest why, having again been off the pace prior to his second-half withdrawal.

Previously the star of Rangers’ Champions League qualifying run, the 22-year-old’s form has deserted him of late, notably registering just 17 touches this time around.

That lack of impact was evident as the promising winger failed to register a single key pass, successful dribble or even attempt a single cross on the night, left looking like something of a bystander to proceedings on the left flank.

While he did register a solid 89% pass accuracy, alongside winning all three of his total duels, there was little else to shout about, with there having been few surprises when he was withdrawn for teenage sensation, Mikey Moore.

As already alluded to, Gassama’s early-season form – which yielded four goals in Europe in July and August – has long since deserted him, with even his prior relationship with Rohl surely not enough to spare him from the axe.

Indeed, with the younger pairing of Moore and Findlay Curtis waiting in the wings, the German coach has plenty of alternatives on the flanks, with the former Owls star simply not cutting it right now.

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