Attendance 10,392
There can be little doubt now that serious questions
must surely be asked of a manager who, no matter his
CV, has been responsible for what thus far has been a
truly awful season.
Paul Le Guen made one change from Thursday with Sasa
Papac replacing Karl Svensson whilst new United Boss
Craig Levein named former Ranger Barry Robson as
captain in a home line-up that suggested caution with
five in midfield.
Rangers almost made a lightning start when Nacho Novo
burst through on a quickly-taken Barry Ferguson
free-kick only to chip over the bar.
Sadly it was fully thirty minutes before either goal
was next threatened when Novo again found himself
clear in front of goal only to pull his shot wide
after Alan Hutton's cross had broken to him.
Rangers had controlled the play throughout without
seriously threatening to open their account – yet it
was the home side who almost opened the scoring in 39
minutes when Collin Samuel's cross was sliced just
wide of his own goal by Papac, then from the resultant
Craig Conway corner David Robertson's 18-yard shot was
turned wide by Allan McGregor.
The visitors responded to that scare with Charlie Adam
testing home goalkeeper Derek Stillie with a low drive
from a Dado Prso cutback in 42 minutes.
A dire first-half ended goalless, but Rangers finally
opened the scoring in 49 minutes when Charlie Adam
slotted home a Novo cutback.
Five minutes later David Goodwillie's angled drive was
held by McGregor, but at the other end Adam almost
notched a second when his chip from a Barry Ferguson
pass was cleared off the line by David McCracken.
United had far from given up the ghost – midway
through the second-half Craig Conway's eighteen-yard
drive from a Robson cutback following Jeremy Clement's
mistake flashed over.
Kris Boyd replaced Thomas Buffel immediately
thereafter as Rangers looked for a killer second – and
it seemed only a matter of time until the points were
wrapped up.
Novo was inches away when his turn and shot from a
Prso cutback flew just wide in seventy minutes, then
seconds later Adam was denied when his 25-yard shot
produced a stunning Stillie save.
Unbelievably United equalised in 76 minutes when a
Robson corner found Garry Kenneth unmarked at the back
post to head home.
It was yet another bad goal to lose for the Ibrox
defence, and the home side now scented blood, with
Goodwillie seeing his shot flash across the face of
goal seven minutes later.
Yet another dead ball situation in 81 minutes produced
another shambles in the heart of the visitors' defence
when Conway's free-kick was headed home by Lee Mair.
There was no way back for Rangers in what was a
diabolical display– and at the final whistle a torrent
of boos and jeers poured down upon the head of Le Guen
as he trudged wearily along the track.
Craig Levein meanwhile was honest enough in his
post-match analysis to admit:
“Rangers missed a few chances. European games in
midweek always present a tremendous amount of problems
– I know that from my experience with Hearts. They
played at a high tempo on Thursday, and tired towards
the end today.”
Le Guen meanwhile reflected:
“I am very dissapointed. We deserved a better result.
We had control of the game. It's so frustrating – we
had chances, but needed a second goal. The players
tried their best, but we lack efficiency. Results
suggest the players are not good enough.”
Incredibly the Ibrox Boss also claimed:
“We played well for one hour.”
He must have been at a different game.
DUNDEE UNITED Stillie; Mair, Kenneth, McCracken,
Kalvenes; Conway, Cameron, Robertson, Kerr, Robson;
Samuel (Goodwillie 45)
UNUSED SUBS McLean, Archibald, Duff, Easton, Burnett,
Smith
RANGERS McGregor; Hutton, Papac, Hemdani, Smith (Sebo
85); Novo, Ferguson, Clement, Adam; Buffel (Boyd 66),
Prso
UNUSED SUBS Klos, Rae, Bardsley, Svensson, Stanger
REFEREE Kenny Clark