da mrbet： Bruno Alves left Rangers in rather understated fashion when Steven Gerrard walked through the door in 2018.
da dobrowin： The Portuguese had his contract terminated by mutual consent and with little more than a quick comment from the manager, he was leaving Ibrox.
Alves was an eye-catching signing when he was snapped up by Pedro Caixinha in the summer of 2017 but ultimately it didn’t work out for the defender who has now been capped 96 times his country.
A player boasting vast experience throughout club football and on the international stage, it was a player who could have added a bit of steel to the Gers. Indeed, that’s exactly what they’re missing now.
When the 38-year-old departed Glasgow for Italy, his departure won’t have meant much. After all, Rangers had brought in Connor Goldson who has since been linked with Fulham and Leeds in England’s Championship.
However, he has hardly been convincing in recent weeks, making a catastrophic error against Hamilton on Wednesday. He isn’t the only defender who has been costing the team dearly, though.
Although Rangers came through their Europa League tie with Braga, they were 2-0 down against the Liga NOS outfit in the first leg. Gerrard’s men conceded a further two against St Johnstone and then crashed out of the Scottish Cup at the hands of Hearts.
The issue? Rangers’ back four. Once again they were undone in rather shambolic fashion as club captain James Tavernier failed to clear properly and Allan McGregor wrongfully committed. The result was Oliver Bozanovic tapping the ball into an empty net.
It was symptomatic of a team struggling significantly in defence. In terms of their organisation, it was essentially non-existent.
How they could do with a resolute and resilient character, one possessing undoubted leadership qualities. After Rangers’ defeat on Saturday, a number of fans questioned why Tavernier was captain – remarks that remain very valid given his involvement in their defeat last weekend.
Coincidentally, Alves is now captain of Parma as they sit ninth in the Italian top-flight. The former Gers man has been influential in that, combining a steely nature with a calming influence.
From his 20 appearances, he has a pass success rate of 83%, all while registering a colossal eight long balls per match.
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On top of that, he’s managed 17 blocks – a number that equates to 0.9 per game. His no-nonsense attitude at Parma would have been vital to Rangers in the last few games; they miss someone willing to defend at all costs.
In the Europa League this term, Filip Helander hars registered 0.6 blocks per match. Goldson, meanwhile, has mustered just 0.4.
With Rangers in such poor form – failing to win six domestic matches in 2020 – their defence is in great need of improvement. How they miss Alves.
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