KENNY Miller reckons the addition of reinforcements next month will give Rangers their spark back.
Saturday’s 2-1 defeat away to third-placed Falkirk allowed Hibernian to join the Ibrox side at the top of the Ladbrokes Championship, with only goal difference now keeping Mark Warburton’s team in front.
Rangers have dropped 10 points since Alan Stubbs’ men ended their 100 per cent league record at Easter Road on November 1. Manager Warburton plans to bring in a couple of new faces and Miller believes that can lift their title challenge on more ways than one.
The striker said: “[New players] are either going to strengthen the team or ensure the lads who are in the team kick on to keep hold of that jersey.”
Questionable decisions from referee Willie Collum were also big talking points after the match at Falkirk. Peter Houston’s side opened the scoring with a third-minute John Baird penalty, awarded despite the fact Rangers defender Danny Wilson’s foul on Will Vaulks took place a yard outside the box.
Barrie McKay levelled only for Vaulks to fire home from a corner. Collum awarded another strange penalty in stoppage time, penalising Falkirk’s Blair Alston for handball when there seemed to be no clear infringement.
However, home goalkeeper Danny Rogers produced a fine save to push Martyn Waghorn’s spot-kick on to a post as Falkirk claimed a win that leaves them just six points behind the top two.
For Rangers, memories of the swashbuckling football played in the opening weeks of Warburton’s reign in the summer are fading fast. But Miller insists there is no chance his side are suffering a repeat of the collapse which cost them promotion last season
Asked if the players saw shades of that nightmare run creeping into their performances, Miller replied: “I wouldn’t say so, not when you win 12 in a row at the start of the season. We didn’t do that last season.
“Of late, fair enough, I can see where you’re going, but it’s definitely not shades of last season.
“Teams are not going to roll over and allow us to play the beautiful game we want to play, we have to go and earn that right. That means doing the right things, not giving up goals and giving teams something to hold on to. The last couple of weeks we’ve been chasing games which is a new thing for us.
“Can we regain that early-season form? Definitely, absolutely no doubt about it. We have too many good players in there. We dominate the ball every week but we need to make more of the possession we have and create more chances.”
Rangers now face a huge clash with Hibs at Ibrox next Monday. Miller said: “The game was always going to be a big game no matter what the points difference was. We just need to get back to winning ways now.”
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