The mood at Ibrox has been one of deep frustration all season, and Saturday’s 2-2 draw against Dundee United did little to lift the gloom. Once again, Rangers were forced to rely on their captain, James Tavernier, to dig them out of trouble — his late equaliser sparing the club from another humiliating home defeat. But while the result salvaged a point, it did little to hide the cracks in a team that seems to have lost its spark, confidence, and identity.
The match was a microcosm of everything wrong with Rangers’ 2024/25 campaign: defensive lapses, wasteful finishing, lack of intensity, and a reliance on moments of individual brilliance rather than collective coherence. Dundee United, organized and fearless, nearly pulled off what would have been a famous win at Ibrox. For the home crowd, the late drama only underlined a bitter truth — this once-dominant Rangers side is a shadow of its former self.
First Half A Familiar Story of Missed Chances and Nervous Energy
From the outset, the game carried the nervous energy of a team under pressure. Rangers, desperate to turn around their fortunes, began aggressively. The returning Todd Cantwell looked sharp, linking up with Abdallah Sima and Cyriel Dessers in attack, while Tavernier and Borna Barišić provided width from the full-back positions.
Yet, despite their early possession and territorial dominance, Rangers’ play lacked incision. The ball moved slowly through midfield, allowing Dundee United’s back line to settle. Manager Jim Goodwin’s men set up in a disciplined 4-4-2, defending deep but ready to spring forward whenever Rangers lost the ball.
The first clear opportunity came in the 14th minute when Cantwell slipped a pass to Dessers inside the box. The Nigerian striker’s first touch was heavy, and his follow-up shot flew high over the bar — a moment that summed up his inconsistent form this season.
As frustration began to build among the Ibrox faithful, Dundee United began to grow in confidence. Their midfield, led by Craig Sibbald and Declan Glass, pressed intelligently, cutting off passing lanes and forcing errors from Rangers’ back line. In the 23rd minute, their positive approach was rewarded.
A quick turnover in midfield saw Glenn Middleton — a former Rangers player — drive down the left wing before cutting inside and unleashing a low strike toward the far corner. Jack Butland dived full stretch but could only parry the ball into the path of Louis Moult, who made no mistake from close range. 1-0 to Dundee United.
The away section erupted, while a stunned silence fell over Ibrox.
Rangers tried to respond quickly. Sima came close moments later, rising to meet a cross from Tavernier, but his header was straight at the goalkeeper. The crowd’s impatience grew louder with each wasted opportunity, as the team’s rhythm faltered and their confidence visibly drained.
Just before halftime, Rangers thought they had equalised. Cantwell’s free-kick found the head of John Souttar, whose powerful effort crashed off the crossbar. The rebound fell to Sima, who bundled the ball over the line — only for the flag to go up for offside.
As the referee blew for halftime, boos echoed around the stadium. The fans had seen this movie before: slow starts, soft defending, and missed chances.
Second Half A Short-Lived Revival
Rangers came out of the tunnel with renewed intent, pressing higher and showing more urgency. Manager Philippe Clement, visibly frustrated on the sidelines, urged his players to move the ball quicker and stretch Dundee United’s defense.
Their persistence paid off early in the second half. In the 53rd minute, a slick move involving Cantwell and Raskin opened space for Sima on the right flank. His low cross found Dessers, who turned and fired a shot that deflected off a defender and looped into the net. It was a scrappy goal, but the home fans didn’t care — it was 1-1, and suddenly Ibrox roared back to life.
For the next fifteen minutes, Rangers looked more like themselves. Cantwell began dictating the tempo, and Raskin’s tenacity in midfield gave them the upper hand. The pressure intensified as corner after corner tested Dundee United’s back line.
However, as has so often been the case this season, Rangers’ momentum evaporated just as quickly as it had arrived. A miscommunication between Souttar and Goldson in the 68th minute gifted Dundee United a route back into the game.
Under pressure, Souttar attempted a back pass to Butland that fell short. Moult pounced on the loose ball, rounded the keeper, and squared it to Middleton, who tapped home into an empty net. It was a moment of calamity — the kind of defensive error that has haunted Rangers all season.
The visitors, now 2-1 up, defended with renewed purpose. Every tackle, interception, and clearance was met with cheers from the traveling fans, who sensed an upset brewing. Rangers, by contrast, looked panicked. Long balls replaced patient buildup, and frustration rippled through the stands with every misplaced pass.
Tavernier Steps Up — Again
As the game ticked into its final stages, Rangers’ desperation grew. Clement threw on Rabbi Matondo and Tom Lawrence in search of a spark. Swansea-born Lawrence nearly found the breakthrough in the 83rd minute with a curling effort that grazed the post, but the ball refused to go in.
Just when it seemed Dundee United were going to hold out for a famous victory, their resistance was finally broken — predictably, by James Tavernier.
In the 88th minute, the Rangers captain surged forward from right-back, as he has done so many times in his career. Picking up a pass from Cantwell near the edge of the area, Tavernier took one touch to steady himself and unleashed a powerful strike into the top corner. The ball swerved past the outstretched hand of Walton, nestling into the net.
2-2.
The eruption from the home crowd was immediate — relief, joy, and disbelief all rolled into one. Tavernier, ever the talisman, had done it again. For the umpteenth time, he had bailed Rangers out of trouble.
Yet, as the celebrations subsided, a sense of irony lingered. Once again, it was their right-back and captain — not a striker, not a playmaker — who had rescued the team.
Late Push No Winner
With a few minutes left on the clock, Rangers surged forward in search of a dramatic winner. The pressure was relentless — corners flew in, crosses peppered the box, and Dundee United’s defense threw everything into blocking shots.
Matondo nearly turned hero in stoppage time when he latched onto a rebound, but his effort was deflected wide by a last-ditch challenge from Declan Gallagher. The final whistle came moments later, met with a mix of applause and boos.
While Tavernier’s equaliser spared Rangers the humiliation of defeat, the result felt hollow. The Ibrox faithful had seen this script too many times: sluggish start, avoidable mistakes, frantic finish, and a captain saving the day.
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