The Propper problem: Rangers’ £1.5m defender Robin looks flimsy, fragile and error-prone

AFTER claiming a clean sheet and three points in a notoriously difficult venue, Rangers could travel back down the A9 with a measure of satisfaction following Sunday’s 1-0 win in Perth.

Thanks to their performances in the Europa League, with Philippe Clement’s side winning 4-1 in Nice last Thursday, the importance of backing that up against St. Johnstone could not be overstated.

In that respect it was a job for Clement and his players. But even with a clean slate, central defense remains a serious concern.

In particular, in the case of Robin Propper, Rangers appear to have a player who is fundamentally ill-equipped to cope with the demands of Scottish football.

Propper was hooked at half-time after a difficult first 45 minutes, in which he was caught out of position several times and mistimed a few headers and tackles.

After the match, Clement claimed that the Dutchman had both a knee injury and a sick virus.

That was fair enough. You can only take a manager’s word for it in these matters. If Propper had an injury, we can only take it at face value.

But it’s not hard to see why there was a degree of skepticism about Clement’s comments. Why? Because this is now becoming a recurring theme at Propper.

It sounded suspiciously like a manager making an excuse to save a player who was playing a desperately bad game. It’s that simple.

Propper played sixteen games for Rangers this season and was eliminated six times. During halftime he was caught twice.

In a home game against St Mirren in late October, Rangers were on the ropes before Propper was sent off with half an hour to go, eventually coming through to win 2–1.

On that occasion, the Dutchman had a torrid afternoon against St Mirren striker Toyosi Olusanya. Damn, the Rangers defense looked much more secure when he left.

That was the case again in Perth on Sunday. When Leon Balogun came on at half-time, Rangers looked much safer at the back.

The problem with Propper is that he simply doesn’t look robust enough to handle Scottish football. He looks weak, fragile, prone to mistakes and prone to injuries. Furthermore, he is a great asset…

A £1.5 million signing who captained FC Twente. It should be noted that Propper has spent his entire career in the Netherlands without ever really registering on the radar of the big three of Ajax, PSV or Feyenoord.

In all honesty, Propper knows his start at Ibrox hasn’t exactly been a roaring success. It’s not something he’s shying away from.

After the win in Nice last week he was asked if the demands of Scottish football have surprised him.

“Yes, maybe,” he admitted. ‘Maybe I underestimated it a bit.

‘Of course you know something about Rangers, you know how big the club is, but you don’t know much about the competition.

“So yeah, it’s going to take a while. I played some good games, I played some not so good games. So I have to get back to my level and maintain the highest possible level.

‘I think you see it in European matches. I’m more myself, maybe I have more to do with the European Games than the Scottish Premier League. But I think I can adapt to that, and it will take some time. I gave myself that time, so I want to adapt to that.

“Of course I need the time, but I have to adapt very quickly because we play every three or four days, we play a game.”

Considering Propper is the other side of 30, his inability to complete 90 minutes is something that should worry Clement.

Whether it is form or vulnerability, he is too often portrayed as a weak link in central defence.

There’s still time for him to turn it around. But right now he seems like a bad signing.

In Connor Goldson, Rangers had a player who rarely missed a game. In Propper, the experienced centre-back signed mainly to replace Goldson, they have a player who too often struggles to complete 90 minutes.

In the first half against St Johnstone he was all over the place. Even putting aside the apparent injury, there was a very valid argument that he should be addicted anyway based on his performance level.

Former Rangers midfielder Kevin Thomson believes Propper’s form has now become a source of serious concern.

“I think his form should be a concern,” Thomson told the BBC. ‘He has to learn quickly.

“I saw him against St Mirren and he had a torrid afternoon. I think he probably underestimated what playing against a stereotypical centre-forward is like here.

‘The crowds, the channels playing, the support. A lot of people would say, “Come on, that’s normal, you’re used to that.”

‘But if you look at continental football or European football, you would have different opinions: sometimes centre-forwards are a bit looser.

“It’s a little bit more technical, while he has to use body contact, he’s in duels, he’s in fights, he has to scrap all the time.

‘The Old Firm centre-backs have to play on the halfway line. So you have to expose yourself with 30, 40, 50 meters behind you, that’s what it feels like.

‘I think he’s struggling to adapt at the moment. But I think if he is a good player, which I think he is, he will adapt and learn.

“The point is and the argument is that he has to learn very quickly.”

Rangers will now prepare to host Kilmarnock at Ibrox on Wednesday evening. Based on what happened in Perth, it’s not hard to see Balogun getting a start.

There is only so long that Clement can last with Propper. With a League Cup final against Celtic on the horizon, the Rangers manager needs solid players he can rely on.

At this point, on top of all the nagging fitness issues, Propper seems like a mistake waiting to happen.