Rangers players criticised for ‘shocking’ incident against Livingston with a strong statement after their 2-1 victory

**Rangers Edge Livingston for First League Win, but Defensive Issues Remain**

Rangers finally picked up their first Scottish Premiership victory of the season with a 2-1 win at Livingston, though the performance left plenty of concerns.

Russell Martin remains under significant pressure, with sections of the away support still voicing their frustration despite the much-needed three points. James Tavernier opened the scoring before Max Aarons grabbed the winner, but the points looked in doubt when Mohamad Sylla levelled for the hosts in the second half.

There were mixed displays across the pitch — Oliver Antman caught the eye, while Bojan Miovski squandered several chances — but Rangers’ defending came under particular criticism.

John Souttar was culpable for Livingston’s equaliser, failing to deal with a ball over the top that allowed Sylla to head home unchallenged. Neil McCann, on Sky Sports duty, branded the defensive setup “poor” in his analysis of the goal.

Livingston threatened regularly, registering nine attempts — three on target — with the opening quarter of an hour exposing Rangers’ vulnerabilities at the back. Although Derek Cornelius produced a solid display, he appeared to be nursing an injury when withdrawn, raising concerns over defensive stability. If sidelined, Nasser Djiga is the likely replacement, but his shaky form this season could further weaken Martin’s back line.

Statistically, Rangers created the better chances, finishing with 15 shots (seven on target) and 2.29 expected goals compared to Livingston’s 0.82. However, their defensive fragility remains an ongoing issue, and Martin will need more than narrow wins to ease the pressure from the fans.