The words Vale Park always send an icy chill up my spine as I know that whenever I go there Rangers will treat me to an absolutely stinking performance. It doesn't matter who the players are or how well we have played previously, this ground turns us into a side that would struggle in Sunday league!

Following the injury to Furlong at Peterborough on Saturday Holloway was forced to make his obligatory change in personnel. Day remained in goal with the same back four of Barton, Forbes, Palmer and Padula in front of him. The midfield four was also the same as Rowlands, Bean, Bircham and McLeod teamed up again with Gallen and Thorpe, in for Furs, in front of them. There was a surprise on the bench as Rangers went in without a keeper, I can only assume Culkin has a knock as people will remember Royce's red card here last season.

Rangers could not have made a worse start to this game if they had tried. Having seen an effort from Gallen sail harmlessly into the crowd Port Vale launched a lightening raid on the R's rearguard. A ball as slipped between Forbes and Barton for Billy Paynter to run onto. The Vale striker kept a cool head as he drew Day and slotted past him. Day had started to come off his line about three times as Paynter bore down on him but he lacked the conviction to dive at the striker's feet.

Barely a minute later it should have been 2-0 as the impressive McPhee breezed past Palmer and crossed to the far post where Paynter flashed a fierce volley over the bar into the fair sized travelling support. Rangers were still counting their blessings when Port Vale added their second.

Adrian Littlejohn obliterated Warren Barton with a combination of pace and trickery and delivered a cross that found the head of McPhee to head home unopposed from six yards. This was another piece of scandalous defending and it was clear that changes had to be made and quickly. Warren Barton may as well have come and sat with the crowd for all the good he was doing and Forbes and Palmer were all over the place. Paynter, McPhee and Littlejohn were having a rare old time and they should have been six goals up at the break.

Barton and Forbes switched places to try and hide the former Wimbledon man from the chasing he was getting. It didn't work! Adrian Littlejohn managed to get past Day and the Rangers keeper was grateful to see Forbes on hand to hack the ball off the line and back into his arms. Day saved from Paynter soon after as the striker made sufficiently poor contact with a  Littlejohn cross to give him a chance.

The lack of confidence on the pitch was evident in every department. Day, usually so reliable, was slicing kicks and missing punches. Gallen and Thorpe up front were creating nothing from the meagre scraps being served up by the midfield. At the other end it was another story as Vale looked like scoring every time they attacked.

Littlejohn went close again when a rocket-heeled sprint took him away from Forbes. Luckily for Rangers the striker's composure disappeared and he fired over when well placed. On the stroke of half time Day flapped at a cross and Andreas Lipa headed against the outside of the post.

Changes were inevitable and the only surprise is that Holloway waited until the break to make them. The woeful Barton was taken off along with the ineffective Thorpe to be replaced by Gareth Ainsworth and the wagon riding Clarke Carlisle. The formation changed to what appeared to be 4-5-1 with Gallen alone up front. I later read that this was supposed to be 4-3-3 but it never became that!

The half was not even ten minutes old when Fraser Stretton, a referee so fat that he has to be told what colour his boots are, sent off Steve Rowland for an appalling two footed lunge on Marcus Bean. The young midfield terrier had slid in to win a ball only for Rowland to go over the top on him. The players, Bircham especially, were apoplectic and Stretton had little option. For the second time in a week Rangers had a great chance to knock over ten men and for the second time they ballsed it up.

There were less than twenty minutes left when Rangers managed to get a shot on target. McLeod had forced one save out of the keeper in the first half and Bircham fired straight down the throat of Brain from outside the area. At the other end McPhee mugged Gino outside the box and crashed a searing drive at goal that Day could not hang onto.

Pacquette, now on for Bean, and McLeod both went close as the game wore on but it was clear to see that Rangers were destined to get nothing from this game. As a last desperate throw of the dice Carlisle, who had been magnificent since his introduction, was pushed up front but to no avail. Rangers had to half hearted penalty appeals for handball as the game moved into injury time but the way things were going they were never going to be given.

The final whistle was met with warm applause for Carlisle and catcalls for the rest of the side. This was a terrible display from a team that seems to fall to bits when Paul Furlong is missing. They need to play a bit smarter and realise that aiming punts at Gallen and Thorpe wont work and try to give them the ball to feet. Mind you, the way they played today they would have struggled to score against Vale's under 11's.

Vale undid us with pace, nothing more. They didn't pass the ball round us in neat patterns; they used our weakness and exploited it in clinical fashion. The back four in the first half were an absolute shower of shite. Warren Barton showed all of his shortcomings and even found some new ones. The only time he managed to win a header in the half he was penalised for a foul.

Things looked much tighter when Clarke Carlisle came on and he was Man of the Match by a distance. Surely he has to start on Saturday and I would like to see Edghill start as well. Palmer should be the man to make way so we can form a defence with pace and power and one that Day can have some confidence in.

Tranmere will provide another stern test on Saturday and Rangers must bounce back. If they turn in a performance like this at Loftus Road then they will still hear the stick from the crowd ringing in their ears when they kick off against Man City on Tuesday!

simon@qprnet.com