Ten man Rangers were easily rolled over by relegation threatened Norwich City at Carrow Road on Saturday afternoon. An early red card, a bizarre double change and a poor all round team display ended in a 3-0 defeat that could have been five or six had the home side taken more of the very presentable chances that fell their way. 

De Canio didn’t have many choices with his starting eleven. Camp was in goal behind Mancienne, Connolly, Stewart and Delaney. Ainsworth, Mahon, Rowlands and Ephraim were in midfield with Balanta and Blackstock up top. There wasn’t an attacking option on the bench with a keeper, three defenders and a defensive midfielder to pick from as injuries bit hard. 

Rangers made a breezy start to the game and looked as though they were in the mood to send Norwich’s relegation troubles into the final weekend of the season. Stewart headed a corner wide of the target before Ephraim and Blackstock combined only for the latter to head straight into the arms of home keeper Marshall. 

Marshall immediately launched a huge punt up field that seemed to catch Stewart out completely. Young Welshman Ched Evans got the run on him and as he got in between Stewart and Camp, the centre half brushed his back, at the same time Camp came out and absolutely hammered him. It was a clear free kick and a clear red card offence by the keeper in my opinion. Referee Joslin took his time and then duly showed the red, to Stewart!  

Everyone in the ground was stunned, not least the big Jamaican centre back who was trudging off to get the bath running. On the bench sub keeper Reece Crowther was already getting stripped for action when Stewart walked past him, it would appear that the only man in the ground that thought camp should stay on was the ref! Quite how one would mistake a 6’ 4” Jamaican in a hooped shirt for a 6’ 1” man from Derby with a mullet is beyond me!  

The resulting free kick came to nothing but with Rangers still trying to get their subs (yes plural and I will come to that) organised the home side took the lead. A corner wasn’t cleared properly by Mahon and the ball fell to the impressive Evans who crashed it past Camp for the opener. As the teams walked back to kick off two Rangers subs bizarrely appeared on the touchline. 

Most people would have assumed Rehman on for Balanta or Ephraim would have done the trick, leaving Blackstock to plough a lone furrow but no. De Canio withdrew both wide men in Ephraim and Ainsworth and sent on Rehman and Leigertwood. This meant Balanta and Blackstock stayed together in an ultra narrow 4-3-2 formation. It seemed odd at the time and over 24 hours after seeing it happen it still seems odd now. 

Rangers were on the back foot now as wave after wave of Norwich attacks came and were somehow repelled. Pattison and Huckerby both fired wide when well placed after taking advantage of the numbers game against the overworked Mancienne. Both shots ended up curling wide of Camp’s post without the keeper having to intervene. Camp was grateful for the intervention of the woodwork minutes later as left back Bertrand galloped into the attack and saw his effort cannon back off the post. 

Rangers were struggling to retain the ball for any length of time. Rowlands was suffering from a lack of options in the middle of the park; Balanta up front was a game runner all afternoon and showed a good touch on many occasions but Blackstock alongside him was poor. Balanta found himself doing two peoples running on too many occasions. 

Balanta managed a rare effort at goal as he shot wide from twenty yards; at the other end Rehman managed a terrific block from Fotheringham as the midfielder tried his luck from twenty yards. It was a rare piece of good play from Rehman, he and Connolly were all over the shop as they were bullied incessantly by the excellent Evans. Connolly found his way into referee Joslin’s book for a crude lunge on the on loan Manchester City man as he searched desperately for a way to take some of the wind from his sails. 

Norwich flew at Rangers after the break and could have seen their advantage doubled twice. Camp had to be at his best to save from Pattison before Connolly was in the right place to hack Evans’ shot off the line after Camp had been beaten. The second goal wasn’t long in coming though and it was fortuitous to say the least. 

A corner into the R’s box was only cleared as far as the edge of the box. Fotheringham steadied himself to strike it as Rehman charged toward him to try and get the block. Rehman then committed the cardinal sin for all defenders and he turned his back as the shot came in, the ball hit his heels and completely wrong footed Camp and went into the opposite corner. Considering the magnificent block Rehman had committed in the first half the way he turned his back on this one seemed odd. 

Rangers were still struggling to cope with the hopeful punts of Marshall and from another one Camp came steaming out of his area and tried to take about three players on instead of just cracking it in the stand. When he finally managed to lose the ball it fell to Fotheringham who managed to miss an open goal with his shot. Camp had been out of his box twice now in the game, the first time he has seen his mate sent off and the second he had almost been lobbed. You would have thought he might have learned a lesson! 

The game was a nothing affair by now with Rangers offering nothing going forward and the home fans enjoying some teary loving with Huckerby and the freshly introduced Dublin, both of whom were playing their finals games at Carrow Road for the club. 

With seven minutes left to play Rangers conceded a third goal as Camp made yet another shite decision to come out of his area and start patrolling the midfield. Once again a long punt undid the two centre backs and once again Camp started taking people on. He won a challenge in midfield against Chadwick but couldn’t do the same against sub Darel Russell. He didn’t make the same mistake as Fotheringham and with Camp marooned in midfield he slotted the ball in from forty yards. Camp’s escapades in midfield won’t have impressed anyone and I don’t think the “Makelele Role” is in danger of being re-branded in his honour! 

As the game entered injury time Evans and Rowlands were booked for a handbagging session after a disputed throw on and Balanta again showed good close control but fired a left footed shot high over the Norwich bar. Referee Joslin brought the game to a close and it wasn’t a moment to soon after an afternoon to forget for the Rangers. 

This was a poor day all round. The referee made a hash of the sending off, De Canio made a hash of the substitutions and the team made a hash of carrying out whatever game plan the manager had issued to them. Norwich were made to look far better than they are and had they had more quality then they could easily have run up a cricket score. 

Man of the Match – Angelo Balanta. The choices for this are few and far between as nobody really covered themselves in glory. Balanta was the pick of a poor bunch for me, he was tireless up front and showed quality on the odd occasions anybody managed to get him the ball.

simon@qprnet.com