Lawrence Shankland was the clear standout in Rangers' 2-1 win over Falkirk, and the ratings made that plain. He scored twice, took an 8/10, and gave Rangers the attacking edge in a match that was anything but tidy. At the other end of the scale, Emmanuel Fernandez and Cammy Devlin were left with very different nights to deal with.
Shankland's night at Falkirk
Shankland opened the scoring with what Record Sport called a "stunning finish from the captain with his left foot to open the scoring early on and settle any nerves." He had to wait through a lengthy VAR check before fully celebrating the opener, but the wait did not change the finish. His second goal finished the job and left him on 3 goals in 4 Premiership appearances this season.
That return is a strong start, and it fits the way he has been carrying Rangers' attack in these early league games. The 8 rating was the highest in the side, which is exactly where you would expect the match-winner to sit.
The defensive and midfield concerns
Fernandez's 5/10 was the most obvious problem at the back. Record Sport called him "a liability and it's time for him to make way for fit-again Ben Godfrey," and that is a hard line to ignore after a win in which Rangers still looked vulnerable.
Devlin's night was worse in midfield. He was rated 4/10 and was substituted just before the hour after a poor night in midfield. Rangers got the result, but the ratings show why the performance still leaves questions behind it.
Rangers have now put together two wins on the trot, and Falkirk vs Rangers will be remembered for Shankland's double more than anything else. The bigger takeaway is that the captain is scoring, while the debate over Fernandez's place is only getting louder before the next league home games against Motherwell and St Mirren.
Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
