In the absence of Kris Boyd.

Last updated : 21 October 2010 By Number Eight

Valencia did enough to merit a draw, but Rangers created several scoring opportunities which, regrettably, apart from Edu's goal, were all wasted.

The contest highlighted the differences in striking styles, and was a reminder that the goal-frame is a small target when time is short, the pressure is on, and the trigger has to be pulled.

Professional footballers are expected to be able to do the simple things, but in the heat of battle, elementary tasks take on a degree of difficulty which can confound even top players, and so it proved against Valencia at Ibrox last night.

Kenny Miller had a frustrating evening, but he wasn't alone. Stevie Naismith, Steve Davis and Richard Foster all squandered opportunities when the expectation level demanded more.

Players like Miller and Naismith are harriers and chasers, and quite tireless in their quest, but an absence of composure can detract from otherwise sound performances. Steve Davis is a well-rounded and superb footballer but he too fluffed an opportunity when a quick execution needed to be completed.

As for Richard Foster's chance, his attempt was rushed and clumsy, and completely misguided, however it was the only blemish in an otherwise good performance.

Stevie Naismith's failure to act decisively late on in the match was another botched opportunity, and this was perhaps the worst in the series of missed chances.

Kris Boyd used to miss chances too, but he was more sure-footed in front of goal than anyone currently at Ibrox. He was about as reliable as a striker can be when it came to converting so-called easy chances, but of course his deficiencies included a lack of pace and a less than industrious manner. He was a poacher rather than a grafter: a finisher rather than a provider.

What we have now is pace, effort, and an ever-present nuisance value from our front players, and while this suits our playing style, we no longer have the certainty that penalty-box scraps will be converted into goals.

Kenny Miller will top the scoring charts for us this season, assuming of course that he doesn't leave in January, and Jelavic will hopefully make a successful return when his health is sound. Lafferty, who has an eye for goal, will play his part too as the season unfolds, but we need to make sure that all of our players develop a killer instinct when opportunity knocks.

Missed chances are a fact of life in football, but they really need to be kept to a minimum if we want to extend our European campaign and retain our league title.