LIKE everybody else, I was astonished when I heard the Rangers team for the Aberdeen game at Pittodrie on Saturday being read out.

LIKE everybody else, I was astonished when I heard the Rangers team for the Aberdeen game at Pittodrie on Saturday being read out.

I felt playing a 4-1-4-1 formation, with Lee McCulloch brought back in to the starting line-up in front of the defence, was a bit too cautious.

If Rangers have genuine title aspirations then I feel they have to be more positive, play 4-4-2 home and away and go all out for victory in every match.

I also felt that dropping Kris Boyd - Scottish football's top scorer with 22 goals to his name - was wrong and, ultimately, backfired.

When I looked at the Gers team at the weekend my first thought was: "Where are the goals going to come from?"

After Boyd, the Ibrox club's top scorer is Kenny Miller who has hit the back of the net on seven occasions in the 2008/09 campaign.

The Glasgow club looked far more like scoring when Boyd took over from Miller and Nacho Novo came on for John Fleck wide on the left.

To be fair to Walter Smith, the Dons have got an impressive home record and had beaten Celtic by 4-2 just six days previously. Walter was concerned about his midfield being overrun and changed his set-up.

There is, too, a fine line between success and failure in football. If wee Nacho had scored from just five yards out late on, instead of hitting the post, then there would be no arguments with Smith's side.

Dropping Boyd, though, left him open to criticism. After a disappointing 0-0 draw, which resulted in Rangers falling four points behind Celtic at the top of the SPL table, supporters are right to ask questions.

Miller is a far more mobile player than Boyd and is better suited to playing in the lone striker's role.

Yet, I felt the visitors enjoyed the majority of the possession without creating many chances.

The time they spend passing the ball in midfield gives opposition teams time to get back behind them and defend.

Walter is a vastly experienced coach and his gut instinct told him to make the changes. I think he sent his side out so they would not be beaten and if any team was going to sneak it then it was them.

I thought McCulloch, who has flirted with centre-half this season, did well enough in his new role between the defence and midfield.

But I do not think there is any long-term future for him there.

Rangers can call on talented players like Steven Davis, Barry Ferguson and Pedro Mendes in midfield and should not need to operate the sweeper system in domestic matches away from home.

Once again, they have passed up the chance to make up ground on Gordon Strachan's side, even briefly leapfrog them into first place, in a big game away from home and that is a concern.

Credit has to go to Aberdeen who, along with Hearts, Hibs and Dundee United, are now presenting a far greater challenge to the Old Firm than they have in recent years.

Black marks but Burley needs support

IF George Burley were to be given a report card after his first year as Scotland boss it would read: "Could do better."

I feel sorry for George in many respects because he has not been able to call on some key players - Alan Hutton and Barry Ferguson being two - at vital times during his 12 months in charge of his country.

Yet, I think he has to improve his dealings with the media, something which is a huge part of his job.

Coaching the players and setting his teams out for matches is straightforward to a vastly experienced manager like him.

However, some of his explanations following bad results, and his handling of the whole Kris Boyd situation, have left a little to be desired.

Still, I think everyone, the media, the fans and the players, needs to get firmly behind him in the World Cup qualifying games we have coming up.

We still have the chance of making it to the Finals in South Africa next year and, while that is the case, he needs our total backing.

The Holland game in Amsterdam in March will be difficult. But if he goes there and plays a defensive 4-1-4-1 formation then there is a slight chance we can sneak a draw.

It is of paramount importance that we win our home games as well. If we can do that then we have every chance of making it through. There is no point in sniping at George during that time.

If he can get us to the Finals of a major competition for the first time since France '98 then his report card will read: "Top of the class."

Half-full Hampden tells its own tale

HAMPDEN is expected to be less than half full for the semi-final of the Co-operative Insurance Cup between Rangers and Falkirk tonight.

The same will be true tomorrow when Celtic take on Dundee United in the other semi-final at the National Stadium - a game live on BBC.

I am sure, too, that all the sides involved will be fielding full-strength teams in a serious bid to land some silverware.

That is not the case down in England in the equivalent competition, The Carling Cup, where teams field fringe players.

All of which would suggest this is a tournament - the lesser of the three competitions which Scotland's top clubs battle for - which desperately needs a shot in the arm.

There has been the usual talk of changing the format and reverting to the old sectional system.

However, I think that would be a backwards step in an already congested fixture list.

It has to remain a knockout competition.

If there is some way of bringing back a European place for the winners then it would breathe much-needed new life into the League Cup.

Going Loco

AS the Inverurie Loco Works Scottish Cup fourth-round tie with Motherwell descends further into farce, I think somebody somewhere has to have a long, hard look at the rules over postponed ties.

There is surely an argument for switching the ground if, as has been the case with Inverurie, the original fixture is postponed three times.