Just over two years now since the
day Rangers fans would rather forget. The darkest period in the Club’s history
(The Disasters notwithstanding) where the very survival of Rangers FC was at
stake.
Somehow, the Ibrox men came
through that frankly horrible period, a level of suffering no football
supporter should ever have to endure, including a transfer embargo, a loss of
SPL status, fine after fine and the good name of the Club being dragged through
the gutter then the sewage system for good measure.
Fast-forward to, at the time of
writing, the 17th of February 2014. Rangers not only top League One by a-near
embarrassing country mile, amassing 70 points while conceding only 11 league
goals in 24 matches during the course of having dropped only two points, but
have a Ramsden’s Cup Final to look forward to in April against Stark Park’s
finest.
There is also the small matter of
the Quarter Finals of the Scottish Cup, with an incredibly favourable home tie
(with all due respect to them) versus the fourth-bottom team in the whole of
the Scottish professional game, Albion Rovers to be negotiated for passage to
the semi finals.
Furthermore, these Scottish Cup
matches will all be played at Ibrox (quarter), Ibrox (semi, assuming safe
negotiation) and then the home of our fiercest of rivals Celtic, Parkhead for
the final (again, assuming Rangers do not succumb). Add to this the fact
aforementioned East-End side have already been ditched out of the tournament at
the hands of Aberdeen, and the only SPL sides left are the Dons, Dundee Utd, St
Johnstone and, if they overcome Stranraer, Inverness Caley Thistle.
Manager Ally McCoist said
following the weekend’s relatively comfortable victory over Ayr at Somerset Park that there was a feeling of
‘optimism’ sweeping through Ibrox right now, and it is not hard to see why.
With the current 4-4-2 system
working impeccably, including an in-form David Templeton and revitalised Dean
Shiels, since December 26th Rangers have conceded only 2 goals and have frankly
streamrollered every team they have played. Sometimes the performances have not
been 100% immaculate, but the stats of 2 goals conceded in 10 games speaks for
itself.
The argument against Rangers,
mostly from SPL fans, is that up against carpenters and joiners you would expect
no less. This is not entirely without merit, but these ‘carpenters and joiners’
are still playing semi-professional football and will up their game
considerably against Rangers. It is in fact a gross insult to dismiss these
‘lesser’ players as somehow nothing more than cannon-fodder, given in the last
rounds of the Scottish Cup these ‘joiners and carpenters’ have already knocked out SPL
‘giants’ Motherwell and Hibernian, and unless I am very much mistaken Greenock
Morton overcame Celtic at Parkhead in the League Cup last September.
There is also the simple
‘humanity and consistency’ point of view. The fact is humans are only human,
and to keep winning and to be motivated regardless of who you are playing
against is not the easiest thing in the world. Fatigue, boredom, stamina – all
play a part in affecting a team week-in-week-out and despite the fact Celtic
are clearly miles ahead of the SPL in terms of quality, Metro writer and
Parkhead fanatic Marc McCardle suggested the Eastenders have ‘lost their
competitive edge’
here. Indeed they have drawn 3 matches in the league – yet if
they are so incredibly far ahead of the rest of the SPL should they not have
won every match?
No, because they are only human,
like Rangers.
Rangers fans should be
extraordinarily proud of how far this club has come since the dark days of
2012. Sailing away in the league on the journey back to the SPL, a cup final in
2 months and a quite realistic shout at achieving something in the Scottish
Cup.
It really is not all bad.