If only McCall got here sooner

29
If only McCall got here sooner

Four weeks ago, Tuesday 10th
of March, then-manager Kenny McDowall led Rangers to yet another dismal,
insipid, dull and frankly awful draw at home to Queen of the South in his final
match in charge. Despite the regime change four days earlier, the glaring
inadequacies of the McCoist/McDowall alliance were once again Rangers’ undoing,
and yet more points were dropped.
At this point promotion was as
good as gone, the team was crumpling from one failure to another and morale was
on the floor.
We now turn our attention to this
afternoon’s clash, the big one against champions Hearts.

The Gorgie side have been head
and shoulders above everyone in the league, with only one defeat suffered all
season, and they are deserving champions. But Rangers went into this match buoyed
by new manager Stuart McCall’s fresh ideas and energy, with 2 wins in 4 and no
defeats. One of those wins was against Alan Stubbs’ Hibs, themselves having a
fine season, at Easter Road.
After 27 minutes, and Miller’s
opening goal, it became apparent this is simply a different Rangers to the
disaster McCoist led.
While McCall’s revolution took a
few matches to cough into life, Rangers have shed all the cobwebs of the
downright disgraceful McCoist era, and every player looks hungry, angry,
energised, spirited, and willing to dig in while playing some half-decent football
along the way.
Not even Lee McCulloch’s best
attempts to hijack the result was able to succeed, as the Rangers captain’s red
card may have changed the complexion, but while McCoist had a terrible plan A,
McCall has a smart one, coupled with a B, C, and D, and was able to adjust this
match to cope with losing a man.
On 37 minutes Slovenian
midfielder Haris Vuckic extended Rangers’ lead before his captain lost the plot
just before half time, but the difference with McCall is the fans’ willingness
to trust him. And here is that plan B.
His decision to sacrifice Vuckic
drew criticism from most, but it was absolutely the correct call. With Rangers
down to 10 men, they needed off-ball running and compression, and speedily at
that. Vuckic may be talented in attack, but he is not a hard worker nor is he
quick – as popular as he is, it was the right call as guys like Clark, Miller, Shiels
and Law are. And they made sure Hearts had little time on the ball despite the
man advantage.
Many also gasped at the sight of
Mohsni on as McCulloch’s direct replacement, but they need not have feared. We
saw the potential Mohsni, the one all-too-often missing, the colossus in the
air and the fearless on the deck Mohsni who soaks up everything and fights
endlessly. His concentration was 100% and he did his manager proud.
And yes, you may have noticed a
reference to Law as ‘hard working’. In this match he was absolutely titanic,
constantly channelling up the right as an outlet and doing fantastic work both
offensively and defensively. This is the Nicky Law Stuart McCall recognises,
and that Rangers fans have rarely seen.
If he keeps that kind of level
up, he will earn a place at Ibrox in the SPL next season.
The most painful part of all this
is the difference McCall would have made if appointed three years ago.
Stuart McCall even has Ian Black
looking like a hard grafting midfielder.
Simply put, the manager has made
all the difference. He knows how to make these players work, how to make them
tick. The previous ‘dross’ are now looking like the SPL quality most of them
actually are, and one wonders if McCall can even make a RB of Richard Foster.
Despite Hearts’ late goal from
Zeefuik, Rangers’ grit, determination, anger and will to win held on and we
finally saw the Rangers Way
we all expect.
If only McCall got here sooner.

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29 COMMENTS

    • Funny this comment about supporting the team & stop going on about the past, just curious are you one of the boycott brigade & a superally fan because if there is one thing about this blog it is the blogger is consistent in his support for our team, he attends all our games so he has the right to comment as he pleases so if you don't like what he has to say you could always just boycott this blog also

  1. This article is spot on.McCall has done wonders with this team in a short amount of time today's result and the way the team played was excellent.Are these the same players as McCoist had? As for Ally I am sure we can expect a lot more stories to come out about McCoist's chaotic management regime.

  2. If ma granny had baws she'd be ma granda….

    Nae point looking back…..onwards and upwards. Keep up the recent form and we can be in the premiership next term.

  3. It is good to see The Rangers play with guile and spirit. In the matter of a few short weeks McCall has got this team looking fitter and playing clever football for the first time in three seasons. Let the past stay in the past and we shall move forward with a management team who are football men and understand tactics and how to use them.We are not there yet as there is still hard games to overcome to get that second promotion spot, but we could well be on our way.

    • Fully agree with you Stevie, spot on. We'd still have to play Hibs twice plus Motherwell, Ross County or the Swizzle but playing like that – no problem for the people.

  4. It's pretty hard not too look back when you watch that game today just makes you think of what could have been if he was there much sooner. A mean the passing was brilliant compared to coisty. He must have had them just punting it in training all the time no tactics of any kind just hit high and hope something happened.they have to give him the job permanent now and some money. Were not stupid to think its gonna be millions but he'll replace the ones who go with better players and the ones who get to stay he'll get much much more out of them.

  5. McCall is being compared to the hapless performance of the dishonourable, parasite McCoist.
    Credit to him so far, but lets not get too carried away. Producing game plans and allocating responsibilities to players within that plan is a basic prerequisite of managing a football team.
    That basic preparation was omitted by the previous incumbent. Sounds like gross incompetence to me? Have Employment Lawyers been consulted regarding the continued payment of this individual? Keep us informed Mr Murray.

    • Your spotting of timmies is about as good as your eloquent posting.
      Not much development since your foundation English grade 7. Can I suggest you get a copy of Bunny Rabbit Learns Sentence Construction. Don't worry there are lots of pictures. Concentrate now! People post their views to illicit discussion of the issues surrounding their team. There are those that hold different views from yourself. That's life. If you cant debate with Rangers fans on a sensible level return to your comfort zone with your crayons – the shithouse wall.

    • It was meant to be sarcastic against 22:13 and 01:24 but when I look again I don't know who 01:24 was talking to. Certainly not meaning to support McCoist, far from it sorry my fault the confustion.

    • 11:59 – that should be "elicit" you primitive cretin. Elicit is a verb meaning to draw out. Illicit is an adjective meaning illegal like the way you never had any education. You are an impostor. I have never seen such a display of self assured arrogance coming from a position of total ignorance in my life.

  6. The sooner McCoist and McDowall are erased from our history the better. The biggest comedy double act seen at Rangers but no one is laughing. Lets now look forward and leave those clueless wasters to simply collect the wage that they are still taking for destroying the team

    • get behind the team,,,get behind the team,,, get behind the team,,,, What a contribution. Getting behind the team and commenting on various issues are not mutually exclusive,,,arsehole

    • McCoist is nothing but a patter merchant who robbed us of millions and continues to do so. He should be taken out of the hall of fame and everything he ever did expunged from the records.

    • The flyman pieman planned all this from the start. He knew he was rubbish and so did Walter but Walter supported his mate anyway even though it screwed us. McDowell – be fair – he has no case to answer. He is a simple soul who is a good coach but never had any pretensions to the job Llambias and Easdale forced him into.

  7. Now…that's more like MY Rangers……and thanks for this huge change of effort and graft this team has had since you became manager,Stuart Mcall…..hopefully our climb will continue.

    • well said,, get behind the team as this is what we have till we get the money in time to change things, watp

  8. How about some forward planning? Board give the job to Mcall now so he can start thinking about next season. Are we really going to get somebody better and if there are early struggles the knives will be out and back to square one.

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