December 27th 2014,
Rangers’ final match of last calendar year, and it was Kenny McDowall’s debut
as manager.
Rangers visited Easter Road, and
were taught a football lesson by Scott Allan and co as the home side destroyed
the visitors 4-0. Rangers were ‘blessed’ with the likes of Ian Black and Kyle
Hutton in midfield, alongside an underperforming Nicky Law.
Looking at the difference today,
with new manager Mark Warburton’s latest signing Gedion Zelalem confirmed for
the centre of the park, is almost unbelievable.
To go from non-football barely 8
months ago, dirge which would be scoffed at by pub teams, to the most dynamic,
progressive, mobile and forward-thinking engine room in recent memory at Ibrox
is change on a near-industrial scale.
There is absolutely no
exaggeration to say that Rangers fans are finally believing and seeing that
their once-embarrassing and shambolic side have not just turned the corner, but
have completed a total u-turn in the middle of a clogged motorway.
Look at the midfield 8 months
ago: Ian Black, Kyle Hutton, Nicky Law, Robbie Crawford. Andy Murdoch,
promising young player that he definitely is, was made to look like Claude
Makelele by this bunch. He was not ready, and it is why Mark Warburton has
restored him to the unders for further development, with a view to loaning him
out in due course.
Now: Gedion Zelalem, Jason Holt,
Andy Halliday, a rejuvenated Nicky Law, Dean Shiels, and the potential of
Chelsea’s John Swift to join them.
To call this night and day is the
understatement of the year. More like winter and summer.
One cannot praise Mark Warburton
enough for the astounding job he is doing with a very modest budget, nor the
board for managing to acquire him.
To persuade someone with the
stock of Warburton to give up the riches of the English Championship to take
over the absolute mess at Ibrox took some doing, and whoever the committee who
negotiated with Warbs’ on behalf of Rangers are, well done, and praise to King,
Murray, Gilligan et al for trusting that committees’ judgement – or even being
part of said committee who got the job done.
It is no understatement to say
Rangers are now comfortably one of the top 6 teams in Scotland and
will only get better in time.
We have our Rangers back, and if
this is how well Warburton can do with a threadbare budget in the Championship,
one can only wonder what he will achieve with a significant budget upgrade next
season if promotion is, as should be the case, confirmed.