Second, third or fourth – what is acceptable?

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Second, third or fourth – what is acceptable?

With Pedro Caixinha out of the building, thank God, Rangers now face a slightly uncertain future.

At present, we do not know who the new manager will be – while Aberdeen’s Derek McInnes remains hot favourite, he faces some competition from Alan Pardew, David Moyes, and outsiders like Tommy Wright and Alex McLeish.

However, we are putting our trust in the board to get the big appointment correct this time (albeit history teaches us chances of that are low) and we therefore wonder what exactly we should expect from the rest of the season.

The precedent we frequently use, and we make no apology for it, is 2007’s January and how Walter took Le Guen’s dismal Rangers regime, signed three players, and suddenly a ramshackle disaster was the best team in the country.

But Walter was special. A special manager and nearly impossible to emulate. Four years on, Man Utd still have not found a worthy replacement for Sir Alex although Jose is doing his hardest to try, and six years on from Sir Walter, Rangers have gone through Ally, Kenny, McCall, Warburton, Murty, Caixinha and technically Murty again.

None have come close, how could they?

But the board will hope they get the right man finally, and as such, do Rangers fans think this is a season worth saving, or is it a write off, ‘free pass’ or not?

Can a new manager get Rangers back to being something more worthy of the name? With January’s window upcoming, can the new manager at the very least take Rangers comfortably past Aberdeen into second and fight more credibly with Celtic?

We have to believe so.

We cannot appoint a new manager and expect third before he has even taken his place in the dugout. We equally cannot limit our expectations to a mere ‘fight’ for second, and fourth and third are surely unbearable?

No, for this season, if we have the right man in charge, surely we have to look for something more – we have to expect more, and visualise a comfortable lead over third place accruing by around April.

Is this a reasonable demand? We have spent a lot, and have in places a decent squad, and there comes a time when Rangers must be Rangers and stop flirting around with excuses for third and fourth place.

The free pass certainly still applies. We will not judge the new boss regardless of performance till around March, but for expectation in the grand scheme of things, surely a convincing second place by the title run in has to be delivered?

Or do fans really want to just write this season off regardless?

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11 COMMENTS

  1. Six points behind the leaders and looking at the fixtures for the next few games Rangers should be level on points with Celtic after these few games. A new confidence about us with more energy and tactical nous and we could be right there for a League winning run to the season finale. We are back and WE ARE RANGERS.

  2. With the money spent (wasted?) over summer and the total budget available, any half decent coach should be able to clinch second place this season – even starting from now. And they should also look at bringing the boys back who are currently on loan if the contracts allow – they must wonder why they've been shipped out when they look at the likes of Dalcio and Pena. Onwards and upwards!

  3. The way I see it is 2nd or 3rd does not change the plan that we have for moving forward which is a sustained run in Europe. The problem is on our budget 2nd is the minimum and 3rd is viewed as unacceptable and rightly so. We are not that far behind at this point in the season and any manager will be expected to secure 2nd, give celtic a proper game and at least get to a final assuming we don't get celtic in an earlier round. Anything less and the fans won't be happy. Finishing 3rd would obviously hit morale hard so to answer the question 2nd minimum. Watp

    • It's got to be the ambition though, we need that money or we're fuc4ed though I agree at this point we are not good enough we are better than we showed this year even an extra couple of games would bring in some decent funds. We need to aim for some sort of progression

  4. I think we will get a better answer as to where Rangers will finish in the league come Dec 13. By that date two games against the sheep + one against Hibs away will determine whether we are all having a happy xmas or not! Moving forward, realistically, its all about Scottish Cup glory and winning against the Thims in March with a worst case 3rd place again for entry into Europe. Anything else is a bonus.

  5. i agree,with you,Martin……we STILL need improved players and probably the most important signing ,a new manager. We need Alex McLeish back..

  6. Absolutely disgusted tonight…..King yet again let us believe that he had told Ashley it's our way or F all …..now we find out they've paid the fat bast@rd £3mill……do us all a favour now King and sell up to someone that "can and will" take us forward………lying gib

  7. Gents if our new manager doesn't get 2nd at least especially with a few additions and get something of the unwashed we have the appointment wrong again.
    I expect a massive improvement within a month and with better tactics & team spirit with the team being FULLY FIT we will all see that.
    Draw with the unwashed will start the N.Y. the way we want it to go on.
    As for the board getting it Wright there fuking spineless as I've said a few times, they will leave this one to Mr Allan, thank the Lord he's on the case he knows his shit, but the board will take the credit for his appointment.

    This is the next stage of us getting back to where we should be, Prey to God it's the last!!

  8. 2nd must never be acceptable for Rangers. These are the huge standards we set for ourselves at this football club and they have slipped under previous regimes.

    Until it is mathematically impossible to win the league we must always push for 1st.

    This season should be no different. But I wouldn't sack the manager for finishing 2nd this season as long as there is clear improvement.

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