It’s time to fix the BIGGER problem than Rangers’ SPL away record…

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It’s time to fix the BIGGER problem than Rangers’ SPL away record…


Ok, we’re taking it on. We’ve been avoiding this topic since Sunday, and with good reason – we’ve been grumpy enough without discussing it too, but it’s been doing the rounds enough that we can’t stick our heads in the sand any longer – this ‘away record’ business.

The hard, cold, brutal truth, is that for all the optimism and all the ‘we have better players now’ soundbites we’ve been making ourselves feel better with, this is Rangers’ worst away record over the first four travelled fixtures since 1989.

We remember it well. A home loss to St Mirren, an away loss to Hibs, a decent draw at the old Parkhead, before we finally got a win at Ibrox then proceeded to manage another draw and loss on our travels before revenge on the Buddies in late October at the old Love Street.

However, that Rangers team went onto win 2IAR and had luminaries like Ally, Mojo, Steven, Stevens, and Wilkins in the team so the current crop are in good company.

However, again, there is something some Rangers fans have failed to spot in among all this over the current vintage, and that is an even more worrying stat:

Rangers have only won two matches in any stadium this season other than Ibrox. The brilliant win in Croatia, and the Betfred cup win at Killie. In 10 away matches, including individual UEL qualifier legs, just the two wins.

For all that we have been inspired and calling Stevie the new Uncle Walter, for all the apparent greatness of what we thought we were watching, the results are the true currency of football, and this is the worst Rangers start to a new season in 30 years. Sure, the home league results have been better, but two of them were against the worst teams in the SPL – Dundee and St Mirren, and one cup result was against an Ayr side we painfully overrated.

10 away matches, two wins. On no level is that good enough for Rangers.

Suddenly the next two matches take on colossal significance. Stevie has a massive chance to turn this round – get a win v Vienna and Hearts and so much of the bad stuff can be dismissed as ‘growing pains’.

But the pressure is definitely starting. No one expected a rookie manager to win his first 20 odd matches – no one expected us to be first place in the SPL – but despite how good it appears to look on paper, and the overhaul we seem to have done, the proof is what the results deliver.

And we’re actually worse now than we’ve been for a long time. Let’s fix this.

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7 COMMENTS

  1. I still think the emphasis and selections are based more on Europe than on Domestic Football. The rotation definetely is. Whether this is a directive from the board or not cash talks. PRIZE income and TV income from Europe dwarfs that of Scottish competitions. I am probably wrong but I have been watching back the euro ties. The energy is there …in every match. The teams are stronger by way of selection. We got it wrong at Livi and didn't play our way at Celtic. LMotherwell was unlucky. In all these games our squad wasnt in my mind at full strength. I just wonder if the team are too focussed on Europe which lets be honest is not winnable but does supply loads of revenue. What you guys think?

    • I think that would be a very short sighted mentality, as you say no chance of winning it (Europa cup) so we need a strong league finish to at least reach the qualifications next season.
      I have no doubts European games have played a part in the team selections, but i think our management team have underestimated the teams we play away from home more than anything else.
      Before Livi SG warned the players of complacency, but yet made 8 changes to the team, for Motherwell changed the formation from a winning one, i also think our players had it in their minds at Livi that they could potentially be facing a season long injury on the plastic pitch after what happened to Murphy.

    • bang on! we need a settled squad, that's where consistency comes from. i accept that uv got to take EL, injuries and suspensins into consideration but feel the constant tinkering did'nt help last season. worral for katic? not for me. even disco fc generally have the same core and have done since delila left.

  2. The worst thing about all this for me is not taking advantage of celtics shaky start, 2 late goals v the sheep and motherwell as well as sundays game, one we would ave expected to win we could have potentially been 7 in front.

    • Rangers weren't 'expected to win' against Livingston, that's the point. You can't just add on 7 points because you want them. Even with those extra points hearts would still be top.

      So, 7 in front? 1 behind hearts and 4 ahead of Celtic.

    • I expect rangers to win every game but u have to earn it. And yes we should be expected to beat a newly promoted side with the right application given the budgets and squads.

  3. Out of those 10 games,
    We should have won at least half of them.

    Aberdeen – Shud have Won
    Motherwell – Draw was a Fair Result

    Shkupi/Osijek – Shud have Won
    Livingston – Shud have Won

    And SG needs to stop with this team/formation rotation 👊

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