This triple-header has rather snuck up on us without much warning. In reality, the next 270 minutes define Rangers’ season.
After a rather underwhelming week of a difficult draw in Poland immediately followed by a fan ban from Uefa, the onus and importance now on bouncing back over the next three matches basically reflects Rangers’ upcoming season.
Today we visit St Mirren, against a side in relatively steady form with a win and a loss from their treacherously difficult opening matches v Hibs and Aberdeen, who sit midtable in 8th based on yesterday’s results, and who will be anything but a walkover.
This team got three points against Aberdeen, and despite Derek McInnes’ side’s horrible form, that’s still one hell of a result.
So it’s far from a foregone conclusion.
Next up it’s Legia on Thursday, a match tinged with the bitterness of both the Uefa ban and the unsatisfactory outcome of the first leg, and which has big pressure on it.
Then the triple-header ends with the colossal opening Old Firm match of the season on the 1st. Celtic teetering a tad, Rangers off the back of not the best week ourselves and with just one week to go, these seven days basically define Rangers’ campaign.
A win today and we’re off to a flier, any result which gets the side to the group stage on Thursday is outstanding, and then the Celtic clash at Ibrox being a home win would be the week from heaven Rangers fans seek.
But while the result and performance in Poland weren’t spectacular, it was the first time in weeks Steven Gerrard’s Rangers hasn’t seemed entirely smooth-oiled after such a rampant start to the season. A touch of vulnerability has just crept in thanks to that draw then the nonsense with Uefa – the best way to steady that ship is a soaring win today.
But it’s the next week of football which really matters. Find ourselves on deadline day with three wins out of three, or, at least, three good outcomes out of three, and Rangers have really proven themselves.
With hopes around Rangers right now higher than usual that even a respectable draw in Poland is a slightly disappointing result, expectation over this next week is huge.
This could be where 55 begins.
Nonsense from Uefa? Only ourselves to blame, the quicker fans cut out the ridiculous songs the better
From a footballing point of view I'm delighted with the start we've made. Any presuure from this start is positive pressure and i'll take it all day. From a non football perspective i'm also delighted at the response of my fellow bears who overwhelmingly are against bigotry at the club. Almost every single post i've read in the many Rangers sites I view wants the fans to sing songs which encourage the club and our players. I am sick fed up with listening to the dirge that is Build My Gallows being belted out at away games. How in the name of God does this motivate our team? Starting from today I hope that every time one of these songs is started the vast majority of our fans starts up a Rangers chant until the message is heard.
I've supported Rangers since 1960 and remember, after Brazil won the world cup in 62, their fans chanting "Brazil cha cha cha". Soon after at Ibrox some of our "fans" started singing "Rangers ftp", so this is a problem we've had for far longer than some would have us believe.
We've so much to be positive about these days – a great young manager and a team who, at long last, look capable of challenging domestically and in Europe. Let's all continue to enjoy the positivity.
far too long to go in the season to judge it on the nxt 3 games, but its importantgames. These might remove the fans anxiety regarding how much we've improved, can we do it this year or is it another false dawn etc etc? No way beating celtic will see them collapse but it'll certainly give their fans a fright. St Mirren will roll over today if we get an early goal. I think the result in Poland was a learning curve for this team. Young players were nervous going into that game and have now realised they're as good if not better than Legia and itll wake them up to the reality of their position in world football and give them that shot in the arm. Garrard is still trying to teach them about their own belief imo.
Yep. Big week. We have two squads. Most important is Warsaw. Results in other games can be retrieved. But St Mirren should be beaten regardless of team. Two wins would see us on a high , finance secured for season. Celtic would not be looking forward to visit. And they are travelling this week to Europe. Could be a great week.
We live in hope as for the songs we have enough Good songs without the fear and Fenian blood lots of Protestant supporters of rangers are married to Catholics and we have lots of players now so time for change show that we are the people not like the morons that support Celtic and jump on any political thing like IRA and PLO Terrorist organisations who have killed innocents for years WATP
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