Danny Rohl’s Rangers have an unprecedented advantage going into this Sunday’s crucial old firm clash at Ibrox. For many, many years, there has been a particular condition. It’s been attached to old firm and indeed league matches and it applies to Rangers and not Celtic. The fact is that now Danny Rohl’s Rangers will have this significant advantage going into Sunday’s clash. It could indeed be the difference depending on how things play out. What are we talking about?
Rangers Thursdays
Quite simply, Rangers Thursdays. Yes, to be clear, for as long as we can remember, basically going back around about 2018 when Steven Gerrard first took over, Rangers Thursdays have been a thing. Every single Thursday, give or take for the past near decade, Rangers have always been in action in the Europa League. Always getting out of groups, always going more deeply into the KO stage of the Europa League. Of course, that is now significantly different this season.
Knocked out early
Rangers got knocked out at the league phase and did not go through to the KO. Naturally, it does look like Celtic will bomb out as well, having been gubbed already 4-1 in the first leg. But it is still a big trip on a Thursday, just like Rangers would normally do at this point in the season in seasons gone by. It would therefore carry a huge disadvantage for Rangers, who would have midweek football to deal with before then encountering Celtic at the weekend for the big old firm match.
The Shoe on the Other Foot
That, of course, is the shoe on the other foot this time. It is Celtic who have the big trip on Thursday. Danny Rohl’s Rangers do not. Then they have to travel to Ibrox on Sunday and get a result they desperately need. Going back a few years, this was particularly notable under Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Celtic’s Ange Postecoglou. In short, the Celtic manager had no Europe whatsoever to deal with. He was able to put all his time and energy into domestic affairs. Giovanni, of course, had to deal with Sevilla. All season, Rangers had Thursday’s Rangers. We went to the final. The league campaign suffered hugely as a result, even if some fans are very unfair on Gio’s lack of ability to compete in the league after around February.
Energy and Freshness
Nevertheless, that shoe is now on the other foot. Ange’s old lack of European football is now Rangers’ advantage for the current campaign. Of course, it is only going to last this one week, technically speaking. Celtic will surely go out of Europe after Thursday night, but the trip will nevertheless take out of them what it took out of Rangers back in the day when we were in Europe at this point in the season. It is a huge thing to have in our favour, quite simply, energy and freshness, and being at home.
A Huge Opportunity at Ibrox
Quite frankly, Danny Rohl’s Rangers have all the tools at their disposal to get a victory, a badly needed victory in this match, which could be a huge difference in the league campaign. As we say, with no midweek football, Rangers are fresh, and with a gigantic trip to Germany, Celtic will not be as fresh. Both sides, of course, are coming off the back of diabolical results at the weekend, so on that front confidence has taken a dent both ways around. But nevertheless, that advantage that Rangers have must be reinforced and exploited. Victory at Ibrox may well depend on it.