Is It Really Only Six Weeks? - Rangers Reviewed

Last updated : 15 September 2003 By Big Mac

5 league games played, 5 won and despite continued moans from various quarters about no striker we've scored 19 goals. We've played some sparkling football and despite nearly four goals a game we've squandered a barrowload of chances, especially in the two away games. We showed a bit of bottle to come back twice against the trainspotters, although to be fair we might have struggled if they'd scored the penalty, and once against the Sheep and that bodes well in my book.

I was also pleased the way we were able to raise our game against the Tangerine toss-pots after they had equalised with less than ten minutes to go, although if we hadn't squandered the aforementioned chances it would not have been needed. On the downside we've lost 5 goals, although the second against the Sheep should never have stood (Do not get me started on referees/linesmen/utter incompetents please), so am I worried ? Well surprisingly enough not in the slightest but I'll come back to that later along with a wee pop at all the doom and gloom merchants in the last mag (Little Boy Blue notably excepted) who had us in the UEFA Cup draw after the home game against Copenhagen. Firstly let me say that just about everything written about the game was correct, we stank and we stank big, however I was still surprised by the lack of confidence apparent in the support, not just through the mag but in general conversation in the pub.

It was therefore all the sweeter to be standing (sorry jumping about like Shota dancing on speed) in the Parken when the final whistle went and our passage to the CL was secured. Regular readers will know that to this correspondent away trips to Europe are the bees knees so to cap off the trip to wonderful wonderful Copenhagen with a well fought victory was as good as it gets people. It was particularly pleasing, since all our enemies had written us off, to shove it right up where the sun don't shine all the detractors of our club and those who couldn't wait for us to fail. To those of you who fell for their dire warnings of defeat or who for whatever reason thought we would go out I merely say enjoy all the more and try to be a little more confident next time eh ?

As always the trip was magic, meeting friends old and new as the beers flowed and the larynx's were exercised. The beer was not as expensive as we feared if you knew where to go, so a special word of thanks to Ronnie for looking after the troops in his adopted homeland. The John Bull and the Spunk Bar (I kid you not) were no more expensive and probably cheaper than many Glasgow City Centre watering holes. The game itself was a triumph for the Manager who scripted it well nigh perfectly, if Henning Berg (2nd best player) hadn't gone off he would have prevented their goal and Shota's wonderful last gasp strike would merely have been icing on the cake following Mikel's (best player on the park by a mile) clinical penalty.

The scenes at the end were brilliant and the players took well deserved plaudits from the support which was it's fair to say in a particularly buoyant mood. You could almost hear the groans from the great unwashed rumbling across the North Sea and you could see the unbridled joy (not) of the scum with typewriters now that they would have to change all the tawdry headlines they'd dreamt up to twist the knife.

By the time the euphoria was dying down the draw was being made and with bated breath as the draw was "watched" on the UEFA website the third pot team draw started. Groups D and F already looked like "groups of death" and A, B, C, E, G and H weren't far behind. However the feeling was give me one of C, E or G, games against the English are going to be British style and anyone can win them (look at them last year), so I was well chuffed when we drew the Mancunians to set up a true battle of Britain. As for the 4th team I was delighted to avoid Besiktas, Anderlecht and Real Sociedad and pretty pleased to miss Lokomotiv, Stuttgart means another welcome trip to Germany and we know about their abilities from the games against the east end underachievers last year.

The draw is as good as it could be for this bear and while we will be underdogs for qualification that suits me fine. The game away to the Greeks will be very difficult but they don't travel well so I'm glad the last game is at home to them it might just be a make or break affair. A good start at home against the Jerries will be vital with away goals by and large irrelevant we must go for the jugular. A good result away against them is probably needed if we are to ensure qualification.

So that brings me onto the games against Manchester Utd, what a mouth watering prospect that is and a chance for us to go to an English City and enjoy ourselves. I do have a couple of concerns round these games however, one is the opinion held by most Rangers fans that Man Utd love Celtic could mean all sorts of shall we say (undeserved ?) loathing usually reserved for our east end losers. While there has certainly been an association between Celtic and Man Utd it would never have degenerated into the mutual love in that went on with their fellow hub cap stealing Scouse opponents last year.

The vast majority of Man U fans were/are not the slightest bit impressed with Timmy's "folk tunes" in praise of an organisation who has bombed their home town (London ?). Also many Rangers fans from Ulster support Man U as their English team and although they have Republic players they have also had many high profile Ulster Protestants in their teams.

So while I am quite happy to boo, scream, shout and verbally get tore in so to speak one thing I would ask off all bluenoses is not to sing anything about Munich, we would not like it if they sang about the Ibrox disaster at all (and I don't for a second believe they will) so especially in Manchester and full of booze I would urge all true Rangers men to shout down anyone who tries to start it, they're opening their eyes to the scum that support the IRA don't let us close them again.

Man U have more in common with us, everyone in England hates them in the same way everyone here hates us so we should be building bridges with the best supported English team not burning them, That's my opinion anyway it's high time we stopped the absurdity of the Tims being welcomed everywhere down south while spouting their unique brand of bile and anti-Britishness while we are treated like lepers yet our songs are pro-British and anti IRA.

Having said that I hope we stuff them in both games and ram it right up Fergie on his return to Govan.

I have not yet mentioned the departure of Baz to Blackburn, suffice to say I am less than happy with the situation, others will I'm sure have much to say so I will limit my thoughts to a few key issues as I see them. I tend to agree with The Major in that much of his unrest has come from those around him particularly family. I will never forget the fact that he put his career on the line last season for us and while I agree the timing was crap that was forced on him by this transfer deadline stuff. Like others my opinion is he should have said he was off at the start of the season, not after the home game with Copenhagen but at the end of the day I still can't see what has changed so much since he signed his new contract no doubt it will all come out in the wash.

Better players than Baz have left Ibrox and we have survived, one thing I will say is that I hope he had a good look round the trophy room before he went cos he won't be seeing many of them in the next 4 years!

Anyway the future looks pretty bright to me, cast your mind back to when Eck arrived and ask yourself did you think we'd be here today ? So all you doom and gloom merchants wake up and join the programme we are the people and we need to be behind the team fully, it's just as well the doubts of the support didn't seep into the players heads who according to my sources remained confident of progressing to the CL proper.

As for the fact we've lost 5 goals and the reason I'm not worried, the first goal against the Sheep was down to Berg and his lack of fitness and awareness, something which the Copenhagen game proved should not be a regular occurrence. Khizanishvilli, who shall henceforth be known as Zura looks a real deal and the return of Ball has convinced me that when Oz is fit and Rickson starts to kick a ball this season we can be pretty tight at the back. Obviously the game against Stuttgart will be a bigger test than the training run against Dunfermline and I'm glad that with Moore's continued absence away goals won't count for anything.

In terms of the new signings, I've already made clear my views on Zura and Berg, Capucho looks to be a lazy so and so and will need to pull his socks up if he is to win over the legions, however his goal against Dunfermline showed promise, cracking goal started and finished by him after running 2/3 of the pitch to get on the end of Mols's pin point cross. Emerson looks like he could be a belter if he learns to pass to Rangers players more often. He did not lose the ball once against Dunfermline but was guilty of giving the ball away a few times. I think the partnership between him and Arteta, who continues to shine, might just be very significant this season.

A final word on Arteta, if he keeps playing like he has so far, especially in the CL, if he decides to pack his bags for sunny Spain in the summer, we can expect a lot more than £5 million for him.

Rule Britannia

BIG MAC