unmitigated disaster or we manage to grab some crumbs
of comfort from a gallant salvage operation, it will
all be decided over the next two weeks and we could
get some inkling on how it might pan out at Easter
Road this weekend.
This is the first of five major matches which will
make or marr (if it can be marred any more!) our
season. Two weeks from now we could have our place in
the Champions League qualifiers in the bag, with the
added bonus of forcing Timothy to put his mickey-mouse
league celebrations on hold, whilst also having the
not insignificant matter of the UEFA Cup
quarter-finals to look forward to. On the other
hand - feck it, lets not go there.
Alive and kicking at the sharp end of both cup
competitions, Hibs could be forgiven if they take
their eye off the ball in the SPL. But while the may
be inclined to slip up against Motherwell, Killie or
Caley Thistle, we all know they will be up for it
against the Rangers, especially in their ain midden.
We have to be equally committed and, knowing what is
at stake, that should not pose a problem. We ripped
them apart at our place in November and must look for
the same high level of performance on Sunday.
No doubt Kevin Thomson will get a hard time from the
Trainspotters. I'll bet Ian Murray is glad somebody
has taken the heat off him. And it will be very
interesting to check out how the home crowd react to
Scott Brown. I'd like to think his move to Ibrox is
already a done deal but, knowing his agent as the
slimey specimen he is, I won't rest easy until I see
the player in a blue jersey. Nor will I expect any
favours from him in this one.
While Hibs are paying his wages, they are entitled to
expect 100% commitment from him and it shouldn't be
any other way. Anything less and I'd question the
wisdom of signing him in the first place. For now, he
is an opponent, a very dangerous opponent, and anybody
who doubts this - whether a conspiracy seeking Hibby
or a wishful thinking Bear - should remind themselves
that he has a great chance to pick up two winners'
medals this season. If he starts to fanny around,
whether this weekend or a few weeks further down the
road, would anyone seriously expect John Collins to
keep him in the team?
So our midfield will have to be on their toes and, as
always, Adrian Sproule will pose a threat on the
flanks. I'm afraid I'm not one of those who would go
out of his way to lure him to Ibrox. Sure, he comes
from the right side of the tracks, has caused us
problems from time to time and would undoubtedly put
body and soul into his performances. But do we really
want to go back to the days when we signed everyone
who played well against us? Remember Alex Ferguson?
Unfortunately, I'm long enough in the tooth to recall
Fergie in a blue jersey and, take my word for it, it
is not a pleasant memory.
Walter Smith has got a major job on his hands as he
tries to get the Gers back on the straight and narrow
path. Things are a bit tighter at the back but, for
all the euphoria of our win over Hapoel, the
sloppiness of the first leg and the uninspired effort
against Falkirk underlined the magnitude of the task
facing the new management team. For what its worth,
I'd rate the victory over Hibs at Ibrox as the best
overall performance of the PLG era so, if nothing
else, the players should go into this match in a
positive frame of mind.
This is a real test for our team but, in view of the
fixture list we face over the next two weeks, it is
something they'll have to get used to. After all,
isn't being up there to be shot at what playing for
Rangers is all about? If they can't cope with the
hostility of Leith, what hope will the new-look team
have at the cesspit of the San Giro or
amidst the passion of Pamplona and, hopefully, other
European venues as the rest of the season unfolds.
As he seeks to stir his troops in the dressing room on
Sunday, Walter will no doubt reflect on the absence of
inspirational figures like Gough, Brown and McCall
from his team. They are the guys who set the
standards which have proved beyond the capabilites of
so many of their successors but, if the current
generation of Rangers players have genuine ambitions
of making it big at our great club, now is the time to
rise to the challenge.
For quite some time now we have simply not been good
enough. Walter Smith and Ally McCoist will be aware
of this and their man-management skills and
motivational qualities will be tested just as much as
the players' abilities. Each and every one of them
must look in the mirror and ask himself: How badly do
I want it?
And at just before two o'clock on Sunday they must
look around them and ask the same question of those
who share the dressing-room.
C'mon guys, don't let us down.
LITTLE BOY BLUE