On the field I have been brought up learning that 'The Rangers Way' was winning the majority of our games. Players wearing their hearts on their sleeves. Players like John Greig and Jim Baxter giving their all to play for the team they loved, risking ev erything just to win a game. These players where proud to pull on the Royal Blue of The Rangers, it was not just their job to do it but frankly it was their life and they dedicated everything to the Rangers cause on and off the field.
I was brought up knowing a Rangers who were not scared of any team which were put in front of them, whether it was Marseille, Inter Milan or Celtic. Rangers would take the game to these teams and not sit back and defend in a 4-1-4-1 formation. We where the team to beat, Ibrox was a fortress, teams were scared to come and face the mighty Rangers.
We would set the benchmark not Celtic. We were the team that people would be talking about. We were the world renowned Rangers Football Club.
Not only did we set the pace on the field but off the field journalists where scared to get on the wrong side of us. We were the established club. Whenever something unsavoury was written about us we would be there to back our club to the hilt. Rangers were like one big family, whenever one aspect of our club would come under scrutiny, we were all there to defend it. Since the start of our football club we were proud of our heritage. Struth never h id that he was proud to manage and support our club on the contrary he showed at every opportunity what it meant to be a Ranger. He knew how much it meant to supporters to see their team win. THIS IS 'THE RANGERS WAY'.
Compare this to the last few years. We have had a lacklustre squad. We have not been able to take a corner kick for two and a half years, a free-kick, a throw-in, our players do not have a first touch nor are they able to run with a ball at their feet. When we go away from home in the SPL we will be sure to play a 4-1-4-1 formation against the teams in the top six (Aberdeen, Hearts, Dundee Utd, Celtic to name but a few this season). We have players who blatantly are content to put in a mediocre performance and are delighted to pick up their wage packet at the end of the week. We have players who do not know what it means to play for Rangers. They do not know how much it means to us as a support to win the league. £100,000 cannot even seem to motivate them. About half (approx) of the current crop of players at Ibrox are - dare I say it - a disgrace to the Rangers shirt and name.
We have had some great captains in the past who would not even consider defeat an option. We have a captain now who only looks interested for around 10 minutes in a game. We have a captain now who seems to think training is all fun and games. We have a captain now who thinks he is bigger than the club. This is not Barry Ferguson's fault. On the contrary. This problem lies with two men. Sir David Murray and Walter Smith.
Walter Smith should know what we as a support expect from the Rangers team after all he has managed a successful team once before. He should know we do not settle for second best not now not ever.
Now let's look at our off the field situation. As I sit here writing this SSN are reporting that more Rangers supporters have been subject to dawn raids on their homes. After Manchester, Rangers should have released a statement regarding our supporters behaviour in Manchester. We as a support behaved incredibly well. A credit to our team and a great ambassador to not only the Scottish game but the British game. 50 people were arrested down in Manchester. That is 0.03% of the support we took down there. But did we hear anything from Rangers? No, Rangers were silent as usual. When has 'The Rangers Way' ever been to let the supporters hang out to dry? What happened to the club defending the support at every opportunity... this is not a one off. The Billy Boys ring any bells? Osasuna ring any bells? Villareal ring any bells? The press have ran over the top of us at every opportunity in the last few years, they are now more scared to get on the wrong side of Liewell and Dr Death. They are not even hiding their bias at times. But do Rangers say anything? So let me ask again; What really is 'The Rangers way'?
I am going to leave on this note. The phrase 'The Rangers Way' is one of the greatest dangers facing us all. We are scared to protest because it is not 'The Rangers way'. If you think it is not 'The Rangers Way' to protest against our club then frankly you are part of the problem. When will the sleeping giant that is Glasgow Rangers awake from its hibernation?
Can we really associate 'The Rangers Way' with the Rangers of today?
We Are The People
By rfcjonnya