Super Ally’s Cup Magic Dust supply has run out.
Rangers have so far played in three cup competitions this season and after five games – two of which at Ibrox and one against a lower-league Scottish side – have been knocked out of them all without winning a single game. In other circumstances this would constitute a crisis or at least a September stampede of wild critics.
As it is, the position in the SPL table will soothe many. Last night’s exit from the League Cup was the first cup defeat by a team from a lower division since an appalling night which punctuated the tenure of Paul Le Guen, as St. Johnstone pumped Rangers 2-0 at Ibrox in 2006. That’s not to say that over the last few years there haven’t been some dodgy moments – Thistle at home in the Scottish Cup, large parts of the QOS cup final to name but two – but it’s clear that we ran out of luck last night and got what we deserved.
The League Cup is still a trophy with some life in it.
Amid the usual hysteria and the general sense of anger and disappointment the wider conclusion to be drawn from the competition is that some complacent bigger teams rightly got their comeuppance with only three of the eight seeded sides progressing and both Aberdeen and Hearts being dismissed by lowly sides.
True, one would be hard-pushed to describe the once-proud Northern side’s result as a shock but both Ayr United and East Fife deserve their place alongside Falkirk in the next round and a little more credit should be given to these sides for the way they played and the commitment they displayed.
Results like these are healthy. It’s why we play the games and don’t simply simulate the competition.
Our squad isn’t as good as some have suggested.
After Sunday’s impressive second-half display some got a little ahead of themselves, with free talk of trebles and of the blessings of our squad being such that we had two players for every position. Whether last night’s limp showing was due to complacent attitudes is open to question but it is revealing to note the difference in tempo and attitude when Rangers went two down and the first-choice eleven was on the field. Most of us were, no doubt, a winning goal away from tweets, updates, posts and texts about ‘character’ as another lost cause was rescued but this time it was not to be.
A defence which is close to our first-choice has let in five goals in two games. However, it is worth nothing the number of different defensive permutations already this season – once that all settles down we may be in a better position to make accurate judgements.
Some would argue that Rangers have the two best club goalkeepers in Scottish football. It is unfortunate that both have made horrible gaffes in recent days and doubly so for Neil Alexander that his was in the end more important. Both will recover, both will continue to do well for club and country if required. But it’s an important lesson to learn: even the most dependable make mistakes.
New boy Bedoya may well have been the pick of a disappointing midfield quartet. Can we function without Davis at his best? Did we miss Mo Edu? Some won’t even want to go there, but in the continuing absence of Ness, McKay and others we’re not yet at the point where this part of the side is our strongest in depth and the biggest headache in selection terms for Ally McCoist.
The least said about our Ulster front-two the better. A lack of service, for sure, but one looked as if he was brought out of retirement and the other continued his schizophrenic start to the season: often brilliant, all too commonly exasperating.
Squad limitations will mean unpopular decisions.
If everyone in the squad is fit and available and in good form then this season will be unlike any for a generation or more. Gone are the days when Dundee United could win a championship with a squad which could barely fill out the numbers for a Rugby Union starting line-up.
And yet so much talk about our club is based on this idea. Perhaps this is due to the reluctance among many to see certain players continuing to be selected in the squad and maintaining a presence on the pitch. It’s true that – just as examples – the likes of Lee McCulloch and David Healy don’t look like players in their prime ready to make a huge impact but both have a role to play this season. That may terrify some – and lead others to ponder the wisdom in giving new deals to both men this past year – but such is the reality we face. Our squad isn’t generous of number.
Ally hasn’t been slow in giving a chance to some of our younger men. And the likes of Perry, Ness (when fit), McMillan and co. will likely feature from time to time. The frustration some may express when they are overlooked in favour of more experienced yet underperforming men is likely to be a common theme in the season ahead.
Ally McCoist won’t accept that level of performance.
His post-match comments were as critical as we are likely to see from Super Ally. Last night wasn’t a failure of tactics or managerial error – it was a failure on the part of highly-paid and motivated professionals to do a job, with too many of them unrecognisable from the impressive figures of Sunday. It’s not the first time one of the Glasgow sides has flopped after a derby fixture. And hopefully it won’t be the last (see midweek diary of other side).
This is turning into a financial disaster of a season.
No revenue from the Champions League, no revenue from the Europa League and now no gate-money or prize money from the League Cup. It all adds up. Expect a friendly or two in the coming months. Punters might be shared the overwhelming financial burden a regular season can bring but this is not good for the Club.
We have no excuses over fixture commitments.
With no European games to distract and no latter stages of the League Cup to negotiate we have, at the very least 32 more to play and at most, 36 more domestic games to come (assuming we reach the final of the Scottish Cup). Our only rivals for the Scottish championship have a minimum of 37 and a maximum of 44 assuming their European away form prevents their progress from the Europa League. That’s a good deal more fixtures and a fair amount of midweek commitments for our lesser Glaswegian neighbours. There can be no excuses this season if it isn’t Four-in-a-Row.
Even #Goianfacts are sometimes not enough.
Goian will today be disappointed. He wasn’t fussed at the 0-2 score-line, knowing as he did that a goal was on the way and that his mere presence would inspire another. Neil Alexander should beware the cold hard stare on the way today. But big Dorin should ensure his fact-book is up-to-date and avoid the temptation to miss a page or two.
The next four SPL fixtures, and the way they are staggered, present an opportunity to extend our lead at the top and to put pressure on our nearest rivals. It’s now the only show in town so we had better hope we continue our good run and that last night is quickly put behind us.