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posted by RangersMedia @ 3:19 PM
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Mettlework
It is said that any kind of competitor learns far more about themselves in defeat than they do in victory. Be it in full-scale commercial sport like football and rugby, ‘lesser’ pursuits like darts and fencing, or even at the bottom end of the sports spectrum with a game of tiddlywinks, the theory is that by suffering a loss, a participant or team has to show character and a deep will to win in order to respond and bounce back in the following game/match they find themselves in.
Indeed, this situation is even more magnified when said individual(s) has enjoyed a long and sustained winning run in which victory has become regular and expected. To then crash to a reverse is to find themselves tasting that which they have bestowed on others several times. The question then is posed, and answers are expected.
Rangers found themselves in that exact scenario, having scaled to the top of the league following an impressive start to the season. Victory after victory in both league and European competition had led to an extremely confident support going into the match in Edinburgh against a Hearts side who had been ripped apart by a rampant Celtic weeks earlier. So to suffer a crushing loss to this side thoroughly dented Rangers, and lost them their top of the table position. Thereafter the question was posed as to whether they could take this on the chin, accept a very bad day at the office and respond in a way which suggested they still had the stuff of champions elect.
Cue Wednesday’s Champions League Group E opener against German champions VfB Stuttgart. Saturday’s defeat had been anything but ideal preparation going into this one, but after 45 minutes of an extraordinarily even contest against the side from the Bundesliga, it was clear Rangers had eradicated the loss from their system and had risen from the ashes to show serious guts and determination. 0-0 it stood at half time with the visitors not managing to pose too many questions of Rangers, while the Govan side had threatened more than once with at least one gilt-edge chance falling to Darcheville.
The second half went underway, and Ibrox was silenced when the away side snatched an opener. This was now the true test. Having lost to Hearts, Rangers found themselves 1-0 down at home during such an important game. Could they come back and show their mettle, or wither away and lose two in a row?
Two goals later, a victory in the bag, three points registered in their group answered that one. Rangers showed true grit on Wednesday, not only equalising via a quite delicious Adam goal resulting from the move of the night from Hutton, but taking the lead when the same man was upended crudely in the box for Darcheville to convert the resulting spot kick from. It finished that way, a seriously inspiring result, and a glorious outcome which the home side fully merited.
That was test #1. Test #2 was to come four days later at Ibrox once again, when Aberdeen came to town. With Celtic having dropped all three points at Easter Road thanks to a horrendous display from their normally fine stopper Boruc, Rangers had it in their own hands to take all three points and reclaim the top spot.
Half time followed a pretty dull first 45, in which Rangers played little more than adequately. The news from Easter Road had surely filtered through by this point, and the second half started explosively with McCulloch firing the Ibrox men into a brilliant lead thanks to a classic 35 yard scorcher. Naismith added a second with a stunning run and blistering finish from tight angle, before substitute Boyd rounded off proceedings with a header to make it a 3-0 victory, and a fairly easy one at that despite an indifferent first half.
Rangers had passed both tests with flying colours and answered all questions asked of them.
There have been four tests this season; Belgrade away: report card has a pass. Hearts at Tynecastle: report card has a fail. VfB home: report card has a pass with merit. Lastly Aberdeen: report card has a pass.
Three out of four is pretty good.
We shall see if this good work can be maintained.
Indeed, this situation is even more magnified when said individual(s) has enjoyed a long and sustained winning run in which victory has become regular and expected. To then crash to a reverse is to find themselves tasting that which they have bestowed on others several times. The question then is posed, and answers are expected.
Rangers found themselves in that exact scenario, having scaled to the top of the league following an impressive start to the season. Victory after victory in both league and European competition had led to an extremely confident support going into the match in Edinburgh against a Hearts side who had been ripped apart by a rampant Celtic weeks earlier. So to suffer a crushing loss to this side thoroughly dented Rangers, and lost them their top of the table position. Thereafter the question was posed as to whether they could take this on the chin, accept a very bad day at the office and respond in a way which suggested they still had the stuff of champions elect.
Cue Wednesday’s Champions League Group E opener against German champions VfB Stuttgart. Saturday’s defeat had been anything but ideal preparation going into this one, but after 45 minutes of an extraordinarily even contest against the side from the Bundesliga, it was clear Rangers had eradicated the loss from their system and had risen from the ashes to show serious guts and determination. 0-0 it stood at half time with the visitors not managing to pose too many questions of Rangers, while the Govan side had threatened more than once with at least one gilt-edge chance falling to Darcheville.
The second half went underway, and Ibrox was silenced when the away side snatched an opener. This was now the true test. Having lost to Hearts, Rangers found themselves 1-0 down at home during such an important game. Could they come back and show their mettle, or wither away and lose two in a row?
Two goals later, a victory in the bag, three points registered in their group answered that one. Rangers showed true grit on Wednesday, not only equalising via a quite delicious Adam goal resulting from the move of the night from Hutton, but taking the lead when the same man was upended crudely in the box for Darcheville to convert the resulting spot kick from. It finished that way, a seriously inspiring result, and a glorious outcome which the home side fully merited.
That was test #1. Test #2 was to come four days later at Ibrox once again, when Aberdeen came to town. With Celtic having dropped all three points at Easter Road thanks to a horrendous display from their normally fine stopper Boruc, Rangers had it in their own hands to take all three points and reclaim the top spot.
Half time followed a pretty dull first 45, in which Rangers played little more than adequately. The news from Easter Road had surely filtered through by this point, and the second half started explosively with McCulloch firing the Ibrox men into a brilliant lead thanks to a classic 35 yard scorcher. Naismith added a second with a stunning run and blistering finish from tight angle, before substitute Boyd rounded off proceedings with a header to make it a 3-0 victory, and a fairly easy one at that despite an indifferent first half.
Rangers had passed both tests with flying colours and answered all questions asked of them.
There have been four tests this season; Belgrade away: report card has a pass. Hearts at Tynecastle: report card has a fail. VfB home: report card has a pass with merit. Lastly Aberdeen: report card has a pass.
Three out of four is pretty good.
We shall see if this good work can be maintained.
posted by RangersMedia @ 6:56 PM
Monday, September 17, 2007
Back to the Drawing Board?
It had been a simply exceptional start by Rangers to the new season. Straight wins domestically resulting in a deserved return to the top of the table, with only 3 goals conceded in the process, and safe passage to the hallowed turf of the Champions League group stage were testament to the fruitful return to the football season for a Rangers team desperate to wrest the championship from the hands of Old Firm rivals Celtic.
However, one niggling doubt always remained – none of the perceived heavyweights of the SPL had yet been encountered like Hearts or Celtic; instead sides like St Mirren and Gretna had fallen at our hands.
So when on Saturday 15th September Rangers travelled to Tynecastle it was confidently approached by the fans who were pretty certain this Rangers side would overcome the Gorgie men despite them being one of the ‘better’ sides the SPL had to offer.
One major shock was announced prior to kick off, that being the ‘resting’ of Ferguson to the bench and Weir substituting as captain, while McCulloch was absent in favour of Beasley on the left. This all meant a debut for loan signing Faye from Charlton, a supposedly rugged and solid Senegalese central midfielder, and a chance for Thomson to show how he would cope without his regular partner in the centre.
This was, in short, Rangers first true test of season 2007/2008. Yes, Celtic had dispatched this side at Parkhead with embarrassing ease weeks before, but Rangers knew they would be hurting from that crushing and eager for revenge against an Old Firm team.
From the second the game started, it was clear Heart of Midlothian wanted to win this game more than the visitors. In Ferguson’s absence, there was absolutely no drive from the Ibrox men, who clocked up by far their worst display this season and allowed the Edinburgh men to pound them from the first whistle. Furthermore, not a single Rangers player shone, with only Cousin gaining possible pass marks during a quite appalling first half display in which two goals were shipped, one of which resulted from a comically naïve piece of play from an uncharacteristically dreadful Cuellar. The other was a tad fortunate by way of a deflection, but not undeserved.
Indeed, the final result of a 4-2 reverse was probably flattering to the Gers, who managed to get something like a foot in the door of the game via the introduction of Ferguson who single-handedly seemed to turn the game around for around 15-20 minutes including the winning of a penalty. When it went to 3-1 though thanks to a hopelessly crude penalty box foul from Hutton (also uncharacteristically below par) the game was surely up. A woeful piece of goalkeeping from the normally reliable McGregor led to the fourth, and while Beasley scored a fine second, it was nowhere near enough to save this game.
Rangers left Tynecastle with a severely bloodied nose, aided and abetted by their green and white rivals humiliating ICT at Parkhead. In short, this was Rangers first acid test of the new campaign, and sadly they failed it with bravado. This was not the display of a team who can win the league, and highlights the fact Smith still has work to do if his team are to commit a sustained challenge. It is great to beat the basement sides and clock up the points, but regrettably it seems to have created a false impression of how good Rangers are.
We wait with substantial caution to see how this team can respond over the coming weeks.
However, one niggling doubt always remained – none of the perceived heavyweights of the SPL had yet been encountered like Hearts or Celtic; instead sides like St Mirren and Gretna had fallen at our hands.
So when on Saturday 15th September Rangers travelled to Tynecastle it was confidently approached by the fans who were pretty certain this Rangers side would overcome the Gorgie men despite them being one of the ‘better’ sides the SPL had to offer.
One major shock was announced prior to kick off, that being the ‘resting’ of Ferguson to the bench and Weir substituting as captain, while McCulloch was absent in favour of Beasley on the left. This all meant a debut for loan signing Faye from Charlton, a supposedly rugged and solid Senegalese central midfielder, and a chance for Thomson to show how he would cope without his regular partner in the centre.
This was, in short, Rangers first true test of season 2007/2008. Yes, Celtic had dispatched this side at Parkhead with embarrassing ease weeks before, but Rangers knew they would be hurting from that crushing and eager for revenge against an Old Firm team.
From the second the game started, it was clear Heart of Midlothian wanted to win this game more than the visitors. In Ferguson’s absence, there was absolutely no drive from the Ibrox men, who clocked up by far their worst display this season and allowed the Edinburgh men to pound them from the first whistle. Furthermore, not a single Rangers player shone, with only Cousin gaining possible pass marks during a quite appalling first half display in which two goals were shipped, one of which resulted from a comically naïve piece of play from an uncharacteristically dreadful Cuellar. The other was a tad fortunate by way of a deflection, but not undeserved.
Indeed, the final result of a 4-2 reverse was probably flattering to the Gers, who managed to get something like a foot in the door of the game via the introduction of Ferguson who single-handedly seemed to turn the game around for around 15-20 minutes including the winning of a penalty. When it went to 3-1 though thanks to a hopelessly crude penalty box foul from Hutton (also uncharacteristically below par) the game was surely up. A woeful piece of goalkeeping from the normally reliable McGregor led to the fourth, and while Beasley scored a fine second, it was nowhere near enough to save this game.
Rangers left Tynecastle with a severely bloodied nose, aided and abetted by their green and white rivals humiliating ICT at Parkhead. In short, this was Rangers first acid test of the new campaign, and sadly they failed it with bravado. This was not the display of a team who can win the league, and highlights the fact Smith still has work to do if his team are to commit a sustained challenge. It is great to beat the basement sides and clock up the points, but regrettably it seems to have created a false impression of how good Rangers are.
We wait with substantial caution to see how this team can respond over the coming weeks.
posted by RangersMedia @ 11:09 AM
