It’s been a fantastic couple of days for Rangers. The fans, the players and Steven Gerrard are all in buoyant mood. The navigation of four qualifying rounds in the Europa League was something quite remarkable. Even more so when you factor in where the club and team were 12 months ago, going out to Progres Niederkorn in the first round of qualification. To go to Russia and finish the game with nine men, and manage to qualify after so many incidents and decisions within the game had gone against the team was fantastic.
The team, in the short time it’s been together, has shown more desire, grit and determination than any Rangers side has over the past six years. To get the players to gel so quickly and buy into what Gerrard and his staff want to do and where they want to go is quite remarkable.
There are lots to look forward to over the coming weeks: we have the Europa League group stage – where Rangers are in a group containing Villarreal, Spartak Moscow, and Rapid Vienna. While it’s a tough group on paper, it shouldn’t be one that Gerrard and his men go into with any trepidation. They weren’t expected to reach this stage of the competition and should give it a right good go. If they can win their home games, well, you never know. It’s not inconceivable that they could book a place in the knockout rounds. But before, we get too far ahead of ourselves; it’s a nice feeling to see Rangers competing in Europe properly for the first time since Walter Smith was in the dugout. There has to be a ‘one game at a time’ attitude, be optimistic but have a hint of caution lingering in the background.
However, putting Europe to the backburner for the time being, there is the small matter of the first Old Firm game on Sunday afternoon at Parkhead. Of course, it will be Gerrard’s first taste of the fixture. And, being honest, it’s the most confident the Rangers fans have felt going into the fixture for a very long time. That confidence has gone up a few notches, especially after the turmoil at Parkhead in recent weeks and the sale of Moussa Dembele to Lyon. It’s safe to say I am glad to see the back of him, given he almost always scored in the fixture. Furthermore, it weakens Celtic’s attacking options from now until the January window opening.
I don’t think Rangers have had as good a chance to win at Parkhead over the past few years as they do on Sunday. The momentum is shifting – it feels like it’s gone full circle. And with this Rangers team still to lose a match in any competition this season, they are in a great place. Many pundits and commentators expected Rangers to put up a better challenge to Celtic over the course but felt Rodgers’ team would still prove too strong.
If Gerrard and his team of warriors – as he called them on Thursday – can manage to lay down a marker, and come away from the derby match with all three points, he would prove to everyone: the pundits, the commentators, the fans and himself that he can take this Rangers side on and reclaim the title. At the moment, it feels like this has a real possibility of actually happening. Sunday will be the acid test and throughout his career when the chips have been down Steven Gerrard has delivered. It’s now up to his players to show the same winning mentality and bottle he did as a player and come back from the east end of Glasgow with three points.
It would be hard to stop the Stevie G express train as it will only get faster and build up steam and set the tone for a serious title challenge. It would crown off the week perfectly as we head into the international break with lots to be positive about.
