TALKING RANGERS
IT is said that a week is a long time in football. The last 12 months will feel like a lifetime ago for Rangers.
The man on the touchline has changed, while the new faces have failed to deliver and the familiar ones have struggled to live up to that glory day at Hampden. The prize at stake is still the same, though, as the Light Blues prepare for another derby duel.
There was hope but little expectation ahead of the Scottish Cup semi-final with Celtic last April but the odds and their Old Firm rivals were overcome.
It was the victory that could have been the springboard to success for Rangers. Instead, it has been an opportunity missed. Time may have passed, but progress hasn’t been made.
The Light Blues are no closer to overhauling Celtic than they were this time last year and former boss Stuart McCall knows there can’t be another false dawn at Ibrox now that Pedro Caixinha is at the helm.
“Everyone thought last season when we beat Celtic in the semi-final that it was a foothold and they could build on it,” he told
“But they haven’t really built as strongly as they would have hoped and some of the players that have come in haven’t produced as the club would have hoped.
“It is about getting good players in but they also need the right mentality and sometimes you don’t know that until they are in the building.
“You can do all the homework you want, but everyone who works at Rangers, be it management, coach or player, have got to be aware that second is really nothing.
“It certainly won’t be in the next couple of years. You have got to be able to take that pressure.
“It is just not acceptable. This season there is a slight bit of tolerance, but I don’t think there will next year. Everyone will be expecting a lot stronger challenge.”
There is no reason why Rangers can’t emerge victorious at Hampden this weekend but the outcome of 90 minutes of action doesn’t alter the challenge that faces Caixinha. The 33-point gap in the Premiership tells its own story.
The Portuguese will be given money to spend in the summer as he attempts to bolster his Gers ranks ahead of a return to European action and second crack at the Premiership.
Supporters aren’t expecting to see a string of multi-million pound talents paraded at Ibrox but McCall knows Caixinha must shop smart as he strives for improvement this summer. He said: “Celtic have been so strong. Brendan Rodgers didn’t bring that many players in, although they were the two key ones in (Scott) Sinclair and (Moussa) Dembele.
“He has got the best out of them and given the club a huge boost and Rangers will be hoping that Pedro can do the same.
“It is not about Rangers spending money that they have not got, because we don’t want to go back to those days. But the team and the club does need investment. It is not always about money, but if you want to be serious about stopping Celtic rolling on to title after title, there has to be fresh investment in the club.
Recruitment is key and when you haven’t got millions you have to ensure you get it right. For a manager the two most imporant things are recruitment and man-management
HE ADDED: “That is not saying go and spend money that we haven’t got. If you want the better players, you have got to pay for them.
“Recruitment is key and when you haven’t got millions and millions it is huge because you have to get it right. For a manager, the two most important things are recruitment and man management.
“Once you have got your