Believe in Big marv’s maxim
Nacho knows NothiNg is impossible having been part of helicopter Sunday
IT was the mantra that ensured Rangers refused to give in even when the odds seemed stacked against them back in 2005.
And Nacho Novo reckons Marvin Andrews’ “Keep Believing” maxim can inspire today’s Ibrox team to a similar turnaround.
It was devout Christian Andrews who coined a phrase that has gone down in Ibrox folklore as he refused to bow to the mood of pessimism growing around Alex McLeish’s team.
Defeat in the final Old Firm clash of that season left Gers five points behind Celtic with four games to play. But amid the darkness there was one man who could see the light. Andrews, a man of faith who famously defied doctors orders to go under the knife after rupturing knee ligaments because of his conviction that God would give him the strength to play on, urged his team-mates and the Ibrox support to cling to hope. That hope manifested itself in stunning fashion on Helicopter Sunday as news of Celtic’s sudden collapse at Fir Park came like a godsend for a Rangers outfit who had been praying for a miracle at Easter Road. Philippe Clement’s modern-day Gers line-up could do with a similar intervention from the Almighty this lunchtime as they travel to Parkhead looking to turn around their own three-point deficit heading into the final two games of the season.
But borrowing from his old team-mate, Novo has urged James Tavernier and Co to trust the power of positive thinking.
He told Record Sport: “It was Big Marv who told us to keep believing. To be fair, everyone thought he was crazy!
“But he made a good point. The league wasn’t finished and we were going into the last game with a chance. “And anything can happen in football.
“Big Marv is such a positive guy. I really admire Marvin because he’s the only person I know who no matter what is happening, he’s always got a smile on his face. He’s a big happy chappy.
“That had an effect on our team. It made everyone realise how things are. I’ve never met anyone like him. He’s got his beliefs, his faith, and because of that he turned to us all and said, ‘We still have a chance’.
“I remember Alex McLeish telling us before the game, ‘Forget about Celtic’s game at Motherwell, concentrate on yourselves and winning here at Easter Road. I guarantee you something will happen’.”
That something proved to be a late Scott McDonald double, which ripped the SPL crown from Celtic’s grasp and thrust it into the hands of McLeish’s men.
At the other end of the M8, it was Novo who ensured Rangers held up their end of the bargain as he netted the winner in Leith.
“To be honest, we weren’t thinking about what was going on in the other game,” he said, looking back.
“We were just trying to win our own match. “The best feeling I’ve ever had, however, came when we heard that Motherwell had scored. It was incredible.
“I looked over and Big Eck was nearly having a heart attack because Alex Rae was celebrating while the game was still going on. “We all felt like that, the emotions on the pitch were just amazing.
“But Alex was going nuts because the game hadn’t finished yet. At one point big Marvin was running with the ball. We were seconds away from winning the league but Marv was taking chances.
“I can remember Eck screaming at him, ‘Marv, pass the ball! You’re not f ***** g Beckenbauer!’
“That was so funny. But what a day.”
it had an effect on our team and made us realise how things are NACHO NOVO ON THE POWER OF BIG MARV