BLUES ON THE MOVE
Top-flight is in touching distance — at long last
DAVID Weir never leapt so high during his many days playing in defence for Rangers as he did when Harry Forrester’s shot ended up in the Copland Road goal.
St Mirren had held out for almost every one of the 90 minutes but, not for the first time this season, Rangers had that bit of extra quality to find a way of winning a game which they dominated but were far from brilliant in.
Weir could feel confident then, as could everyone else inside Ibrox, that his club were going up. At last. The former captain would have been told Hibernian were losing and that even a draw would possibly mean it was all but over.
The fine strike from substitute Forrester meant possible became probable. Alan Stubbs has some talented players in his dressing room but they more or less have to win their last 10 games in the league.
So congratulations to Mark Warburton, Weir and their players. It has not been pretty at times but Rangers are, bar the shouting, in the Ladbrokes Premiership after four long years. The job is nearly done and, to be honest, that is all that really matters.
But with apologies to the leaping assistant-manager Weir, Warburton, the players and supporters who will know that with an 11-point gap — plus the goal-difference — Hibs surely will not catch their team, it is time to bring them down to earth.
Given their resources, Rangers should be winning the Championship no matter what. But that does not mean the manager and squad are undeserving of praise. Warburton and Weir were brought in to do one job — and the job is almost done.
It started well, there was a stumble or two, which was always going to happen, and Saturday’s win over St Mirren was typical in many ways — plenty of possession, missed chances, pedestrian play at times and yet a bit of skill wins the match.
That is OK i n the second tier of Scottish football. But while the Ladbrokes Scottish Premiership is not La Liga, the standard is a lot better than the Championship and the current Rangers team would probably be good enough to finish in the top six.
Rangers’ fans want their team to challenge for the league right away. That is not going to happen. For all Celtic’s faults, and let us throw Aberdeen into this as well along with Hearts, they will not be overly worried by this Rangers team — plus a couple of guys from Accrington Stanley.
So we all sit back and wait to see what Dave K ing does next. You do not need to spend a fortune to be just OK i n the Premiership. The club’s owner has a history of contradiction and has promised all sorts in the past. The war chest, a phrase that should be banned, never existed, but that does not mean Warburton should not expect some help.
Rangers need at least one striker, a defensive-minded midfielder and a centre-half for starters.
Of the players who were involved on Saturday, those who could easily cut it next season include James Tavernier, Lee Wallace, Andy Halliday, Jason Holt and Michael O’Halloran, excellent against St Mirren, and K enny Miller, although he had one of his poorer days at the weekend.
You have to love the old fella for his attitude and what he has done in his career but Miller missed from a few yards out and he has always been capable of that. Still, he has been great for Rangers and will be handy to have around.
AS for the rest, many of them are yet to be tested at a higher level. The injured Martyn Waghorn will coast it, but the fear of many supporters, even if they will not admit it, is that their team are a bit green, of all things, and could do with some experience.
More like O’Halloran, a fine player who was head and shoul-
ders above everyone else on Saturday, is required. The former St John stone man made several good runs from his position on the wing and could go onto be a major star at Ibrox.
Rangers would have won more comfortably if St Mirr en goal keeper Jamie Lang field had not made many superb save sin the se con d half.
He has been around the block a few times and believes that this Rangers side are more than good enough to cope with the Premier ship. Challenging at the top, however, is another matter.
The former Aberdeen man said :“Sometimes it is different when you go up a level to the Premier ship and play against Aberdeen, Dundee and St John stone who area lot more compact—a bit like ourselves on Saturday, but perhaps with a bit more quality than we offer because we are in the Championship.
“They area great team to watch, but they might need a couple more players in the summ er. Iamsu re Mark War burton and his staff will be looking to do that.
“Ido not think there is much difference between the Cham - pion ship and the Premier ship.
“Maybe the top of the league is a bit different but I think the bottom six and the Championship are on a par. It is different if you are Aberdeen, Hearts, Celtic et c—that is going to be a tough game .” That is about right. John Brown, as big a Rangers legend and supporter as you will find, said a few weeks ago that his old club might have to take a few sore ones before getting to where they want to— and he was onto something.
But wit habit of clever investment—and this does not mean millions—there will not be too many sore ones.
War burton has done his job. It is time for King and there st to do theirs.