Rangers blink first in battle for second
But is it really fair to lay the blame at the door of loyal skipper McCulloch?
IT’S now knocking on eight years since Lee McCulloch fulfilled his boyhood ambition by pulling on a light blue jersey for the first time at Ibrox against the unknown Montenegrins FK Zeta.
Over 300 appearances l ater, the veteran has attempted to treat those two imposters — triumph and disaster — just the same, yet nothing will have adequately prepared him for the volley of personal abuse that rained down from a sizeable number of his own supporters on Saturday.
Whilst there i s no obligation on football fans to assume the role of a clap-happy cheerleader after parting with their entrance money, there was something deeply unedifying about what happened in the latter stages of an otherwise thrilling contest with Falkirk.
McCulloch is guilty of nothing more than getting older. He turns 37 in May and it has long been evident that the labours of a fine career with club and country have caught up with him. Some players see the tell-tale signs and are able to bow out between campaigns. It was to McCulloch’s great misfortune that the old bones began to creak in the early weeks of this season.
Not even he would dispute that — but is the fact he is simply unable to arrest the passage of time sufficient grounds for the kind of abuse described by his manager, Stuart McCall, as ‘sickening’?
Football fans can be a fickle bunch. McCulloch’s debut season at Ibrox ended with a UEFA Cup Final, and he can also count three Premiership titles, two Scottish Cups and three League Cups as notable highlights of the journey traversed.
He also opted to stay with the club in the lower leagues post-insolvency — his experience often digging Rangers out of a hole against the lesser lights — when others chose to explore their employment options elsewhere.
Held up as an example of ‘a true Ranger’ when the thorny subject of Steven Naismith, Steven Whittaker and the likes was raised back then, many of those fans assumed the collective memory of a goldfish after their skipper erred to gift Falkirk their second goal at Ibrox on Saturday by failing to stop John Baird in his tracks.
Despite the counter-applause from other supporters that accompanied his every touch thereafter, McCulloch looked a deeply chastened figure.
Freedom of speech is a basic tenet of democracy, but in not confining their misgivings about the player, you wonder exactly what McCulloch’s detractors hoped to achieve.
With Marius Zaliukas now nursing an ankle injury and Bilel Mohsni hardly the most reliable at centre-half, McCall isn’t exactly blessed with defensive options ahead of Saturday’s win-or-bust trip to face Hearts at Tynecastle.
Given his clear disgust with the verbal torment his skipper endured, you would also fancy that McCall would sooner come out of retirement and play than bow to the boo-boys. If McCulloch is fit, he will most certainly feature.
McCall’s concerns about what transpired were not restricted to the impact it might have on his skipper. Part of McCulloch’s remit is to guide younger players through such tense affairs and, with their promotion hopes now on the line, the manager needs everyone pulling in the one direction.
‘It was disappointing but Jig has been great for Rangers,’ said teenage winger Tom Walsh after a two-goal deficit had been rescued. ‘We managed to turn it around. We got the goals and then the fans were back on our side.’
Told of McCall’s concerns as to how the abuse might affect the younger players, Walsh added: ‘All you can do is get on with your own game. You’ve got no choice, you have to go and play.
‘You can’t let it affect you. You have to play your game. You have to show no fear and get on with it.’
The McCulloch issue aside, there was plenty for McCall to contemplate after a draw that leaves them needing to defeat Hearts at Tynecastle, while hoping Hibs drop points at Falkirk in order to secure second place.
McCall’s side’s propensity to perform only in patches is a growing concern. Rangers started brightly, faded, then rallied to secure a point. Such a pattern won’t even nearly be good enough in the coming weeks if a Premiership place is to be secured.
Both Ryan Hardie and Zaliukas were thwarted by the excellent Jamie MacDonald in that opening spell, but then the malaise set in.
Falkirk grew in stature and deservedly hit the front three minutes short of the hour mark, when Baird turned in Craig Sibbald’s corner with a smart volley.
Four minutes later, Baird turned provider. Having been dragged wide, McCulloch ought to have sent a contested ball in the direction of Row Z, but his hesitation allowed Baird to nudge him out of the way, accelerate and tee-up Tom Taiwo for the second.
Another McCulloch error ended with Cammy Bell denying Taiwo again and it proved to be the lifeline the home side required.
Haris Vuckic halved the arrears with a flashing header from Nicky Law’s corner before the latter pinched a point with a calm finish through a ruck of legs with the last meaningful kick of the match.
For all the disappointment at surrendering second place, it may yet prove to be a pivotal result. Rangers still require a win against Hearts but Law’s goal means that Hibs also need a victory on the road, as opposed to a draw, to hang on to their current position.
But, even against a Hearts team who might well have one eye on the trophy presentation, Rangers are going to have to be much better if Hibs are to be asked the question.