THE ROAD TO REDEMPTION
Season-defining days now loom large for McCall and Rangers
FOR RANGERS, a season that has encompassed three managers, on- f i eld disappointments by the bucketload and countless off-field conflicts, it now boils down to this: 27 days they hope will contain six games, with only one objective.
Exiting the Tynecastle title party on Saturday afternoon, Stuart McCall and his players could hear celebrations they aim to replicate on May 31.
Making that a reality will require many attributes, not least a level of consistency so often elusive in the regular Championship season.
Even in this final outing, there was evidence of the Ibrox side’s dual nature. For 82 minutes, they were compact, composed in their defending and showed enough threat to forge a two-goal lead.
Come full-time, however, that advantage had been wiped out by the hulking Genero Zeefuik. While the comeback spoke volumes of just why Hearts are champions, it also whispered about the lingering fragility in their opponents.
Hibernian’s victory at Falkirk meant it didn’t matter in terms of league placings. Rangers would have finished third regardless. But 540 minutes of football — not counting the possibility of extra time and penalties — will have to be negotiated to attain promotion via the play-offs. McCall knows his players must remain switched on for every one of them.
These might well be the defining weeks for the 50-yearold’s ambition of remaining in charge to l ead the wider rebuilding j ob at I brox. McCall (right) has suffered only one defeat in an 11-game tenure to date. But it just so happens that it was against the team whom Rangers will begin their playoff push on Saturday evening.
Last month’s 3-0 defeat to Queen of the South at Palmerston was a bruising affair. While McCall is adamant there will be no fear- factor, you get the sense t hat confidence would bloom were t hey t o emerge unscathed.
A pressurised situation sounds like a scenario for experienced heads, but many of those have woefully underperformed at Ibrox this season.
It might just be that the fearless attitude of youth proves every bit as valuable. And in 20-year- old midfielder Andy Murdoch, Rangers have a player who has comfortably outperformed many of his elder colleagues since his elevation to the first team.
Murdoch impressed once again on Saturday, relentlessly closing space to make challenges while remaining calm in his distribution.
‘He really has been top drawer,’ said McCall. ‘It is not easy to play for this club when things are going well, and it is even harder when everything is a battle, but he has handled everything brilliantly.
‘His performances have been mature beyond his years. He was up against two very experienced midfield players. Miguel Pallardo has played for Valencia in La Liga. He is a really good player and Morgaro Gomis won the Hearts Player of the Year award.
‘Andy shone against two excellent midfielders and, for me, I love not only his enthusiasm for the game, but also his ability and his quality. He is getting better, too. I have been so pleased with him.’
Murdoch looks assured of a key role against Queens and doesn’t view finishing third as a significant disadvantage to Rangers.
‘ I don’t think it matters,’ he argued. ‘If we can win the two games coming up, then we’ll have plenty of momentum.
‘Queen of the South are a good counter-attacking team and we’ve had difficult games against them. We need to take our first- half performance here, which was really good, and apply t hat next Saturday. ‘ It will be difficult but, hopefully, we can get a good result at Palmerston and push on. There is no issue with the surface there, it’s a decent astroturf pitch. We’ve just not been able to get a good result there, so we need to do well. ‘There is a lot of quality in our squad, so we should have enough to get through the play-offs.’ Murdoch was not t he only pl us point for McCall on Saturday. Darren McGregor headed Rangers ahead from a Nicky Law free-kick, which formed part of an excellent personal display after being restored to centre-back. That meant captain Lee McCulloch, targeted by boos f rom his own supporters the previous weekend, was dropped.
Kenny Miller doubled their lead before the break when he tapped home a Richard Foster cross, the goal coming moments after a penalty appeal at the other end.
Cammy Bell appeared to time his intervention well and get a hand to t he ball before Osman Sow toppled, although that didn’t prevent the home fans howling their disagreement to Calum Murray waving play on.
Robbie Neilson was sent to the stand — or just behind the dugout, really — in the aftermath. He revealed it wasn’t for complaining about the penalty call, but rather for shouting at a Rangers player he felt was guilty of ‘body- checking’ an opponent. Neilson has vowed to fight any SFA ban.
Marius Zaliukas missed a glaring chance to head McCall’s men further clear in the second period, with Hearts then seizing the reprieve to ensure their trophy presentation was suitably buoyant.
Zeefuik, on as a substitute for Sofian El Hassnaoui, planted a fine header from a Gomis cross, before poking home beyond Bell after Rangers were unable to clear their lines. It means that the on-loan Dutchman will return home having contributed a very worthy 12 goals in 15 appearances.
The last-gasp recovery was a fitting finale to a season Hearts have utterly dominated. They have fully earned the period of rest they can now enjoy, while Rangers must face their defining moments.
‘Losing the two late goals was down to poor decision-making on our part,’ added McCall. ‘That has cost us but we will work on that.
‘Overall, it was a performance that stands us in good stead for a very difficult game next Saturday.
‘For us to get promoted, we are going to have six tough games. We’ll look forward to next Saturday after a strong performance.’
“We have enough quality to get through the play-offs”