One year on, King faces biggest test to show real progress
TWELVE months since Dave King’s Rangers coronation, another key gauge of Ibrox progress comes today. Steady strides have been made under the new regime. Mark Warburton has proven himself a safe managerial capture, claiming value for money from a modest transfer budget.
The t eam are t op of t he Championship by 14 points and heading for the Premiership.
Players such as Martyn Waghorn and James Tavernier have increased in value. Others, such as Barrie McKay, are flourishing.
The crisis junkies who feed on every morsel of ‘Sevco’ strife have been quietened lately. And even Mike Ashley has given his lawyers a few weeks off.
Now comes a Scottish Cup quarter-final clash with Dundee; a game which will provide some clues on just how far Rangers have to go to deliver on King’s stated ambition of challenging Celtic and Aberdeen for the Premiership title.
It’s wise to be wary. Rangers have acquired a habit of imploding in recent times. Of building up a head of steam before being engulfed in damaging headlines. Two steps forward are followed by one back.
No one believes things are perfect. And they won’t come close for some time.
The debacle over the Rangers retail contracts is painful and damaging. It will take years to shake off the shackles and make money from shirt sales.
Before then, it will take a set of audited accounts showing finances on a healthy footing to halt the rumours over the club’s finances.
A show trial of some of the key players involved in the oldco’s financial meltdown, meanwhile, will resurrect the air of circus soon enough.
But this much we can say. For the first time in months, Rangers look and feel like a football club.
Where conversation was once dominated by the off-field travails, the Govan pubs are now full of what the team are doing.
Beat a Dundee side which took their unbeaten run to eight in Wednesday’s 0-0 draw at Parkhead and supporters will fancy their chances of winning the Cup.
Lose, and Monday’s anniversary of the ‘ Kingco’ takeover will be spent in a state of quiet contemplation. With questions over just how much cash should be provided to fund a serious assault on the top flight.
King has been clear. Finishing fifth or sixth in the Premiership is not an option. Even second is a hard sell.
But the chairman made a rod for his own back the day he claimed he was prepared to i nvest £ 20million of his own cash to challenge Celtic. Rangers supporters expect, and demand, a competitive challenging football team. And it’s his job to give them one.
Warburton’s transfer- market juggling has bought the Rangers board some time.
The Englishman has spent just under £1m on Waghorn, Tavernier and Michael O’Halloran. The other new arrivals have been Bosmans or loan deals.
For the most part, the signings have been successful.
But the Premiership is a step up. Warburton wants four to six new players to compete in the top tier.
The Three Bears of George Letham, Douglas Park and George Taylor are prepared to provide more funding via soft loans to get them. King will be expected to match them.
How much it will take is the burning question.
Few doubt the Ibrox club are in a better, stronger place than they were when they lost to Tommy Wright’s St Johnstone i n the League Cup earlier this season. But how much stronger and better won’t be clear until they start beating the top teams in Scotland.
It took two games to overcome Kilmarnock, a team rooted in Premiership relegation trouble. It may take the same again to reach the last four.
Succeed, and the feeling Rangers are making strides will strengthen.
Fail, and Kingco will come under growing pressure to dig deep. To provide Warburton with funds to buy a better quality of player.
The rewards for investing should be clear to all.
Celtic are vulnerable. The Parkhead club had an opportunity to put some distance between t hemselves and t he r est of Scottish football when the Ibrox oldco was liquidated. They should have been out of sight. But the Ronny Deila gamble is close to collapse.
And Rangers now see a shaft of light opening up.
Whatever transpires against Dundee this lunchtime, King and the Rangers board have a choice.
They can take their feet off the pedal. Or go for it.