CARE BEARS
McCrorie warning over lead in league
Steven Gerrard met Suzie Gibson (7), when the Ibrox squad handed over a £10,000 cheque to the Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity on behalf of the Rangers Charity Foundation.
HAVING suffered the footballing equivalent of vertigo the last time they hit the Premiership summit, Ross McCrorie hopes Rangers have now attained a head for heights.
Maintaining the Ibrox club’s place at the top of the tree is the obvious aim from four testing games across the Christmas period. But to achieve it, McCrorie is keenly aware they will have to show more stickability than before.
A 2-1 victory over Hearts on December 2 made Rangers league leaders for the first time at this stage of a season since 2011. It was a status that lasted all of three days. A home defeat to Aberdeen quickly demoted Steven Gerrard’s men before a 1-1 draw with ten-man Dundee at Dens Park further deflated any optimism.
At that point, few would have bet on them recapturing supremacy so soon. But then this has been a campaign to confound expectations.
Celtic’s 2-0 defeat to an injury-hit Hibernian opened a door that Rangers walked through with Sunday afternoon’s 1-0 success against Hamilton.
Ahead of Kilmarnock on goal difference and one point above their Old Firm rivals, it is now the turn of Gerrard’s side to head for Easter Road tomorrow evening.
Respectful of the challenge that awaits in Leith, McCrorie knows they must learn from recent experience if they are to retain first place.
‘It is great to be back at the top of the table, but we are not going to get carried away, especially after what happened a couple of weeks ago,’ the 20-year-old insisted.
‘We went top and then, all of a sudden, we weren’t. The aim this time is to stay there.
‘Hopefully, we have learned from what happened last time. But there is still a long way to go. We still have more than half a season left.
‘We just have to take each game as it comes and try not to look too far forward.
‘There are no excuses for going top and then dropping points against Aberdeen and Dundee. To be honest, we should be winning these games.
‘It was a sticky patch, although these things will happen during the course of a season. That is in the past and, at the moment, we are where we want to be.
‘We know Hibs are a very good team as they showed again at the weekend and we have to be ready.
‘It will be tough but, hopefully, we can come away from Easter Road with a victory.’
That is just the start of a demanding schedule in the run-up to the winter break.
On Sunday, Rangers head to Perth to face a St Johnstone side that suffered its first defeat in nine last weekend. Then comes a home rematch with Hibs on Boxing Day, before a seismic derby meeting with Celtic at Ibrox on December 29.
‘I’m not going to lie, the aim has to be first place heading into the break,’ said McCrorie. ‘But we have four massive games before the end of the year to get through.
‘It is a huge end to the year for us and we need to try to take maximum points. There is a long way to go and we will just have to see how it pans out.’
McCrorie is simply happy to be playing an active part. His start in the Europa League defeat to Rapid Vienna last Thursday was his first since late September. Having retained his place against Hamilton, he is anxious to keep proving his worth to Gerrard.
‘I have been in and out of the team this season, so it is frustrating,’ admitted the academy product. ‘But I have started the last two matches, so that has been encouraging.
‘The onus is on me to keep working hard and then giving it everything when I do play. I need to try to make it as hard as possible for the gaffer to leave me out.
‘He hasn’t really spoken to me about the situation, but I know it is up to me.’
Gerrard has been clear that he sees McCrorie’s future in midfield, not defence, which pitches him into a scrap for a jersey against a number of more experienced options.
‘I genuinely think that is a good thing,’ he argued. ‘At a club like Rangers, you need competition and strength in depth.’
McCrorie yesterday joined the rest of the Rangers squad in making the club’s Christmas visit to the Royal Hospital for Children, with the Rangers Charity Foundation handing over a £10,000 donation.
‘This day is for all the kids here,’ added McCrorie. ‘We are along to make them as happy as possible.
‘I used to help put up the Christmas decorations here when I was playing in the Under-20s. The boys still do that.
‘It is nice to see the look on the kids’ faces.’