Chris Jack
Cthey win it? Yes. Will they win it? Maybe. It has taken four years for Rangers to make that final step back into the Premiership and complete “The Journey”. Now a stride forward is required if they are to become the best team in Scotland once again.
It is an ambition that has been held at Ibrox since Ally McCoist’s side set out in the Third Division at Peterhead in August 2012. It is a dream that could be realised by May 2017.
The road to recovery has been a long and winding one. It has taken them up the leagues and all over the country, brought moments to savour yet several to forget.
There have been dark days, yet just enough silver linings to give supporters hope that they would once again see the red, white and blue ribbons on the Premiership trophy.
They have stood on the terraces in the freezing cold and driving rain, seen their side humbled by part-time teams on plastic pitches. They have also taken to the streets in protest and seen their efforts rewarded by arguably the most important change that has been made in a trying, testing and tumultuous period with Dave King and co taking control.
The Rangers story has been scarcely believable at times, but another chapter will be written in the coming months. It could yet be a fairytale ending with manager Mark Warburton the hero.
Warburton delivered, as expected, the Championship title and Petrofac Training Cup in his first season at Ibrox, and took his side further than anyone would have thought as they came within minutes of a unique Treble and the Scottish Cup.
When asked what the expectations should be for his side this season, “highly competitive” is how the 53-year-old has answered. For some fans, that will be enough in Rangers’ first season back amongst the highest-ranked clubs. For many, only top spot will do.
It is an expectation that comes from history, from the times when, year after year, Rangers were always in the mix for the league flag. It is what everyone at Ibrox became accustomed to, a state of mind passed through the generations and their default setting at the start of each season whether the manager was Struth, Wallace, Souness, Smith or Advocaat. All delivered, and now the pressure is on Warburton’s shoulders. There aren’t many clubs, in any country, that could win promotion from the second tier and consider themselves title challengers the following season, but few things about Rangers in recent years have been ordinary. With the club back at the level they are accustomed to, and where many feel they belong, there is a sense of familiarity about the forthcoming season. There is excitement, and confidence. It is not a misplaced sense of optimism, either. This need not be a campaign of consolidation for Warburton’s side and less than a top-two finish expected this term.
The wins over Kilmarnock, Dundee and Celtic in the Scottish Cup last season were positive signs, but it is the business Warburton has completed in the transfer market that means the title could be a realistic proposition.
Tnothing will be HE squad that won the Championship was too good for the second tier but didn’t have the required experience, quality or depth to compete in the top flight. They are issues Warburton has addressed, with the Englishman doing the majority of his deals before a competitive ball was kicked this summer.
Another centre-back and a striker would be the final pieces of the jigsaw, and are needed before a stronger case can be made for Rangers’ title credentials, but Warburton has competition for places all over his squad. Some signings, like goalkeeper Matt Gilks, defender Lee Hodson and midfielder Matt Crooks, may find it more difficult than others to break into the side, but every member of the first-team pool will have to contribute this season.
There are those who will do so more than most and in midfielders Joey Barton and Niko Kranjcar Rangers have two players who could easily be in the running to be the top performers in the country in the coming months. The former Premier League pair will bring different attributes to the side, but their quality is undoubted, even in the twilights of their careers. They, like Clint Hill, the former Queens Park Rangers defender, add nous and knowledge to a squad that, as exciting and at times unpredictable as it was last season, lacked the miles on the clock that every titlewinning outfit needs.
It is not just wise old heads that Warburton has recruited, though, and in Jordan Rossiter, Josh Windass and Joe Dodoo he has young players who have promise and potential. The Premiership may be the ideal stage for them to showcase their talents on.
There remains an uncertainty as to just how good Warburton’s side really are and how they will fare against a higher calibre of opposition. In that regard, only time will tell.
With a trip to Parkhead to come just five games into the season, Rangers have to quickly find their feet at Premiership level and those that impressed in the Championship – the likes of James Tavernier, Andy Halliday, Barrie McKay and Martyn Waghorn – must make the step up and prove themselves all over again.
After four years of being overwhelming pre-season favourites for the title, Rangers will be the underdogs this time out. It is a feat few believe they can achieve but one that is possible. That in itself says plenty about the work Warburton has done, and the opportunity Celtic have squandered to put daylight between themselves and their Old Firm rivals.
Another top-flight title would rankas one of Rangers’ most famous successes and would be the ultimate conclusion to a journey that so many have been on for so long.