What’s that old saying again, one swallow doesn’t make a summer?
Well, one 6-0 win over Kilmarnock isn’t going to guarantee that things are about to warm up over the winter period at Ibrox. With my old club currently shivering 11 points adrift at the top of the table, I’m not daft enough to suggest otherwise. But what I would say is that, over the last week or so, there have been signs of genuine encouragement for Phillipe Clement and his players.
It’s one step at a time right now for this team given the difficulties they’ve had since the season got up and running way back in August. But a brilliant European result in Nice, a sleeves rolled up win in Perth and Wednesday night’s second half demolition job of Killie just might help repair the damage which has been done to the confidence levels around Clement’s dressing room. And not a minute too soon, given what is just around the next corner of this campaign.
I used to live for weeks like the one Rangers are just about to begin. The thought of facing Spurs at Ibrox and then a cup final against Celtic at Hampden would have me eating raw meat in anticipation. These big games on the biggest stages are what representing Rangers is all about.
But right now I wouldn’t be giving those games a second thought. Forget about Big Ange and Brendan – what’s in my mind for the next 24 hours is driving up that road and facing Don Cowie’s crew in Dingwall. It’ll probably be snowing. There’s half a chance they’ll shut the gates on the motorway on the way up. It’ll be freezing and blowing a gale tomorrow in the Highlands.
It probably doesn’t get any less glamorous than this. But, now that Rangers are starting to get a bit of momentum for the first time in ages, this next 90 minutes means everything. Don’t let it slip away now.
Go out there and perform against County with the exact same effort and energy that you’d be prepared to put into the Tottenham tie and the Old Firm final because nothing less than that will do. There is no time now to put the handbrake back on. The gap to second place is now only four points and it looks very much to me as if Aberdeen have hit a wall over the last 10 days or so.
With just two points from a possible 12, they have opened the door for Rangers. So this is when you bang the thing down.
OK, the second half on Wednesday did take me by surprise. I was at Ibrox for the game and I admit I didn’t see it coming throughout another low key first half performance.
But as they started to go in I could see the hunger levels rise for more.They weren’t satisfied with three or four. They kept moving forward in wave after wave of attack and that’s the way a Rangers side should behave.
It’s no coincidence to me that there’s more of a creative and cutting edge to the team now that players like Ianis Hagi and Danilo are back in the fold. I’m thrilled for Hagi that he’s getting this chance to prove what a talented football player he is and I’m enjoying watching the way he goes about his work in that No.10 position.
He’s clever. He’s bright as a button. And he uses that natural intelligence to float into little pockets of space where he knows he can damage the opposition. It all comes so naturally to him.
Again, without getting carried away, he plays that position in a very similar way to how Ronald de Boer used to in my day. Guys like that are difference makers in the final third and Rangers look like a different animal with Hagi in that role.
And with Danilo also on the way back to fitness – and young Hamza Igamane growing in confidence – all of a sudden Clement has what he’s been looking for since the season began. A variety of attacking options.
So yes, there is reason to believe that things might be turning around and the supporters can feel it too. I could sense that at the stadium on Wednesday night and it was obvious again the following lunchtime at the club’s AGM.
On the banks of the Clyde it ended up being quite a dull affair but what I did find interesting were Alistair Johnston’s remarks about the potential to become part of a network of clubs – and the hint it could involve joining the same stable as Nice and Manchester United.
With Patrick Stewart about to sign on as CEO after 18 years at Old Trafford it does make you wonder if there’s something being discussed. Why wouldn’t you want to get involved in something like that?
If Stewart can open that door for in his first few days in the job then, who knows, maybe things might be about to take a turn for the better.