Ross County had the potential to be a banana skin if the team took it lightly. Much had been made about ‘underperforming’ against Hearts and Motherwell, so there could have been a tough night in store in Dingwall. With a few injuries and perhaps a couple of players failing to perform lately, there could have been a nervousness about our performance.
Fortunately Rangers were on it from the kick off and attitude was spot on. Movement was better, tempo was much better and I sensed an urgency right from the off. Now credit to Ross County who tried to play but unfortunately for them this fell right into our hands.
Rangers will need to hit these levels in our games as often as possible, if we do we won’t be far away. However it isn’t a bad trait when things aren’t going so swimmingly to still dig out the three points as we did against Motherwell.
Rangers have now played every team in this league and are a massive ten points better off than last season. Rangers will have to take similar points from every round of games to have any opportunity of silverware come May, but the mix of resilience in between some very good performances shown already should give us confidence.
You can’t play well every game in a season but certain games this season we have found a way to win that has been missing previously, that is vital to any championship challenge.
Things get tougher in the next two months and by the time Mariah Carey is sounding in our ears and the Turkey is being demolished we will know exactly where our season will be heading. One thing for sure we are in a very good place currently both domestically and in Europe.
There will be times in a season where individual players dip and flourish in form, that goes without question. Currently certain players are in the form of their lives, Ryan Jack being the main one. As I spoke about on the last blog, that imminent contract has now been signed and he is settled and showing a maturity to lead this team.
Ryan Jack has went up a level I didn’t think he was capable of. I have always liked Ryan Jack but I said in the summer he wouldn’t be a regular this season, I thought he was steady but unable to dictate games to the level we needed.
I have been proven very wrong on that thought.
Truth is this is now very much Ryan Jacks team if he performs like that last night. He controls this team and driving it on like last night will be absolutely key as this season gets into the key phase before Christmas. His performance was immaculate and his goals as striking as one’s his old gaffer used to pop in regularly during his career.
With Jack and Davis in midfield Rangers are as strong as they have been in there since the days of Thomson and Ferguson. That’s the biggest compliment I can give both and they really continue to drive this team on. They were fantastic in Porto as Rangers produced top form to gain a valuable European away point.
At Left Back Borna Barisic is answering all the questions of anyone who doubted him. I include myself in that because I struggled to see it last season. But his performances have been hugely encouraging.
It’s credit to these individual players. There will be games and times performances dip, we have seen that with Connor Goldson for example. He has dipped but looks to have stormed back last few games to his best form.
Hearts of course will prove another tough game and Rangers must get over our recent Hampden blues to reach another domestic final. The league cup provides the club with a great opportunity to show everyone we mean business this season and really set down some markers. We have the players capable of doing so.
Off the pitch things continue to come along well with a new share issue in the offing, which club 1872 recently announced they will put £500,000 straight into the club subject to members vote, will bring welcome funds into the club. A January trip to Dubai already planned for the winter break with rumours of a game against Hamburg somewhere in there too. The club also recently published new pictures of the upgrades to the HTC we spoke about this summer on this blog.
Things are going along well for the club but we know on the field is the vital component we all crave.
Anyone who has paid close attention to the recent off field headlines will know we are being governed by very smart men with Rangers at heart. None more so than our chairman Dave King who’s recent battle with the takeover panel show he has Rangers as priority and was prepared to take whatever personal financial penalties to secure our clubs future. Perhaps more to discuss another time but for me this board deserve the benefit of any doubt.
With the club performing well in Europe and domestically we can be pleased so far. But we know things will only get tougher as the festive season comes upon us. As the manager said it’s important we stick with our players through the dips in form especially as we encounter the big games coming forward.
Well done to the team and management on recent form, let’s keep the standards up and really push on. We are a very good side, let’s continue to prove it
Look out for our 4lads November podcast, with Neil Alexander and regular co-host Chris Jack, which will be coming next week!
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