South Park fans, or those who enjoy gaming, may recognise the title of this article. It’s yet another beautiful bit of wordplay that fits with the tone of the show perfectly. But how can I justify linking that to Rangers?
Well, only a few weeks ago, every article about Rangers suggested that Pedro’s time was up. We were told that the dressing room was split, with many players unwilling to play for him. It was only a matter of time until Caixinha was gone, and a bad result against Hamilton would confirm it.
And like the aforementioned show, all the rumoured trouble started with “killing” Kenny.
A huge number of these fears seem to have been eased by the last two matches. There’s still plenty for the manager and this squad to prove, of course. The way our squad has fought to win those games has certainly put any notion of unhappy players to bed though. We’ve seen good goals, a desire to win every 50/50, strong defending under pressure – all the stuff that only comes when a team is playing for each other. Kenny Miller has already got back into the fold in training, so notions of his banishment seem to have been fanciful. The negativity from the Thistle draw and Celtic defeat has started to look like an overreaction.
That’s not to say everything is perfect. The games showed promise, whilst suggesting there’s more to come. What they did remind us, though, is that patience and evidence don’t need to be only applied to progress in results.
As football fans, we tend to add a romanticism to the game that isn’t really there. This is why the media covering the game can get so much attention through hyperbole and utter fantasy. If anything chips away at our false belief that a dressing room is full of fun and togetherness, we tend to give it more credence than we should. In reality, there’s no way there’s ever going to be a completely happy squad. Players who aren’t as involved as they feel they should be are going to be somewhat difficult. Guys who spent a lot of time when they were younger being the main man among their peers suddenly have to compete with each other for that spot. Different cultures and upbringings are thrown together and asked to be a team. It’s impossible for everyone involved to be truly happy. It’s like any workplace you’ve ever been in.
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But that doesn’t mean it’s “fractured” or “split”, as it has been described. The situation with Miller was more likely to be a bit of an argument, people not taking criticism well due to heightened emotions, and Miller being dropped more for poor form than anything else. That’s been the line from the club, and the evidence points to it.
The way our team has reacted to these suggestions shows we’re in as good a place as we could reasonably expect in terms of team spirit. Players were given the excuse to largely chuck it, a real opportunity to cost Pedro his job if they wanted him out. They’ve done pretty much the opposite. It can’t be perfect, but it does seem to be whole.
This week, we’re building up to the semi-final on Sunday. There will be plenty to discuss, so look out for our articles this week. Give us a tweet @rangersnewsuk with anything you’d like to discuss!