The March international break may halt the momentum Rangers have built up of late but, for some members of Barry Ferguson’s squad, is also provides a welcome respite.
After knocking Fenerbahce out of the Europa League and stunning champions-elect Celtic on their own turf, the Rangers support will have been champing at the bit, desperate to keep the good feeling going with very winnable fixtures against Dundee, Hibernian and Aberdeen to come.
A fortnight without club football, then, arguably comes at the worst time.
But maybe not for everyone at Ibrox.
No fewer than twelve Rangers players may be in action for their country this week. The number initially stood at eleven, but increased by one when Mohamed Diomande was parachuted into the Ivory Coast squad due to a late, injury-enforced pull-out.
Tom Lawrence and Nedim Bajrami may be glad to escape the Rangers bench for a couple of weeks, called up by Wales and Albania respectively.
Ross McCausland’s inclusion in the Northern Ireland roster, meanwhile, could see the Rangers winger make only his third start for club and country across the entire New Year.
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Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill on Ross McCausland’s Rangers issues
Only five months ago, Northern Ireland boss Michael O’Neill was positively glowing in his praise for the Country Antrim-born youngster.
Ross McCausland is ‘a player with a lot to offer’, the manager said. A winger who ‘impacts the game and has the capability to score as well’.
Flash forward to March, however, and McCausland links up with the rest of the Northern Ireland squad in very different circumstances. Last season’s breakout star can hardly buy a place in the Rangers XI these days.
Of course, there is no shame in being relegated to the bench behind the 17-goal sensation that is Vaclav Cerny.
Yet, on the occasions when McCausland has played – only three goals and one assist from 23 appearances – the youngster has often underwhelmed.
There was never any suggestion that McCausland would lose his spot in O’Neill’s squad, however. The former Stoke City coach is keen to take a closer look at a player who could be a regular fixture in the Northern Ireland XI for a decade to come, having seen McCausland miss out due to injury a couple of times in the autumn.
Though, as O’Neill is also keen to admit, this has hardly been a stellar year for a footballer struggling with ‘second season syndrome’.
“I just felt it was right to look at the likes of McCausland,” O’Neill says ahead of Friday’s friendly clash with Switzerland. “Unfortunately, when we’ve had him in in the past, he has withdrawn with injury.
“He’s not had as good a season as he could have had at Rangers, by his own admission.”
Ross McCausland wants to learn from Vaclav Cerny at Ibrox
Back in January, ahead of a rare start in the 5-0 Scottish Cup trouncing of Fraserburgh, McCausland was determined to see the positives in Vaclav Cerny’s arrival at Rangers. The Wolfsburg loanee may have rendered game time increasingly difficult to come by, but there are a lot of lessons McCausland can learn on the training pitch from a footballer six years his senior.
“Keeping myself motivated? I think, as a footballer you need to. There are going to be periods in your career where you are not going to play,” McCausland said, a mature response to a difficult situation.
“I am not playing as much as I would like but Vaclav, who is playing in my position, has been incredible for us for a number of months. He is very good with me. He helps me in training and stuff like that and just getting to watch him every week.
“Some of the stuff he does is incredible and even listening to the stories of where he has been previous in his career is incredible, at international level as well.
“Just to be able to learn from a guy like that is amazing.”
