The international break can be a tedious affair for Rangers fans who put club before country.
There are 11 Rangers players on international duty with those selected enjoying mixed fortunes already.
High points include seeing Nicolas Raskin capped by Belgium and Morocco give Hamza Igamane his first senior cap too, with John Souttar outstanding for Scotland against Greece.
Ianis Hagi and Nedim Bajrami both played but saw their countries lose with Mohamed Diomande making a cameo appearance for the Ivory Coast.
For those not interested in how those who strut their stuff at Ibrox every other Saturday, or Sunday, there are questions that can keep the idle mind entertained like – what is Rangers’ greatest five-a-side team?
Dream Rangers five-a-side team
It sounds easy, just pick the best five players and off you go, right?
And then you realise that five players isn’t a lot and Rangers have had a lot of good players in the last 150 years.
Players like Derek Johnstone, Jim Baxter, Sandy Jardine and John Greig all have solid claims, however, looking at the modern era, this is as good a team as you can get.
Goalkeeper – There can be only one
The goalkeeper is probably the easiest position to pick.
Allan McGregor was probably only another league title or the Europa League final away from being the club’s greatest ever keeper, but he was never that comfortable with the ball at his feet.
This also rules out modern day greats like Chris Woods and Stefan Klos, and many who preceded them.
For sheer shot-stopping though, it has to be Andy Goram, Rangers legend, greatest of all time and Hall of Fame member.
Defence – Without any defenders?
At the back, picking players who can defend, have a big engine and can score goals isn’t easy.
Not many centre-halves come into this equation of being able to look after the ball and dribble with it too.
Madjid Bougherra is the only out and out centre-half who has a chance, however, on this occasion, a converted full-back is the most suitable fit.
Having played as a central midfielder at Rangers, Giovanni van Bronckhorst rose to the top of the game with Barcelona and then the Netherlands as a left-back.
Not only was he incredibly fit, an astute passer of the ball and tenacious, but he could score a goal too – the ideal defender for a small pitch and end to end action.
After all, how many Rangers players have played and captained their country in a World Cup final?
Midfield – Unplayable genius and wing king
Midfield. This is where it gets difficult.
It would be easy to pick a ball winner or tempo setter like Graeme Souness, Barry Ferguson or Steven Davis.
All would do a good job and let the flair players do theirs, but this is five-a-sides, and goals win games.
First name on the team-sheet is Paul Gascoigne. Peak Gazza was unplayable, and one of the best dribblers of his generation.
Not only that, but he was incredibly strong and a deceptively fast runner.
At his best, nobody did it better.
Alongside him, Jorg Albertz has a strong claim too in terms of his ability to score goals from anywhere, and so does Ronald de Boer.
For me though, Mark Walters gets the nod.
If you weren’t lucky enough to see him play, find the videos on YouTube or rake through the Rangers TV’s archives.
Not only could he turn defenders inside out, he could score goals with either foot and play a pass in the days when pitches were ploughed fields and defenders could tackle at knee height.
Playing on the wing and in support of a striker, Walters would routinely get well into double figures for goals and assists every season.
Any opposition would do well to get the ball off Gascoigne and Walters.
Striker – McCoist on the bench?
Up front, Brian Laudrup. Is it controversial to not pick Ally McCoist? Absolutely, however, the great Dane’s skill on the ball added to his goalscoring ability would make him a nightmare to play against.
Other options included Michael Mols, similar to Laudrup in that he could find space in a phone box, but he wasn’t quite at the same level in terms of dribbling.
Replace Laudrup with McCoist and the former could drop into midfield with Gascoigne, either way, the team isn’t exactly weaker.
Have a go, it’s not as easy as it looks!
