As Rangers approach their 150th birthday, it should be a time of joy for supporters who’ve overcome ten years of hell to reach the pinnacle of Scottish football.
But as the club’s status as Champions – and the potential £40m Champions League windfall that comes with it this season – hangs on a shoogly peg, those within the club are also rattling.
Rangers were in a superb position to go out and win this title but have now shipped 11 points out of the last 24 and have seen a nine-point swing in the title race, going from six in front to three behind.
Failing to capitalise on Celtic’s slip-up against Hibs, Rangers threw away a two-goal lead at Motherwell with questions aplenty about the mentality of a team and coaching staff under increasing scrutiny.
The Europa League run – as it so often has been in recent years – is a welcome on-pitch distraction and everyone involved deserves credit for steering Rangers past tournament favourites Dortmund.
But that goodwill has all but evaporated amid a woeful run of league form that could go from bad to worse with anything but three points from the trip to St Johnstone this evening.
Rangers fans frustrated amid on and off pitch shortcomings
The notion that Celtic could win this championship of all championships – despite the fact they invested around £20m to do so – is an increasingly hard one for fans to take.
If this is to happen, then this squad will come under huge fire for bottling a title race three seasons out of four with some fans already – and somewhat prematurely – calling for an overhaul.
The management too – often relaxed in the face of pressure and outrage from the fans – are certainly not blameless and accusations of carrying that attitude on to league duty aren’t exactly baseless.
Rangers have often been too experimental in the league and it has cost us big time with regular dropped points and genuine fears that we’ve let this title slip out of our grasp.
Like the players, if Giovanni van Bronckhorst and his backroom staff can’t get this over the line and the poor results continue then they’ll be edging closer to the exit door faster than expected.
After somewhat flopping in China, this is a huge opportunity for van Bronckhorst and if he cannot find a winning formula and Rangers look elsewhere it won’t look good for the Dutchman.
The Board too – overseeing the January transfer window and delivering four players who have barely contributed to the title charge – are also coming in for some major criticism.
Accused of being “out of touch” for organising an Old Firm match with Celtic in Australia which won’t be called an Old Firm match and is more about Ange Postecoglou than anything else, the Board are next on the list for fans left alienated and frustrated by the club.
Without the fans, Rangers would not be where they are now and the Board have struck a major faux pas in the hunt for commercial gain by organising this match and letting Celtic hold all the cards.
The fact that there is such scrutiny and discontent from the pitch through the staff and to the boardroom is clear.
Often it’s hard to effectively communicate why; Rangers are a club transformed over the last decade with accusations of supporters being fickle or spoiled in the face of the last month.
But it’s telling that so many are beginning to feel disillusioned with the team, management and board as the pressure builds and the support feels their voices are being ignored.
Like as always has been the case at Ibrox, the best place to start turning things around is by winning on the pitch.
