We survived a horrible morning at the pitch and, to be frank, it underlined something obvious — if you want to play for Rangers you need to cope with the ugly stuff as well as the pretty football. Today wasn’t about slick moves; it was about graft, grit and getting through it.

Barron and the ugly-game specialists

There are players who look comfortable when the surface is perfect and the crowd is loud, and then there are those who seem to relish the scrap. Barron is the latter. You can see the boy's heart. From day one I said he'd come good and that still feels right — his engine and willingness to do the dirty work stood out. If half our side had that same commitment when matches turn nasty, we’d stop handing points away.

Winter football isn’t pretty

To be fair, the conditions were awful — pitch a mess, weather dreadful, and a Sunday morning kick-off doesn't help anyone. Scottish football in winter often becomes a battle rather than a ballet. Some grounds will be mud baths, and you have to cope. It’s not glamorous but it’s part of the job. If players can’t handle those scraps, they won’t last here beyond the summer.

What needs to change for next season

The bigger worry is consistency. This campaign has felt odd, and starting poorly again would leave us with the same impossible job of clawing back a big gap. Falling 12–13 points behind early is not something you can treat as a safety net. Look at the standards we’re chasing — Celtic’s league consistency over recent seasons shows how few points they drop. Losing only two games this season isn’t the issue; 12 draws are. Those draws add up.

Next season has to be different. We need a squad that’s ready from day one, physically and mentally. Fast starts matter, consistency matters, and the standards across the squad must rise if we’re serious about competing again.

Just my opinion.

Written by Thestigno1: 20 April 2026

Tags: spfl