When you have watched Rangers since the late 60s, you pick up a bit of perspective whether you want to or not. I have seen some outstanding sides, but I have also watched teams finish 4th, 5th and drift about the table in seasons that are quietly forgotten now. Truth is, a lot of what we are moaning about today, I have seen before in different strips and different eras.
We finished 4th in 70/71, 3rd in 71/72 and 73/74, 5th in 79/80, and again 5th the year before the Lawrence group came in during 86. And there were other poor campaigns in there as well. Those teams still had good players in them, and back then most of them were Scottish lads who understood the club. But the league position was the league position. So I struggle a bit when people talk like this is the worst it has ever been. It really isn’t.
Ability is not the main problem
For me, the biggest lesson from all those years is that pure ability is only a small part of being a professional footballer, especially at Rangers. The mental side is enormous. You feel it as a fan inside the stadium, so imagine what it is like on the pitch when 50,000 people are living every touch with you.
Since 86 in particular, the expectations have gone through the roof. We got used to winning, to challenging, to being the dominant force. That is the standard now, and any squad that pulls on that shirt has to cope with it. I genuinely believe there is ability in this squad, but the development some of them need is in their heads, not just in their feet. They need the mentality to show what they already have.
Rangers need stronger characters around the young lads
Right now, there does not seem to be enough mental strength across the group to drag us through the rough spells. We have all seen Rangers teams that could play poorly for 70 minutes then still find something in the last 20. That comes from mentality and leadership as much as from quality.
A few experienced, mentally strong professionals in the right areas would give these younger players the breathing space they badly need. Not just to shout and point, but to take the ball when things are going wrong, to demand it again after a mistake, to keep doing the simple things properly when the crowd is restless. That sort of character rubs off. It always has at this club.
Why I am choosing to back Danny Röhl and the team
Despite the frustrations, I am actually positive about where we are trying to go. Danny Röhl is at least getting some time to put his ideas across and shape things his way. If he gets the right types in the dressing room, the mentality can shift quicker than people think. Ability plus the right head space can be powerful at Rangers.
The other part of this is about us in the stands. I have realised over the years that my own negativity does not help anybody. It just filters down onto the pitch. The players feel that, especially the younger ones, and some of them shrink because of it. So my attitude now is simple: try cheering the whole match and see what happens. Stay with them. You might be surprised at the transformation in some of them.
Support, not surrender
After a lifetime watching Rangers sides, many of them much poorer than this, I have settled on my own way of following the club. Others might not like it, and that is fine. They do not know me, and I do not know them, but I care as much as any of the folk who spend 90 minutes moaning.
I am not blind to the problems. I have just seen enough cycles to know that mentality, pressure and support all go hand in hand at Ibrox. So I will keep backing the team, keep singing my songs, and if that comes across as a bit of Kumbaya to some people, I can live with that. I will still be in my seat the next time we kick off, expecting better but determined to support them all the same.
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