Just another club hasn't the same ring to it

There is, as they say, only one thing worse than being talked about. And that is not being talked about.

Hugh Keevins
Published 16th Apr 2018

Rangers fans are living in a circle of despair at the moment. If it isn't one thing, it's another. If it isn't taking a four goal hiding from Celtic to go ten games without a win against their greatest rivals then it's watching acts of civil disobedience from the players against fans and management in the process.

And the supporters have to go through all of this again in two weeks' time, when Rangers go to Celtic Park for a league game which could potentially be the match that gives Brendan Rodgers' side their seventh league title in succession.

Then there is the now obvious need to find a manager who can react to the needs of a club who, partly through mis-management of its affairs off the park, hasn't won a major trophy for seven years.

Like I say, if it isn't one thing, it's another.

But the most embarrassing situation of all would surely be Rangers regressing to a stage where they could actually be called just another club, no longer able to compete at the highest level with any prospect of challenging for the major honours.

Debt remains an issue at Ibrox. Players on loan who might be thought worthy of obtaining on permanent deals have to be paid for, and this has to be done against a background of Celtic perhaps continuing to qualify for the group stages of the Champions League and accumulating yet more wealth to separate them from Rangers by a considerable distance.

Rangers could get lucky of course.

They might be so ineffectual that it eventually bores Rodgers so much he actively looks for alternative employment in England or on the continent.

When Ronny Deila was removed from the manager's office at Celtic Park two years ago following a defeat from Rangers in the Scottish Cup semi final at Hampden it was as a consequence of finding the job too hard to carry out.

Rodgers has arguably reached the point where his job is too easy to sustain his professional interest. Emotional pull towards Celtic based on background and lifelong support of the team disipates for a top class manager when there is no challenge to test his capabilities.

That would be the hope of the Rangers fans, and their best chance of avoiding further ignominy.

In the meantime the focus of attention now turns to the Ibrox owner, Dave King.

Rangers have five games left in the league season in which to finish the strong second he demanded of them. That would look to be a hard job after Sunday's meltdown at Hampden.

And King is in danger of finding himself trapped inside a vicious circle. He issued a statement in the run-up to Sunday's semi-final which was supposed to rally supporters in the drive to sell season tickets.

The statement only served to undermine Murty's position and highlight the lack of unity between him and the players he was asked to take over under emergency conditions.

Now King has to find a manager who can galvanise the club once again and provide him with the money to make that task possible. Failure to do so and there will surely come a time when supporters feel their financial investment in the club through season ticket sales is no longer available.

Since the gap between Celtic and Rangers is measured in financial terms as well as league points and cup wins, this would be the worst case scenario for a beleaguered Rangers board who would have to own up to mistakes in their two most recent managerial appointments, Mark Warburton and Pedro Caixinha.

Where Rangers find the money to do all they have to do in the short term is not the fans' problem, but they will insist on cash being found or else.

And the meaning of "Or else" is Rangers' biggest source of income becoming alienated.

Sunday was surely the watershed moment for King and his board.

There was the sight of Andy Halliday taking his embarrassment at being substituted before the first half had ended out on a supporter who had first shouted something at him.

Then there was the sight of another player, Daniel Candaeis, visibly demonstrating what a dis-united dressing room looks like by taking his substitution as his cue to deliver a mouthful towards the dug-out before going to the dressing room and refusing to stay and see what happened to his team for the remainder of the match.

The Rangers fans can hope Arsenal have finally had enough of Arsene Wenger, or that Antonio Conte will never cheer up at Chelsea.

They can dream of Rodgers being tempted to one, or other, club down South. But, in the meantime, they will have to deal with reality.

And that is the club will need to fashion its own solutions to the problems that are mounting up for Rangers. Being just another club isn't an option for the paying customers at Ibrox