Throughout our impressive early season run, a big X was marked against the date October 20 and there was no lack of optimism amongst Bears. But with just one win in our last four SPL games, the mood has mellowed a wee bit and going into this weekend's game playing catch-up, when we had envisaged all the pressure being on them, there is an edginess within us.
And the notion that Walter might be unsure about going at FC Semtex with a 'gerrintaerrum' approach, preferring to keep one eye on Tuesday's Champions League business (a la Tynecastle), has been the topic of some debate on the FF Messageboard.
Don't even think about it, Walter! The SPL is our bread and butter, we MUST regain our title so we MUST put Septic in their place at every opportunity. And in my humble opinion, nothing will give the team a better boost in the build-up to the Barcelona game than a victory on Saturday.
Of course, we've got a few injury worries, although I'd like to think a lot of the doubts have been fed to the Hack Pack to give Gordon The Garden Gnome something to think about. With the possible exception of JCD (and he will be a big loss!), I expect all our major players to be in their usual places.
And for what its worth, I'm not swallowing all the 'Scott Brown won't make it' crap. Strap-On will move heaven and earth to get him out there, in the hope that he'll rub our noses in it, but I think that could be a big mistake. A lot of questions will be asked of Broonaldinho (9 out 10 in Tbilisi from Mark Guidi?) and I've got enough belief in our guys to fancy him heading back up the tunnel long before the end, either as a very frustrated subbee or a very angry red cardee.
Last season's two victories, very welcome though they were, won't count for anything this time around. The new players have to show they can hack it with the Rangers and the next few days is their opportunity to make their mark. Cuellar, Whittaker, Cousin and Beasley must rise to the challenge, overdose on the adrenaline rush and make it abundantly clear they know what playing for the Rangers is all about. It won't get any better than this, chaps.
More than a year has passed since the Hooped Horrors had anything to shout about against us and nothing would do more to underline the new feelgood factor about all things Rangers (well maybe not all things but a pretty sizeable chunk!) than to send the Great Unwashed streaming out of the Broomloan greetin' about that wee ginger bassa, Broon being a waste of money, nobody ever really rated Scott McDonald - thanks again for Helicopter Sunday wee man! - and various other conspiracy theories. Prepare for meltdown on the phone-ins!!!
Then after a wee gloat or two (or maybe a few more) we can give it Bring On The Barca! Like most Bears, I didn't really fancy our chances of getting so much as a point from them but, having savoured two top quality Champions League performances thus far, I'm beginning to think 'Maybe...just maybe'.
I've no doubt Frank Rijkaard will have studied our display in Lyon and will have an idea or two about getting behind us. At no time did Lyon do this, being forced to rely on Juninho's long range efforts, but I'm sure the combined skills of Ronaldinho, Messi and Henry are more likely to find space where none exists. We just have to be so tight when they start wriggling in and around the edge of the box.
The longer the game stays at 0-0, the better it will be for us, they might start to be more outrageous with their efforts to break us down and we could just get a chance. I'm sure we'll get an opportunity at some point in the game, we have to make sure we bury it, then it will be all about hanging on.
Come to think of it, that was my game plan pre-Stuttgart so, even if Barca score first, all is not lost. We must get right behind the team, let the Barcelona folks watching on the box back home know what a Rangers crowd sounds like and, if we get another Stuttgartesque performance, a lot of respect will await us when we had for our Nou Camp party three weeks down the road.
These next few days highlights all the glamour of playing with the big boys. We all know we are well short of the level required to get in there and trade blow for blow but on Saturday, and again on Tuesday night, it is not beyond the bounds of possibility for Rangers to produce the sort of performances which show we are again worthy of our place at football's top table.
It is all about making progress. Walter Smith has done remarkable well in a relatively short period of time, pulling us out of the slump and back on the ascendancy again. We have come so far, now we must breathe in, focus and prepare to push to a new level.
It CAN be done!
ERWIN G.