Many Gers fans are brimfull of confidence, with our neighbours' summer consisting largely of chasing a new manager much like we'd chase a girl to go home with during the last few songs of some drunken night out. All the pretties gave them a none too subtle knock-back and they're left with the managerial equivalent of the fat girl – she might be fun enough to spent the night with but you'd hardly be bragging to your mates in the morning. Tony Mowbray was at best 4th in line for the Celtic job and Celtic fans should never be allowed to forget it. Results like the one in Moscow remind us that they still remain dangerous but the level of upheaval should allow a more settled Rangers side the scope to secure its 2nd league title in as many years.
My concern therefore is that whilst the league should be well within our reach this season, we're certainly not immune to throwing away golden opportunities.
Pre-season has seen nobody welcomed to Ibrox. Whilst that familiarity should allow us a quicker start in the league, it does also severely restrict us. Ten players have left Ibrox this summer and whilst some were youngsters unable to make the grade, others had international experience that's now gone from our squad. We lost Chris Burke in January – a player capable of both entertaining and frustrating in a single attacking move – and can now add Hemdani, Adam and Ferguson to the ranks of internationals who have left the club in recent times. We needed the money to cut our enormous wage bill and time will tell if we're well without our wayward former captain, plagued by injury problems, and our almost forgotten French Algerian defensive midfielder. Charlie Adam had ability – that was never in doubt – but his conditioning and consistency could often be questioned but facing the prospect of going into a new season with Lee McCulloch the only fit and experienced cover for midfield does raise concerns.
When Walter Smith set his side out in a 4-3-3 formation at the Emirates Cup, many of us were delighted that he was trying something new. Steven Davis would be brought into a more central role where his energy could be used box to box and Mendes would therefore be given license to concentrate on creating chances. The return of Kevin Thomson, often cited as being a future Gers captain with his never say die attitude, was encouraging and at times we played with real style and confidence. Passing was accurate and the movement from Miller, Novo and a resurgent Steven Naismith, surely the highlight of pre-season, caused real problems to our top class opponents. Sadly we saw the drawbacks of playing a 39 year old centre half and whilst David Weir can still read a game like a book, his legs can't always take him where his head tells him he needs to be. We lost some very simple goals against Arsenal and Man City because we defend deep and don't press far enough up the park. Its no shame in losing 3-0 to a side like Arsenal who play a style of football that's undoubtedly a joy to watch but a side built on strength, effort and organisation should not be giving acres of room to players who can undoubtedly hurt us. Smith has yet to decide between McGregor and Alexander for the number 1 jersey and such a dilemma cannot give our back four confidence going into the new season. Smith needs to pick his keeper and back him – alternating between McGregor and Alexander is not an option.
It's the strength of our squad that worries me most. We've lost 10 players and are arguably no weaker a team. The same can't be said of our squad. Portsmouth saw first-team starts given to Little, Fleck and Beasley and a depleted Rangers lost 2-0. I cant comment on the game itself – family commitments meant that the game passed me by – but with Danny Wilson and Jamie Ness given game time, you have to wonder what we have should our first choice players pick up any injuries?
Wilson, Shinnie, Little and the much hyped John Fleck will all be expected to provide back-up to our first team players but can they be relied on should we find ourselves short of players going into difficult games? Weir and Bougherra have been model athletes but Whittaker and Papac have both missed games. Thomson is coming back after a serious injury and with Edu still on his own road to recovery, we're potentially relying on a player who was farmed out to the first division last season and a 17 year old who has reached the most crucial stage of his career yet. Lafferty is another who has something to prove – plenty of potential but burdened with the baggage of a £3.5million price tag at a time of relative poverty. Youth development is our future and our youngsters must be given meaningful game time this season but when you're potentially left with no choice but to play a youngster in difficult games then you're playing roulette with their career. Sink or swim has rarely been seen as a means of developing talent long term and asking our youngsters to step into the boots of seasoned pros at times of crisis adds unwanted pressures to talented young shoulders.
The alternative may be to cash in on luxuries like McGregor and Kris Boyd and use the money to bring in players capable of providing genuine cover, but with the transfer window open only until the end of the month, we must not be in the position of panic buying on deadline day. Christian Dailly's debut goal for Charlton should give every Gers fan a massive boost, if only for the fact that it means he won't be coming back to Ibrox, but its that calibre of panic signing that we must avoid.
We go into the season already facing squad issues with Papac and Lafferty missing through indiscipline and Novo missing through injury. That shouldn't diminish our chance to get off to a really great start against a Falkirk side with a new management team and an inexperienced squad but we do need to get off to a flyer. Champions League commitments start in September and the return to Ibrox of the CL anthem will send shivers down our spines in anticipation of more great European nights but we need to make sure we're in pole position domestically come the first Old Firm game on October 3rd.
We have reasons to be confident that we'll do well this season but that must be considered in the context of a rival in serious transition and a squad that's thinner than a size zero supermodel. The title is ours for the taking and if we can stay healthy and disciplined then we should fear nobody. The performance on the park may ultimately be in the control of our players but Smith and his coaches must ensure that they create the conditions in which we can flourish. It's been some time since we've been in the position to cement our status as the dominant force in Scotland and despite our financial concerns, we have the first team, and potentially the youngsters, to do just that.
And after years of inconsistency its time for Rangers to fulfill their promise.