TOP PRIORITY
If we needed reminding about what a mess we made of last season - and I don't suppose we do - we certainly got it this week. Having overdosed on the hype of the Champions League and sat glued to the box for wall-to-wall glamour on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, it was hardly intoxicating to see the Gers in action in a half-empty stadium on Thursday, nor was it any consolation to note that Spurs and Newcastle also had to play in equally uninspiring settings.
Listening to Glenn Roeder and Martin Jol speak on Channel 5, it was clear they see participation in the UEFA Cup as something of an achievement. We don't have that luxury. Every time I hear the Champions League anthem, I am reminded of what we are missing out on and, while it would be nice (feckin great actually!) to lift the thing at Hampden on May 16, we must never accept that the UEFA Cup is where we belong.
For that very reason, every SPL match we play is crucial and none more so than our next two, at Easter Road and the Piggery. We all expect Ra Sellick and the Jambos to win on Saturday and, if St.Mirren and the Sheepies also pick up three points, we could have dropped down to fifth place by the time we take the field on Sunday. So we can't afford to settle for anything less than victory, especially as any disappointment would leave us playing to hang on in there at the Scum Dome next weekend.
It doesn't help that, after an iffy start to the season, Hibs appear to have got themselves sorted. By all accounts, they were very unlucky to lose at Breezeblock Boulevard and last week they dismantled Dundee United in a manner which we threatened to do a few weeks earlier but didn't quite get round to getting the job done. Then again, Hibs never have been inclined to do Rangers any favours.
There will be no room for any slackness on Sunday. Maybe we can put Thursday night's sloppy show down to the lack of atmosphere but there will be no such problem at Easter Road. The Trainspotters hate us with a passion match only by the so-called GFITW and anybody who doubts it need only reflect on their arrogance after a few victories over us last season. They will be out in force to mock us Bears and goad the players but the only way to silence them is to put their team in its place on the park.
I'm sure I wasn't the only one who was puzzled by PLG's team selection in Norway but I'm sure it was done with one eye on Sunday's game. Le Gaffer will be aware of the need for three points and I'm confident he will convey this to the players. Tight at the back, sharp in midfield and ruthless up front are the requirements. Anything less will cause us major problems.
We seemed to lose the ability to hold on to the ball after Baz was subbed on Thursday so I'm looking for him to call the shots, with Jeremy Clement alongside him and Brahim Hemdani continuing his impressive start to the season. I suspect PLG will go with just one wide player, possibly Lee Martin for his ability to switch from one wing to the other, with Dado and Boydie linking up again in the front line.
The make-up of the back four will be interesting. Karl Svensson has looked a lot better over the past couple of games and, having already hinted that Sasa Papac is very useful on the left side, I wonder if Le Guen might be inclined to stick him into Stevie Smith's slot. Easter Road is hardly the place to experiment. If it works, it will be acclaimed as a master stroke, if not, oh dear. By the way, Allan McGregor did himself no harm in Norway so, if Letizi is less than 100% fit, we shouldn't lose any sleep over the goalkeeping situation.
We are entering a vital stage of the season. If we are to be genuine title contenders, we have to be able to cope with the stern tests of the next week or so. While I am always reluctant to accept anything short of maximum points, I suspect most Bears will settle for four out of six from our next two games. So long as nobody puts significant daylight between themselves and Rangers, with us lurking on their shoulder to cash-in on any subsequent slips, we will all be reasonably content.
The UEFA Cup will get more exciting as the season progresses and, with the Gers pushing for the number one spot in the SPL, 2006-07 could still be all we want it to be. Events of the next week or so will do much to determine the mood of our season and give us some indication of what level we will be competing at in Europe next time around.
We must be in there with the big boys…accept no substitute.
LITTLE BOY BLUE