Rangers have had disappointments this season, but things are still mostly going well. The trick for the club will be to find a way to get over the hump.
This Rangers season has been mostly successful. They qualified for the group stage in Europe for the first time in a decade and in early December are tied with Celtic in the table. Beyond those basic facts, this Rangers side has shown a quality and resilience that just hasn’t been there the past two seasons.
Steven Gerrard has unquestionably got Rangers on the right track, and yet, the season has had disappointments.
Those disappointments have come from the fact that the path is so clearly there. Rangers have appeared to be on the very edge of starting a truly special season multiple times before having a let-down.
Rangers have come close to pulling into the lead of their Europa League division but come out with close draws and a heartbreaking loss against Spartak Moscow, they had the 1-0 loss to Celtic, and dropped key points in the Premiership just when they seemed to be ready to take it by the horns.
The most recent setback, a 0-1 loss to Aberdeen, is the perfect example. Rangers had won their previous three Premiership matches in impressive fashion. A 7-1 victory over Motherwell, 3-0 over Livingston, and 2-1 over Hearts at Tynecastle. Toss in a draw against La Liga side Villarreal and it’s an impressive stretch that seemed to have Rangers playing in excellent form and starting to pull away in the table.
Then they lay an egg against Aberdeen and they remain where they have been much of the season. On the very edge of greatness, ready to take it, but just not quite being able to reach it.
Perhaps a change over the winter transfer window is needed, perhaps it is just a bit of improved form from the players already here, but that is all that must happen. They must get over the hump.