Famous RFC
Active Member
As nostalgia has been washing over me recently and as a follow on to my last post about previous European campaigns. Whilst looking into these European outings I fell into many rabbit holes, mostly enjoyable though!
The ELO ratings had us as #2 in February 1968 and we have been in the top 10 on numerous occasions and for long periods of time, top 20 around the first CL campaign and in the 30's around the 2008 UEFA run. We are now in the mid 40's for the first time in over a decade and improving.
A question that kept crossing my mind was, were Rangers the best team in Europe at any point post 1955/56, or indeed do you think we were at any point prior to organised European football, the days of playing Dynamo Moscow in 1945 or in the era of Mr. Struth?
It is purely fanciful and impossible to prove but I certainly have the feeling that teams we have had, at certain points in time, did not achieve what their undoubted talents would have indicated (mid 60's, late 70's), conversely some teams outperformed (2008 UEFA etc.).
As always there are many variables and mitigating factors and reading about some of those great teams it appears that bad luck, bad judgement and sometimes poor game management contributed to our downfall.
Endlessly fascinating and helps me fill the gaps between games at the moment, bit like historical Championship Manager .
who kept us off top spot Real Madrid?