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Ibrox is calling and I’m coming home

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Image for Ibrox is calling and I’m coming home

BY DUNCAN WRIGHT

As Rangers emerged from the tunnel on Saturday evening one hundred and thirty days had passed since the team had last taken the field at Ibrox Stadium. When fans made their way back to Ibrox after the Covid epidemic many would have thought that never again would they need to spend such a long period of time not being able to support their team from the stands in Govan.

However, a shipping delay with the steel required for the building of a new disabled supporters section in the Copland Road stand resulted in Rangers being forced to play their opening home games of the season at Hampden. Supporters, and the players and manager, adapted well to the challenges of playing at Hampden but Phiilippe Clement had talked earlier in the week of the importance of being back at Ibrox.

Whilst there was a sense of familiarity with being back at Ibrox there was one noticeable difference in the stands with the Union Bears taking up residence in their new position front and centre of the Copland Road stand. The Ultras group waited no time for their presence to be heard as the new terrace anthem Ibroxonia was belted out with less than five minutes on the clock.

Football often has a strange habit of throwing up quirks within the game and today was no different. The last opponents to face Rangers at Ibrox? Dundee of course. The men from Tayside arrived at Ibrox after a solid start to the new season which included a 6 -1 victory against Airdrie in the previous round of the League Cup. Under manager Tony Docherty the Dens park side have solidified their place in the Scottish Premiership with a blend of experienced pros such as Simon Murray and emerging new talent such as Josh Mulligan.

Following their solid start to the season many expected Dundee to prove tricky opponents for a Rangers side still bedding in a number of new players. The reality proved to be very different. Dundee kicked off, gave away possession and then barely touched the ball for the next fifteen minutes as Rangers started with intensity and pace and a confidence on the ball.  They utilised the width of the park well with Jefte and Bajrami linking well on the left and Cerny and Tavernier doing the same on the right.

Rangers’ opening goal came as a direct result of excellent wide play. Jefte played a low cross into the box and Cyriel Dessers shot was well saved. When the ball broke to Tavernier he fired it back towards goal and Dessers got a slight tough to divert the ball into the goal. Rangers deserved the goal and their dominance continued throughout the half with Clement’s only complaint during half time likely to be that his side had scored just the one goal.

The game finished as a contest five minutes into the second half when Tavernier converted a penalty. Dundee could have no complaints about the award as they could easily have conceded a penalty in the first half for the same offence. Rangers did switch off briefly following the second goal and Butland made an excellent double save after Dundee looked dangerous from a cross ball. However just after the hour mark Dessers got his seventh goal of the season following great work yet again from Jefte and Bajrami on the left.

The first time finish from Dessers was a sign of the growing confidence the striker has. Given quality service the Nigerian forward will believe he can score even more goals than he did last season. Rangers continued to play with confidence and were unlucky not to score a fourth goal which would have been an accurate reflection of the dominance they showed in the game.

There was much to like in this Rangers performance. Kevin Propper and John Soutar look to be developing a growing partnership and will be pleased to have kept another clean sheet. Connor Barron continues to grow in stature and was at times during the match reminiscent of Billy Gilmour. Barron demands the ball and looks to play forward at all times, allowing Rangers to pin teams back in their own half effectively.

It was in the wide areas of the pitch that Rangers were most effective with left back Jefte being the standout wide player. His driving runs, often moving inside at pace with the ball, along with his quality of delivery are becoming a real issue for opposition teams. Bajrami in his first start for Rangers also had moments of quality and there is no doubt that there is the nucleus of a young, exciting, dynamic Rangers team beginning to emerge.

The problem for Rangers, and to some extent manager Clement, is whether the wider Rangers support will have the patience required to see the results of Clement’s project. Winning games of football is, in reality, the only way that he can put credit in the bank. Whilst today’s win will be welcomed as it secured Rangers a place in the semi-final of the League Cup, this is the least that Rangers fans expect.

The games will come thick and fast over the coming months and the pace will feel relentless. In the next week Rangers will travel to Sweden to take on Malmo in the Europa League before returning back to Ibrox once again to play Hibs, before Lyon arrive at Ibrox in the Europa League. Were Rangers to win these three games it’s fair to say belief and confidence in the team would be coursing round Ibrox once again. It’s up to Clement and his players to ensure the confidence the fans took from today’s performance is not misplaced.

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