On Reflection

Thankfully the latest and seemingly interminable international break has trundled toits conclusion and we could all welcome proper football back into our lives at Ibrox last Saturday. Importantly, however, as grimly tedious as the hiatus has been, it has allowed for plenty of time for happy reflection on the trajectory of our team. .

Of course, this has largely centred on the successive comprehensive pumpings of our city rivals and their subsequent descent into a chaotic and particularly unedifying blame game. It’s often said with ironic undertone that it is ‘some laugh’ watching Rangers, but appreciating their discomfort from afar over the past weeks has been genuinely pleasing.

As we bask in schadenfreude, however, there are other more pressing factors which should gird us as a support as we move into the forthcoming run of fixtures.

The Old Firm wins, as exhilarating as they were, seemed to me to be more akin to commas rather than a full-stop; they were markers of ongoing progression as opposed to any sort on conclusion. They were hugely important in terms of our season as a whole, but should be seen as part of the wider context: how we viewand trust our new manager and our young team.

The winning run which preceded these fixtures were as mixed in performance as they were uniform in result. In the aftermath of ignominious European failure, the wins away in Aberdeen and Falkirk were hard fought and gritty with occasional flashes of football. Against Motherwell, the much improved performance was blighted by profligacy in front of goal and whilst at the time it felt reasonably comfortable, the nagging possibility of the depressingly classic 1-1 home draw rarely left the mind. St Mirren, too, saw an impressive performance, but only for sixty minutes at best, before Pandur’s quality and bravery, and Miovski’s finishing allowed for mass exhalation as the clock ticked down.

Our return on Saturday saw similar disparities. The strength displayed during the first half was balanced by a second forty-five accurately described by the manager as “disjointed”. However, some of the grumbles following the win have been overblown. In what could have proved a tricky match the game was over at halftime. Perhaps a drop off following the break was - if not inevitable – unsurprising.

In our perennial search for a meaningful narrative in football we try to pinpoint moments which give structure to the story. Much has been made of Miovski’s late show in galvanising the team and indeed the support. The time spent in Aberdeen after Jablonec is credited too, and both of these have their merits. In fact, it could be argued that the nadir in Czechia was itself the moment of realisation. But as much as life sometimes imitates art, it seems a little simple to ascribe the positive change to one singular occurrence. Like the defensive catastrophes each of which compound and exacerbate, each positive step made by the team has served to amplify and accelerate the last. If there has been a turning point, it has resembled more of a sweeping curve than a handbrake turn.

Who knows whether our city dominance would have happened without the resilience, patience and - dare I say it – character shown in the four preceding matches? And, let’s be honest, who cares? After a howling start to the season, we now seem ready to attack the remainder of it.

Another point of reflection for this writer was a timely reminder that if you are willing to share your opinion on football publically, you leave yourself open to making something of an arse of yourself.

Writing in mid-August, I bemoaned the lack of a spine in our team – a lack of leadership and quality and suggested that we needed to find these attributes quickly. In the space of a few weeks it became clear that my plaintiff cries were as unnecessary as they were stroppy. How was I supposed to know these guys were already here?

Who knew that Makhanya – as impressively steady as he had been – would emerge as a sort of modern day Lilian Thuram? It has been genuinely difficult to not soundhyperbolic when discussing his performances of late and although he probably had his least assured game against Killie, there is no reason to suspect that he will not continue to shine. In the same vein, Dan Neil’s early season form would not point to the calm, controlling, leader he has shown himself to be. Despite lengthy transfer speculation, Nico’s head seems to be in the right place as well, and with Neil’s leadership perhaps Nico’s urge to be all things to all men on the pitch can be curbed and he can stick to the many things at which he excels.

Perhaps most surprisingly has been the influence of Ryan Naderi. A pressing monster, he can, at times, look at best ungainly but his presence on the pitch must give centre halves and fullbacks a headache. At Ibrox in the League Cup he was immense, giving Carter Vickers et al a torrid time. That he would go on to repeat this the following weekend was superb. He might not be the ‘best’ centre forward in the league but he might just turn out to be most effective.

So we welcomed Kilmarnock on Saturday in good spirits both in the stands and on the pitch. We won comfortably despite barely performing in the second half. The international break has provided a sort of half term in the opening run of league fixtures and our report is far more positive than many of us might have imagined six weeks or so ago. It is probably not quite time for mid-term erections just yet, but it feels safe to say that things are on the up.

Robin Erskine