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Euro Dis’ney: Remembering 2008
I’ve often wondered if Rangers could repeat the magnificent feats of 2008. Up until quite late on in that season, Rangers were on for a quadruple of both domestic cups, the league title and were inexplicably piling through the latter stages of the Europa League or, as it was then known, the UEFA Cup.
As we all know all too well, Rangers finished the 2007/08 season with just two pieces of silverware; the Scottish League and FA Cup. Despite being a relatively successful season for our side, the fans were left proud, yet devastated. Having reached the final of the UEFA Cup and the final day of the league campaign with some hope of winning both, it was a bitter blow indeed to lose both of the bigger competitions.
This season, despite taking a healthy lead at the summit of the SPL, Rangers are restricted to winning just a league and cup double. The Ibrox side have been knocked out of three competitions so far this term and it’s not even October yet. “We’ll have the league wrapped up by Halloween” I remember joking to my brother, shortly before watching the defeat to Malmo.
So how long will it be before a Rangers side are competing for four competitions in April again? Well, considering the state and reputation of Scottish football, my guess is; bloody ages. It’s not a matter of surviving more rounds of the League Cup, that’s just a side dish on the season, it’s more about sustaining a team that can compete in the Europa League. Many Gers fans still talk about transfer targets in light of the Champions League, “is he good enough to score against Madrid?”, “can he keep Rooney quiet?” etc. Obviously in those cases I am stretching the idea a bit far, but believe me, similar questions were asked when Nikica Jelavic was brought in and as a concept it’s quite silly.
But, in my humble opinion, 2008 was a freak year. The squad we had back then were massive underdogs in France when they beat Lyon, huge outsiders in Italy when they won that shootout against Fiorentina and more so, a 2-0 victory in Lisbon was almost inconceivable before Darcheville’s opener. Do the current squad have the tactical punch that the class of ’08 packed? Probably not.
I wouldn’t for one second suggest this season’s team isn’t as capable as those Florentine destroyers, but in Ally McCoist, Rangers perhaps lack a European general. I always felt safe with Uncle Walter in charge, even on those nights against Unirea, I felt Smith was fully capable of achieving the preferred result. In addition, if Rangers were to make the unlikely move down south to join the EPL, European glory would be even more of a mission impossible.
Next season will hopefully renew my faith. As I have already said Rangers must be realistic and target players and a setup that can make a decent assault on the Europa League.
Posted by Rangers fan Ali Hunter
Follow Ali on Twitter @AliHunter1
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