What a long, strange trip it’s been.
After the old club diappeared from Scotland’s top tier precipitated by poor financial management, punctuated by more controversy than Prost Amerika has the time or patience to rehash, and extended by a pair of lackluster playoff performances in 2015, the Rangers FC which rose from the ashes of the liquidated club, has reached the top tier.
Manager Mark Warburton faces immense pressure going into his second year with the club. After four years of toiling in the lower leagues, the community surrounding Rangers will expect the club to be competitive, to regain its place at the top of the league. It’s a tall order and Warburton has some holes to fill in his roster if he expects to be competitive.
With striker Martyn Waghorn out for an expected two to three weeks, Rangers will need to look elsewhere for fire power. Does 36-year old Kenny Miller have enough left in the tank to be the difference or will Warburton put midfielder Niko Kranjcar (fresh off a stint with NASL’s New York Cosmos) into more of an attacking role?
New arrivals Joey Barton and his Burnley teammate Matt Gilks will join England youth phenom Jordan Rossiter on Warburton’s roster.
This early in the season, coming off of a 1-all draw at Ibrox last week against Hamilton, and a 5-0 win over Peterhead in a midweek League Cup match, there are more questions than answers, both on and off the field.
Rangers on Friday filed suit against Mike Ashley and four former RFC directors over commercial deals made with Ashley’s Sports Direct, alleging deals (including the naming rights to Ibrox) were made for far below market value and that the four named directors did not act in the best interests of the club.
The one thing we know for sure: with Rangers back in the top flight, the drama (and likely controversy) of Scottish football has returned as well.
Rangers meet Dundee at Dens Park Saturday, August 13 at an ungodly hour on the U.S. west coast.
