Tonight we travel to Palmerston to open our Co-op Cup campaign. The aims for our squad will be two-fold. One, achieve progression with the minimum fuss possible given the level of opposition and two, try and finish a game of football with a full complement of players on the field. As this weekend’s drab draw with Kilmarnock demonstrated, target number two may rely more on the quality of officiating than the mentality of our players.

 

The League Cup has perhaps become devalued in recent years but it is the first trophy on the way to a treble and we should be looking to win every match and every tournament we enter. That being said, and with particular concern over a squad short in numbers in this season, this midweek tie is a perfect opportunity for the management team to blood some youngsters and allow the likes of Wilson and Little to gain valuable first team experience.

A fantastic point gained in Germany has been sandwiched between two poor away trips in the league. Another draw in an away fixture would not be well received by fans, players or the manager. The 2007/8 season showed the difficulties that can be cause by a fixture backlog and we should not be requiring two bites at the cherry in attempting to dispose of lower league opposition.

Queen of the South have started their First Division campaign well sitting in 3rd, just two points off pace-setters Ross County. Gordon Chisholm’s players will be buoyed by their start to the season and also by their performance in running us close in the 2008 Scottish Cup Final. However, whilst you cannot afford to take any opposition lightly, if we match their commitment and endeavour our extra quality should tell and their can only be one winner.

In his pre-match conference Walter Smith has hinted that Alexander will be given a first team recall. Many fans are still scratching their heads as to why he was dropped, however Allan McGregor has pulled off several points’ earning saves since his error at Hearts including that last minute penalty save at Fir Park. It is an opportunity for Alexander to give his manager food for thought, though realistically McGregor will retain the gloves.

Madjid Bougherra was absent from that disappointing draw with Kilmarnock on Saturday. I can’t be the only one who thought we missed his desire to burst forward against the Ayrshire outfit when casting my mind back to that goal in Stuttgart. The midfield and the attack had not turned up again, yet one of Madjid’s bulldozing runs may have proven the difference between one point and three. He returns from a questionable suspension, something we are becoming increasingly familiar with, and I would like to see him partnered with young Danny Wilson. If the young defender is ever going to make the grade at Rangers Smith has got to unwrap the cotton wool and perhaps appearing away from the impatient Ibrox crowd may be of benefit.

With Broadfoot injured Whittaker is the only real choice for right back. Andy Little could play there, but if we are to blood Wilson at the back we do not want to many inexperience defenders beside him to help him through the game. A League Cup tie against lower league opposition might prove a good opportunity to rest Papac and give Stevie Smith some first team game time.

Walter has swapped between 4-3-3 and 4-4-2 this season and I expect him to play a more traditional 4-4-2 tomorrow night. Novo was a surprise inclusion at Rugby Park on the right hand side of midfield. He did not make the most of the chance presented him, however I would keep him in the team as we keep key players fresh for bigger ties ahead. Mendes has been disappointing recently even allowing for an incredibly harsh dismissal, and should make way for a Davis and Thomson partnership in the engine room. John Fleck, like Novo, came in for the Killie match but did not really grasp the opportunity with both hands. He will compete with Rothen for a berth on the left, though I am unsure as to the sense of risking the Frenchman against such unfancied opposition he is in need of game time to get to know his new team mates.

Boyd had one of his poorest games in a Rangers jersey this weekend and will be keen to make immediate amends. With Lafferty not quite ready to return and Miller similarly struggling for form this fixture should be utilised as an opportunity to allow the former Kilmarnock strike partnership to rediscover their understanding.

With the quality of the opposition, the options in several positions as well as in formation and tactics, it may prove difficult to second guess Smith’s intentions for this fixture. Will he, like against Kilmarnock, throw a curveball in terms of selection? Whoever we send out, from 1 to 11 they should be far superior to our opposition and nothing less than a convincing victory will do. A resounding win could be the boost the players require to get themselves back on track and playing lower league opposition may allow some of our so called star men to play their way in to form.

Possible Line Up:

 

_________________Alexander___________________

 

Whittaker____Bougherra________Wilson_______Smith

 

Novo______Davis__________Thomson________Fleck

 

_________Boyd______________Naismith___________