Nicky Clark: I know the second division.. it's not going to be easy

[54andcounting 0]

CLARK has spent the past year in the second division with Queen of the South and, despite hitting over 40 goals, he reckons it will be a tough test for Rangers.

 

 

DEFENDERS in the Second Division probably breathed a sigh of relief when Queen of the South were promoted and theyâ??d got Nicky Clark out of their hair.

 

Then the 41-goal striker joined Rangers and found himself right back in the league heâ??d just left.

 

The prospect of heading to the likes of Forfar, Arbroath and Stenhousemuir for the second successive season doesnâ??t bother the young striker in the slightest.

 

And the fact he knows what to expect in that league might give him a head start on his new team-mates when the clubâ??s registration embargo ends on September 1 and he is allowed to become a fully fledged Rangers player.

 

Before that he may or may not be allowed to play as a trialist in competitive matches but will definitely feature in pre-season friendlies where he hopes to forge an instant partnership with fellow new boy Jon Daly.

 

Clark was at Ibrox yesterday to promote season-ticket sales and canâ??t wait to get to the stadium for real when the ball starts rolling again.

 

He said: â??Iâ??ve got a wee insight into the teams we will be playing and they are all good teams.

 

â??Itâ??s a hard league. Boys just love playing football in this league and are capable of getting stuck right into you.

 

â??When they come to Ibrox it is massive for them so it will be hard for us but Iâ??m sure we will adapt to it and do well.

 

â??The experience the players had in the Third Division last season will help them.â?

 

Clark helped knock Rangers out of the Ramsdens Cup last season but believes the influx of more experienced signings this summer will help the club make a bigger impact in knockout tournaments than they did in the previous campaign.

 

He said: â??Weâ??ve made a few good signings and other people will be coming in. The club have been signing really good, experienced players. Weâ??ll want to make an impact in all competitions as well as the league.

 

â??A lot of people will be expecting us to do well in the cups and we will be trying to do that.

 

â??But the main thing will be to try to win the league because the most important thing is to get back into the SPL as quickly as we can.

 

â??I want to be part of the journey back to where this club belongs, in the SPL and in Europe.

 

â??The fans are the lifeblood of this football club and I have no doubt they will sign up for season tickets in huge numbers as they have always done. More than 38,000 supporters bought season tickets in 2012-13 and that is a phenomenal total.

 

â??Iâ??m just hoping I can do as well again this year, for Rangers. I think Iâ??ll get more chances playing here but last year was a memorable season.

 

â??If I get anything like 40 goals again it will be another great season.â?

 

He hasnâ??t been told Rangers will go with Clark and Daly up front but if boss Ally McCoist decides thatâ??s his preferred option he will get no complaints from the former Queen of the South attacker.

 

Clark said: â??Playing up front with Jon Daly, if thatâ??s what happens, will allow me to benefit from his experience. Iâ??m sure he can teach me a lot.

 

â??Heâ??s an experienced player who knows how to read the game. He can win a lot of flick-ons and I can get on the second balls. It can work well.

 

â??Itâ??s important to get games because partnerships donâ??t happen overnight. Thatâ??s why weâ??ll play together in friendlies so we are ready by the time we go into competitive games.â?

 

Prices for season tickets in the family section are £258 for adults, £65 for kids and £179 for concessions. Prices for all other areas of the stadium start from £278 for adults, £68 for kids and £190 for concessions.

 

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/rangers-striker-nicky-clark-know-1936923?

[Guest Nevergreen]

Last season was an eye opener for many, will we "struggle" this season. Its important we get off to a good start. Wether we are allowed our triallists or not, we should have far too much for these 2nd div teams.

Nicky Clarks message needs to be heeded, show these teams respect.

[Darthter 542]

I think a good start is imperative & will set the tone for the rest of the season.

 

If we come out the blocks with a bang, the rest of the league will know we mean business & hopefully fear playing us. Last year we struggled a bit, which gave the opposition hope of taking some points.

[calscot 0]

Winning a league by 24 points is difficult to consolidate with the word "struggle" and is a sign of the paradigm problem many of our fans have. We do not have a top European or even top SPL squad that our fans have been brought up on in recent decades.

 

You have to look at the number of times SPL clubs have not walked over lower division sides in the cups (even Celtic against Arbroath) to see that when the gap is not so huge, the difference in talent is shown over the season, not in every game - which is why we used to win the SPL by about the same amount. For attractiveness of football then you should be comparing an average SPL side or even the under 21 teams instead of our previous sides - and the one guy who recently prioritised attractive football over results had his team relegated and himself on the dole (Hughs).

 

But even if you have a side that is capable of winning by more than 24 points, it's not often that this happens due to human nature as players ease off when they know they are going to win by margin. Just look at Celtic last season and other countries where there is only one or two top sides that are far richer than the rest.

 

Celtic are also an example in the other direction where they were minnows against a giant Barcelona and yet the Catalan club came off second best. Ironically, some people hold that club as an example for us to emulate, but it just shows that you can pick any team in the world and they will have some bad results over a season, especially when every team that plays you does it like it's a cup final, while for our players it's a weekly grind.

 

I think it's obvious that there is not a single club in Scotland that would please some of the more negative supporters in our midst. No not one.

 

It will be interesting to see how the darling of last year, Queen of the South will do next season to justify their lofty praise. I wouldn't put money on them winning Division 1, whereas I think it will be difficult to put money on Rangers - I can't even find a bet for us winning Divsion 2.

[Frankie 8,182]

I'm sure we will find some periods challenging but I'm confident enough of winning the league by a similar margin as last year again.

 

The First Division will be the most difficult test but even then we should have enough talent and depth in the squad for comfortable promotion.

[Tumshie RFC 0]

Really looking forward to seeing Clark in action. Just hope he gets a run in the team.

[Super Cooper 0]

I disagree with Nicky completely here. I can see us wiping the floor in this league. A year on, proper pre season, stronger squad, manager a years more experience. I am expecting a very good and very exciting season.

[Frankie 8,182]

I disagree with Nicky completely here. I can see us wiping the floor in this league. A year on, proper pre season, stronger squad, manager a years more experience. I am expecting a very good and very exciting season.

 

Very positive - I like it!

[reaper 0]

I really don't want to hear any of it, excuses before a baw is kicked, cringe worthy in the extreme.

[Ser Barristan Selmy 222]

We should be barely dropping a point and winning most games by cricket scores, like tiny wee Gretna pretty much did.