Scottish Cup

[Gribz 743]

Following on from a thread in Footie chat about Morton knocking Celtic out the league cup, I thought had we still been in the competition then the trophy would be there for the taken. But my comment was Id still be happy to settle for a League One and Ramsden's Cup double.

 

It got me thinking about the Scottish Cup. Oh yes I'd love to win that but are we ready to compete with the SPL sides? On paper we are. I wouldn't be swapping our squad for any in the SPL right now including Celtics as I think we have the basis of a good squad to compete. Add in a few quality signings when we are back to the SPL then Id say we will be top 2 for sure. It boils again down to our style of play and management ability as to how good we can be, as last season we were easily beaten by Inverness and Dundee Utd. But we are probably far more prepared this season.

 

As we are more prepared with a stronger squad that have had a full pre-season: What is our realistic expectations in the Scottish Cup? Of course the luck of the draw will always come into it.

 

Are some fans still wanting to boycott it in protest towards the SFA and anti-Rangers SPL clubs? I know I could understand that point of view.

 

Does anyone want to avoid playing an SPL side yet in case a) we get turned over and b) assist in financing them?

 

The jury is still out for me. I don't want to return to Tannadice nor head for Pittodrie to satisfy the vile hatred from elements of those places. But if we were to draw Ross County or Kilmarnock I'd take that right now as a) it would be a good test and b) I think we could beat those.

 

I do think the sticky balls will be in play this season and we will get Celtic.

[Super Cooper 0]

No SPL side should be good enough to turn us over. Not with the money we have spent, the quality of player we have and strength in depth of the squad.

[Gribz 743]

No SPL side should be good enough to turn us over. Not with the money we have spent, the quality of player we have and strength in depth of the squad.

 

We thought that last season but Inverness certain did this!

[54andcounting 0]

Any team in the land is capable of knocking an spl side out of the cup, Rangers can easily reach the final if they avoid timmy, and you never know we could actually win it.

Over the last decade or so around 5 clubs from outside the top division have made the final. (QoS, Ross Co, Gretna for example) and if a big club like ours can emulate those clubs then I think we are capable of going one better.

[ian1964 10,409]

Our result against Motherwell last season, Morton result last night shows any team can beat any other on their day,that's the beauty of fitba and part of why we all love the game. Our squad is capable of winning the Scottish cup,IMO.

[BrahimHemdani 1]

Rangers should play in all the competitions for which we are eligible and take our chnaces to match ourselves against the best the other clubs can offer. QoS pushed us all the way in the Final, no reason why we can't go one better with the team we have this season.

[calscot 0]

I think we have as much chance as any of the top six Premiership teams outside Celtic, who obviously have more of a chance. Perhaps a bit more of a chance than these teams. But like any top team, including the current Celtic and extreme examples like Advocaat's most expensive team in Scottish history, having a good or even great team guarantees nothing in a cup competition.

 

I think we need to embrace the romance of the cup and enjoy the unpredictable journey like almost all the other fans around the world.

[Super Cooper 0]

We thought that last season but Inverness certain did this!

Oh I know that's why I said, should, we all know why they have, can and will again.

[RANGERRAB 3,254]

We thought that last season but Inverness certain did this!

 

With the players we've added over the summer that shouldn't happen this season. Of course we're still short in 2 or 3 positions but we are getting back to where we were before we went newco. If Ally can wheel & deal in January & add 2 or 3 players(and release 2 or 3 at the same time presumably) then there's no reason why we can't get to the SC final IMO

[Super_Ally 0]

Bell

Mohsni Jig Wallace

Law McLeod Black Templeton Shiels

Daly Little

 

That's not a formation. Just a list of players in order of position who are good enough to play for most SPL sides.

 

All the examples previously listed demonstrate you dont necessarily even need an SPL standard side to reach a cup final. Just a bit of luck and to bring your best form on match day.

 

We arent as strong as we were pre-admin. Or under Eck, or Advocaat or Smith first time around. But we still have signed some of the best players from SPL teams. On our day with our first choice XI we are certainly a match for anyone in Scotland. Who in the SPL wouldn't be happy to have Nicky Law or David Templeton or Jon Daly in their playing pool? Only Celtic fans might realistically say they wouldn't take some of our players. And even then I think we certainly have a few who should be starting for them.

 

This has to be tempered against the fact that even when we could call on genuine World superstars like Brian Laudrup, Gazza, Ronal De Boer or Artur Numan we still didn't win the cups every year.

 

Morton last night plus any other host of results you want to highlight your point (e.g. us horsing Motherwell last year when they were battling at the top of the table) demonstrate we have a chance. But in cup football you cant afford one bad game. One unlucky match. It all needs to click every round. And even then with the squad we have now it might not be enough.

 

Factor in that everyone else has not only more belief than ever that they can beat us (our team is fairly decent but even star players like Law and Wallace don't strike fear into the opposition like the players of yesteryear) but also that they are perhaps are ever more determined to turn us over and rub our noses in our current situation.

 

It can be done. But it is not as likely as we dont carry the same superiority in player that we once had.

 

Fuck me, how good would it be though to win a cup from the lower divisions!

Edited September 26, 2013 by Super_Ally