Rangers 24h On

Before the Kilmarnock game we were five points clear of Dunfermline at the bottom of the table. Even after our magnificent win at Rugby Park we knew that a loss to the Pars and then further losses to the Old Firm could potentially leave us in dire straits. But instead we defeated Dunfermline and while we may be a little downhearted with only one point out of six from the Glasgow clubs, the fact that Dunfermline took zero from six against the Edinburgh teams at the same time meant that we have done well in the relative comparison that matters so much.

We are now a massive eleven points clear of Dunfermline and realistically we only need a couple of wins to guarantee SPL football for next season. We have a third round cup derby to look anticipate and three new signings are settling in this month. If anything, rather than being miserable, it is important that we keep our feet on the ground!

Airdrie will prove tough opposition having won two consecutive games against high flying opposition. And they'll no doubt also want to take a rare opportunity to challenge our dominance as Lanarkshire top dogs, something they have done all too frequently in previous cup competitions. In the league, while we are looking safe from the drop there is no guarantee that the league will become easy as there are still a number of very evenly matched side battling it out. Not being able to push on to challenge for the top six, even as outsiders, should not be viewed as failure in the first half of 2007.

Finally we have our new signings. They will all need time to settle in and given the level they came from and their ages it is unfair to burden them with the expectation that they will turn into superstars. Instead we should be glad that the squad overall has been strengthened and should injuries occur we are in a better position to deal with them.

The Rangers game was a silly one to lose through such a needless penalty but until we start converting a reasonable percentage of our chances it is always a danger that games will be lost in this manner. Let's hope we take our shooting boots to Airdrie and this minor set back can soon be forgotten.