The Rangers are coming. Can you see us noo? You know when a statement of intent has backfired when your opposition co-opts it and uses it as a stick to beat you with.
Little wonder then that new Rangers chairman Andrew Cavenagh and vice-chairman Paraag Marathe struck a note of humility rather than hubris as they addressed the media and their public for the first time since their arrival in Glasgow.
While some fans may have understandably been eager for the new American owners at Ibrox to proclaim they are here to ‘Make Rangers Great Again’, the lack of outlandish claims or Trumpian bloviating over the immediate success they can bring to the club may well have been the most interesting aspect of the club’s EGM on Monday.
Tubthumping may get headlines and get supporters excited, but the Rangers support have been burned before by those who talk a good game with very little to back it up. Rather, the more measured approach of Cavenagh and Marathe actually did more to suggest there is substance behind this regime than the more bullish claims of many which preceded it.
The intent to topple Celtic was clear. Cavenagh said as much, but both men couched their ambitions in cautious language and made plain that turning Rangers into a consistently credible competitor for the league title may be a case of gradual evolution, rather than instant American revolution.
Celtic still have the spending power, and a cash reserve to meet anything that Rangers throw at the transfer market. But now, Rangers have the same ability to say no to offers for their assets (it helps now that they actually have assets, too, like Nicolas Raskin and Hamza Igamane) until their asking price is met. To take their time over signings, rather than throwing the proverbial at the wall and hoping something sticks. And to finally, and properly, implement the same sort of trading model that Celtic have made a killing from over the last decade or more.
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When this takeover first hit the headlines, the feeling was that it may spark an arms race the likes of which hasn’t been seen in Scottish football since those heady, reckless days of the late 90s and early 2000s.
Instead, though, what we may be about to witness is a slow-burning battle of wills, with the victor being the club that best executes what should now be a similar model. And it should be said that as Celtic have been doing it with great success for such a long period, they will fancy themselves to be able to stay at least a step or two ahead of their great rivals, making the upcoming season a tantalising prospect.
A mischievous Brendan Rodgers had a little fun last term by drawing attention to the number of Rangers managers that he has counted in and counted out during his two spells in charge of Celtic, and he will believe he can add Russell Martin’s name to that list of Ibrox infamy.
Martin was far from a popular appointment with the Rangers support, but even if things don’t start well for the former Scotland defender, it seems vital then that the fans get behind him. Or at the very least, avoid a clamour for his dismissal early on if there are setbacks.
Cavenagh and Marathe have, I think, increased the chances of Martin being afforded that patience by dint of their impressive performance on Monday. If the fans weren’t readily buying into Martin under his own steam, they have bought into their new board and their judgement, and this will probably aid CEO Patrick Stewart’s cause too.
The one note of concern from these initial briefings may well have been when Cavenagh made clear that Stewart, who has not found favour among the Rangers support base with some of his early actions, is being solely charged with the day-to-day running of the club.
A disciplined, strategic approach is after all the only way to, as Marathe put it, ‘build the right foundation and set the club up for sustained success’, rather than just giving Celtic the odd bloody nose and nicking the odd trophy.
Ironically, the more serious, understated tone struck by Cavanagh and Marathe has probably served to excite the Rangers support all the more about what may lie ahead. These are not only men with a demonstrable track record, but who also give the impression that the adults are back in the Blue Room.
Whether that will in fact translate to sustained success and allow Rangers to climb onto the perch Celtic have occupied for so long now remains to be seen. You can bet Celtic will have something to say about that, so in-keeping with the approach favoured by Cavenagh and Marathe, it would be best not to get too carried away.
What we can say though is that while it may not be as catchy a slogan as ‘Make Rangers Great Again’, the initial impressions of both men suggest they may at least be able to make Rangers a serious proposition again, rather than the butt of opposition punchlines.
AND ANOTHER THING…
How sad it was to hear of the death of John Clark, legendary Lisbon Lion and a man who was in with the bricks at Celtic.
Many tributes have been written by those who knew him better as a person and who had seen him play in the flesh, so all I will add is that it has been heartening to see the genuine outpouring of sadness and warm words from fans across the Scottish game, and even from across Glasgow, at the news of his passing.
That speaks volumes for Clark as a character and reminds us of a time not so long ago where the fierceness of that rivalry didn’t dim the respect that was routinely shown between men who were giants of both clubs.
And Clark, despite his humility, was a giant.
