Glasgow Rangers made it two wins from two since the return to domestic football following the international break.
Progress in the League Cup was secured by Philippe Clement’s men as they returned to Ibrox for the first time since May, delivering a solid performance in the routine 3-0 victory.
It marks the fourth season in a row that Rangers have reached the semi-finals of the competition and Clement will be keen on retaining the trophy he claimed last year – the first of his reign.
It was a far better performance than the Premiership win over Dundee United a week before, but there are still things to be worked on.
The Light Blues would dearly love an individual to dominate the game from the heart of the pitch, with Clement rotating his midfielders several times this season already.
How the Belgian would love a talent like Paul Gascoigne at the heart of his tactical philosophy, controlling the play and generating plenty of chances for not only himself but his teammates too.
Paul Gascoigne’s statistics at Rangers
Long gone are the days when the Ibrox side could sign one of the finest English players at the peak of their career, but that’s what happened in the summer of 1995.
Gascoigne had endured three injury-plagued campaigns at Lazio, failing to really gain the consistency needed to back up his prodigious talent. There were some stand-out moments, of course, including a winner against AS Roma in the derby, but a fresh start was needed.
Walter Smith had just led the club to their seventh league title the season prior, but he knew more quality was required if he was to lead Rangers to another crown, along with achieving progress in Europe.
In early July, Smith splashed out more than £4m – then a club-record fee – to bring the maestro to Glasgow, where he made an immediate impact.
The club won a league and cup double during his maiden season, with Gazza scoring a stunning hat-trick against Aberdeen to secure eight in a row. The Englishman played a key role once again during 1996/97, scoring 17 goals in just 34 matches, claiming yet another domestic title and the League Cup.
The former Tottenham Hotspur star returned to England in March 1998, signing for Middlesbrough, but his three years at Ibrox are fondly remembered by the supporters and those who played alongside him.
Across the subsequent decades, the Gers haven’t quite had a talent like Gazza in their midfield, despite various players trying to replicate his talents. His signing was certainly one of the biggest in Scottish football history.
Just a few short years ago, Kris Boyd claimed that one of the club’s January signings was the biggest since Gazza arrived, yet it turned out to be a major disappointment…
When Rangers signed Aaron Ramsey
On deadline day of the winter window in January 2022, Giovanni van Bronckhorst was desperate to bolster his squad and Aaron Ramsey’s name was linked, albeit very loosely.
As the day went on, however, it became apparent that the Juventus midfielder was edging closer to a loan deal, and he was announced late in the day to a rapturous crowd at Ibrox.
Boyd hailed the signing, saying: “I think it shows Rangers Football Club is one of the biggest in the UK. He’s turned down Premier League clubs to join Rangers. It’s a fantastic signing, not just for Rangers but Scottish football as a whole.
“The arrival of Paul Gascoigne was the last time you thought ‘woah, a real footballer has joined’.”
Arsenal
369
64
Juventus
70
6
Cardiff City
46
6
Nice
34
1
Rangers
13
2
Nottingham Forest
5
0
Being compared to Gazza certainly applied a bit of pressure on Ramsey to succeed, but given his quality and the fact he had played nearly 400 games for Arsenal, winning three FA Cups in the process, it meant that the Dutchman was signing someone who knew how to handle pressurised moments.
Despite the hype generated on his arrival, Ramsey proved to be a major disappointment in what was a brief spell in Glasgow.
First Impressions
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Aaron Ramsey’s statistics at Rangers
In typical Ramsey fashion, he wasn’t deemed fit enough to play against Celtic just a few days after signing, as the Light Blues suffered a dismal 3-0 defeat at Parkhead, which arguably turned the title race on its head.
Over the next few weeks, he would play a bit part in both Europe and domestically, failing to start a league match until the end of March.
He netted against Dundee, before giving the club the lead after scoring an early opener against Celtic at Ibrox, giving the fans an indication of his quality and precisely why Van Bronckhorst brought him to the club.
Across seven league games, the Welshman scored twice, and averaged just one key pass per game while averaging two shots per match, showing flashes of his brilliance.
His loan spell was perhaps characterised by his penalty miss in the Europa League final against Eintracht Frankfurt. The midfielder only came off the bench with just a few minutes to go in normal time, before being tasked with tucking away a penalty.
It was a cruel end to his Ibrox spell, although he did claim a Scottish Cup winners medal just a few days later, adding it to his FA Cup triumphs.
A fit Ramsey would have made all the difference for Rangers during the last few months of the season. Unfortunately, he couldn’t remain consistent enough to really leave a lasting impression.
He returned to Juventus after just six months and is now playing for Cardiff, the club he started his career with way back in 2006.
While he didn’t have the same impact on the pitch as Gazza, the buzz when he signed among the supporters was something that hadn’t occurred much over the previous few years.
If Clement can make a few signings that would generate a similar sort of reaction, with them performing on the pitch, it could go a long way to the club winning more trophies.
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