Never-say-die Rangers give chase

ALEX McLeish identified his players’ appetite for success as the driving force behind this impressive victory over Hearts. "When you see centre-forwards and wingers chasing back then you know you’re making progress," he purred. While the observation was fine as far as it went, the truth is the Rangers manager has changed more than just the work-rate of the players at Ibrox since he succeeded Dick Advocaat.

Coming hard on the heels of a gritty triumph over Celtic in the CIS Insurance Cup which has worked wonders for morale, this emphatic win revealed just how much progress the Glasgow club have made during McLeish’s 14 games unbeaten in charge.

Not only have the sleeves been rolled up an extra tuck, but the mentality of the side has hardened. When you combine an impressive level of physical fitness with a high calibre of skill and a commitment to making an ambitious game plan work, it’s not surprising Rangers are all but unrecognisable from the side which laboured before Christmas.

Apart from encouraging individuals of the standing of Lorenzo Amoruso, Barry Ferguson and Neil McCann to impose themselves on games, the most striking aspect of McLeish’s work since moving to Rangers from Hibs has been devising a system of play which is both ambitious and entertaining.

‘We’re in a situation where we must win every game between now and the end of the season’ - ALEX McLEISH

Rather than organising a new set of players in the same way he and Andy Watson worked at Easter Road, where a 3-5-2 formation took Hibs from the First Division to third place in the SPL, McLeish has examined the resources available to him at Ibrox and devised a pattern which suits the available personnel. This might not sound like rocket science, but it’s astonishing how many managers try to put round pegs into square holes when it comes to shaping teams.

Against Hearts, Rangers operated a sparkling 4-2-1-3 formation with three strikers operating across the width of the pitch, Ronald De Boer linking front and middle and Ferguson and Stephen Hughes shouldering responsibility in the engine room. What with Fernando Ricksen and Arthur Numan encouraged to bolt forward from the full-back positions and Amoruso adept at stepping out from central defence to initiate counter-attacks, it was little wonder by the end of this gripping 90 minutes that Hearts were so punch drunk they hardly knew what was going to hit them next.

Ever the pragmatist, McLeish says Rangers’ passion for attack was dictated by the 13-point gap which separates his side in second place from Celtic in pole position. "You don’t get success without hard work so it’s encouraging to see the players combine that effort with the undoubted skill they have," he said. "We’re in a situation where we must win every game between now and the end of the season if we’re going to be successful in the cups and sustain any hope of catching Celtic in the league. We have to be positive, and will continue to play that way."

This is splendid news for the club’s support, who were so enthused by Rangers’ performance in Edinburgh they chanted their young manger’s name for the first time on Saturday evening. A steady stream of victories - 12 in 14 games - has undoubtedly played a part in winning over the sceptics, but so too have performances. This Rangers side are ebullient as well as hard-working and a delight to watch.

Perhaps the qualities more than any others which separated Rangers from Hearts in this game were speed and width. While there are no wingers at Craig Levein’s disposal, McLeish was in the fortunate position of being able to rest Peter Lovenkrands and recall McCann to play against his former club.

The winger responded with a thrilling display on the left flank, giving makeshift right-back Thomas Flogel a torrid evening by scoring one of the best solo goals of the season as well as setting up De Boer for the opener.

"It’s hard to find your form when you’re only getting 15 minutes here and there," said the Scot, "so when the manager gave me a chance to start the game I knew I had to make an impression. You’ve got to give credit to Peter for the way he’s played recently, but hopefully I’ve given the gaffer a wee problem for his next selection.

"I was pleased to be involved in both goals and for our second I turned inside Scott Severin before it got into my head that I wanted to keep running. You often get blocked in those situations but I just had one thing in mind - to attack whoever was in front of me. Fortunately, I got by a couple of defenders and managed to score. I wasn’t thinking about passing to anyone because I’d missed an easier chance, was mad with myself and wanted to make amends.

"The new manager has instilled a lot of determination in the side and everyone wants to stake a claim for a place. He’s told us to work hard, fight for everything and the quality of the team will shine through."

As for McCann’s old pals, Hearts started in top gear and dominated the opening 20 minutes without being able to convert pressure into goals. The amount of energy expanded in the first-half caught up with the home side after the interval when they were punished for conceding possession on a number of occasions and made life easier for a Rangers side which didn’t need the encouragement.

But for an outstanding display from Antti Niemi in goal and careless misses from Ricksen and Shota Arveladze, Hearts would have suffered a heavier defeat. It was to Levein’s credit he too took a positive attitude into the game and utilised both a 4-4-2 and a 4-3-3 formation at different stages. However, the lack of a natural winger in the home side’s ranks, and the manner in which McCann put his former team-mates to the sword, was another reminder of the gap between the haves and the have-nots in the SPL.

Referee: H Dallas. Attendance: 14,128

Taken from the Scotsman