Rangers 8 Stenhousemuir 0

Jon Daly hits four as Rangers trounce a sorry Stenhousemuir.

Rangers continued their unbeaten run by destroying Stenhousemuir in front of a packed Ibrox Stadium. With Black and McLeod back in the side Rangers started the match with possibly their strongest team available. Jon Daly bullied the Stenhousemuir defense and was rewarded by hitting the back of the net on four occasions. Little, Templeton, Wallace and Mohsni were also on the score sheet as Rangers showcased their supremacy in the Scottish League One.

Ian Black returned to the side after his betting ban and he made an instant impact, controlling the game from start to finish. This allowed Law to make darting runs forward as Rangers played their best football this season. Rangers have struggled with Black's absence and the midfielder got a raucous reception from the fans when he was named in the starting eleven.

Two Royal Marines abseiled down the Govan side of the stadium to deliver the match ball to the referee before kickoff. The celebration of Armed Forces Day generated an atmosphere that culminated with the opener after two minutes of play. Ian Black curved a free kick in from the edge of the box which Daly headed beyond goalkeeper Chris Smith.

Daly then missed a glorious chance two minutes later when Law swung an enticing ball in from the left flank. Daly looked certain to add to his tally but he mistimed his shot, sending it wide of goal.

Daly's second goal materialized from a Stenhousemuir defensive error. Wallace pressurised the defender into making a clearance which rebounded off the Rangers defender onto the head of Daly who made no mistake with the header.

At this stage Rangers were rampant with Nicky Law unfortunate not to have netted a double. The first was a curling effort that was cleared off the line followed by a diving header that hit the woodwork.

Andy Little struggled throughout the match but was gifted with a goal when a Stenhousemuir defender cleared the ball off Little which ended up in the back of the net. It was a relief for the striker who struggled to show any real class throughout the day.

Richard Forster initiated the fourth by crossing a dangerous ball in from the right that Daly met with a diving header. This was evidence of Rangers playing with confidence and enjoying their football now that the match was won.

It did not take Nicky Clark long to get involved in the action when he was introduced by unselfishly cutting back for Daly to slot home. Daly they turned provider when he cutback for Templeton to score from close range.

Mohsni's overhead kick sent Ibrox into bedlam with a superb overhead kick inside injury time.

Rangers 5 Arbroath 1 - Lee McCulloch Saves The Day Again

McCulloch gets his second hat-trick in a row as Rangers demolish Arbroath 5 -1 after Paul Sheerin's team took a shock lead in the second half.  

McCoist fielded 6 of his summer signings and the big debate beforehand was whether the hosts could gel together quickly as a team. Judging on the opening 50 mins, the answer would have to be no.

Rangers dominated possession during the early stages without looking like scoring. Stevie Smith, who started due to  Lee Wallace's midweek injury, made several threatening crosses for Daly and Clark which they failed to convert. As the game went on Rangers possession and goal threats dwindled and Arbroath started to gain confidence.

In fact, the longer the first half went on the more disjointed Rangers looked. At one point in the game it looked like McCoist had fielded a team of his favourite misfits, with many players playing out of position to secured their place in the team. Little and Peralta both struggled out on the left and right hand side of midfield when Rangers had a natural winger in Templeton warming the bench.

Darren Smith put Arbroath ahead when he chipped Bell and the ball landed just under his crossbar. It was a special finish and the ball seemed to take an eternity to drop underneath the cross bar.

This goal proved to be Rangers wake up call as the equaliser quickly followed. A Stevie Smith cross was deflected to Mohsni who calmly side footed the ball into the net. Rangers then took the lead when Law's corner was headed past the Arbroath keeper by the surging Lee McCulloch. The Rangers captain quickly added to his tally when the ball broke loose from a Rangers corner. The 30 yard screamer crashed the roof of the net leaving the Arbroath goalkeeper with no chance.

Little made it four when he drilled a shot low into the net before McCulloch completed his hat-trick via a Peralta cross.

The scoreline believe it or not flattered Rangers and McCoist will have to motivate his team better in future matches as they did not come alive until going behind in the match.

Ian Black - Second Best Is Not Good Enough

I have no doubt that most footballers bet on matches but it had to be Ian Black who got caught. After spending the whole of last year getting battered by opposition players on the field, he now finds himself tangled up in an embarrassing off field battle. And I have no sympathy for him. If proven guilty his Rangers career should come to a swift end.

The betting rules are strict and players know they are forbidden from betting on any football match. But it does becomes serious when a player bets on games he's playing in. Rangers were quick to get rid of Sandaza when he embarrassed the club. If Ian Black is proven guilty of betting on his own matches, I see this as a greater offence than Fran Sandaza talking off the record about his contract. Rangers used Sandaza's stupidity as a way of getting a poor performer off the wage bill. 

Was Ian Black any better than Fran last year? 

The honest answer would have to be no.

McCoist definitely has his favourites in the Rangers team and Black is one of them. Last year there were times throughout the season Black should have been dropped. The younger players were shining and many were dropped to the bench to make way for Blacks mediocre performances. If convicted guilty of the betting allegations Black, like Sandaza, should be immediately dismissed. But not for betting on football matches and not for betting on matches he was involved in. 

Ian Black should be immediately dismissed for betting against Rangers. 

Black has top flight experience and won cup finals. His start to the season has been impressive however that should not stop him getting his books. No Rangers player should ever walk out onto a football field predicting defeat and especially not at the level we are playing at. What sort of example is that to set to the younger players like McLeod and Crawford?  

Rangers is all about winning. It always has been. We have been lucky enough to have a mentality running through the club where second best is not good enough. As soon as we start accepting players who not only think that we will get beat, but also want to make a financial gain out it - that's when we will start to loose our winning ways.