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.

Rangers Fans Have It All To Look Forward To

Now that Rangers illegal transfer embargo has been lifted, we can now look forward to seeing Ally McCoist field his strongest team. It was difficult to watch at times last year, with Rangers struggling to show their superior fitness and experience playing against part time teams. 

McCoist's big problem now is fitting all his new signings into the team. The only game this season that McCoist has had the opportunity to play his strongest side was against Newcastle at Ibrox. Here he gave fans a strong indication of what we can expect this season.

Goalkeeper - Bell

Left back - Wallace

Centre back - McCulloch

Centre back - Hoshni

Right Back - Foster

Left Midfield - McLeod

Centre Midfield - Law

Centre Midfield - Black

Right Midfield - Peralta

Forward - Clark

Forward - Daly

If this is Rangers starting eleven, that would still leave Templeton, Shiels, Smith and Little warming the bench. Not to forget McAusland, Faure and Crawford, who have already put in solid performances this season.

Rangers now have competition in the team and the fans should get entertaining performances to make up for last season. I have a feeling a few teams are going to get annihilated this season.

Rangers v East Fife

Former Queen of the South player Nicky Clark made his long awaited competitive debut for Rangers against East Fife yesterday. It took 30 seconds for him to open up his Rangers account and continue his goal scoring exploits from last year. Having had to wait 13 weeks to play his first competitive match due to the transfer embargo, Clark flew out the traps sending the Ibrox faithful into bedlam. 

Lee McCulloch led the attack, collecting a hat rick of headers to earn himself the match ball. Although difficult to believe, McCulloch was upstaged by Clark throughout the day. Clark was enthusiastic, quick and linked up well with the midfield. He never gave East Fife's back four peace, chasing down lost causes and constantly getting involved in the action. Clark's polished display will help him cement his place as a regular in the Rangers team. With McCoist talking again this week about his desire to bring back Kenny Miller, he may think twice based on a Clark's performance against East Fife. 

A flick on from McCulloch sent Clark through on goal, where he controlled the ball with his chest before slotting past keeper East Fife keeper Michael Andrews. It was a dream start for the Rangers supporter and one he will cherish. He nearly scored 10 minutes later when he curled an effort just wide of goal.

The second goal came when Wallace sent in a curling cross that McCulloch converted after out jumping the East Fife goal keeper. Rangers sensed blood and it wasn't long before they got a third. This time Wallace floated in a stunning cross to the back post where McCulloch was there to simply steer the ball into the gaping goal. 

The fourth came in the second half, when Robbie Neilson's miscued clearance fell to McLeod, who volleyed a stunning effort into the top corner. 

McCulloch sealed his third and Rangers fifth when McAusland cross landed on the head of McCulloch, who still had a lot to do to convert the header. 

Rangers play is getting better on the right hand side with McAusland and Crawford benefitting from an extended spell in the team. Rangers have been guilty over the past year of relying too much on Lee Wallace on the left hand side. Two goals in the last two games have come from stunning crosses from the right hand side. 

With Rangers scoring 18 goals in four games, their goal ratio will only improve now that the transfer embargo has been lifted and McCoist can now field his strongest team.

Berwick Rangers ...... Not Again

Ibrox was desolate last night. 

I can only imagine the Rangers legions have seen enough of Berwick Rangers over the past year. 

For those who did turn up, you might have mistaken this for a friendly match. Rangers dominated possession in the opening stages. Most of the passing was between Rangers midfield and defence, with the midfield players struggling to turn and play a forward pass. It was in stark contrast to Rangers performance last Friday night, when they annihilated Airdrie 6-0. 

With Rangers unable to field trialists, they had to settle with roughly the same team that produced a host of disappointing results and performances last season. With Daly and Law the only players dropping out, it's frightening the effect this had on the team. Rangers were slow and struggled to create any clear cut chances in the opening half. Rangers tried to play everything through the middle and never had any width to their play. Shiels and Templeton were Rangers experienced players in attack and they failed to threaten the Berwick goal. 

When McKay came on for Shiels in the second half, he instantly made an impact angling the ball over the Berwick keeper when Tempelton sent him through on goal. Five minutes later Rangers were two nil up. This time Crawford crossed an inch perfect ball onto the head of Andy Little. Little rose high in the air and powered the ball into the top right hand corner. Once the second goal went in McAusland was brought on to see out a two nil win. Rangers will have to raise their tempo in the next round against Queens if they want to get their hands on the Ramsdens Cup. 

I was surprised to see Ally McCoist talking about resigning Kenny Miller after the game. Rangers need to put more faith in the young players at Ibrox. Crawford and McLeod combined to break the deadlock against Airdrie on Friday  and it was young McKay who bailed Rangers out last night. 

You only have to look at how the experienced SPL players are playing to wonder why Miller would be a good idea. 

Where is Dean Shiels, SPL's former player of the year?

If we sign Kenny Miller does that mean that 40 goal a season Nicky Clark sits on the bench all year?

We have went out and signed Cammy Bell when we have a perfectly good young keeper in Gallagher. When Cammy Bell is available for selection in September, it will be harsh to drop Gallagher considering his performances in the opening games of the season.

Where will Peralta fit into the team?

We have a lot of players at the club now and any more signings can only be seen as excess. 

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.

Union Bears

Last Saturday at the Brechin match I watched the Union Bears from the main stand and was impressed by their banners and the vocal atmosphere they bring to the stadium.

It is amazing to watch the whole change in the Broomloan Stand during match days as it appears to be the place to be at Ibrox these days.The whole stand feed of the singing and they have everyone bouncing around creating a welcome atmosphere. The banner unfurled before the game was very impressive so well done Union Bears.

And if the quality of goals that were scored in this match is an indication of future Ibrox matches then we will all be looking forward to the remaining fixtures.

As the Union Bears sing  "All we care about is Rangers FC".