By David Herd
Somewhere in my collection of old records is the classic 1979 single and album by The Clash entitled London Calling. For Rangers, tonight was the night when one of the biggest London clubs came calling to Ibrox, for the kind of clash that usually earns the title “Battle of Britain”. It was the first time Tottenham Hotspur has visited the stadium on competitive business since December 1962, when a Rangers team composed entirely of Scots took on the greatest Spurs team of all-time whose team consisted of star players drawn from all four of the home nations. Spurs, with the likes of Greaves, Blanchflower and MacKay proved too strong back then, in what really was a British battle worthy of the name. But in 2024, the cosmopolitan nature of football meant that the majority of the players on show were from outside of the UK.
Rangers boss Philippe Clement named a team with just one Scot, and made up of an incredible TEN nationalities. Meanwhile, the pantomime villain for the evening, visiting manager Ange Postecoglu had his own United Nations to choose from, the Spurs starting eleven hailing from nine different countries. The managers were a subplot for the evening, both men have seen their sides struggle domestically this season and drop far too many points against teams that should have been beaten. A significant number within the home crowd, and within the big travelling support from London, have decided that they want to see a change in the dugout. A defeat for Rangers surely would not increase the likelihood of the Belgian losing his job, everyone realises the financial chasm that exists between English Premier League and the Scottish Premiership. But if Postecoglu did see his team lose, many would think it was the last straw after dismal recent defeats to the likes of Bournemouth and Ipswich, as well as painful losses to Brighton and Chelsea after being 2-0 ahead.
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Such a scenario would be the stuff of dreams for the vast majority of the capacity crowd, who all still bear the scars of watching the Australian mastermind five trophies for Celtic in his brief time in charge at Parkhead, with his second season being a treble that included Hampden wins over Rangers in both cup competitions. But there is little time for him to look back on those past achievements, his priority now is to try to deliver silverware to a club starved of it since 2008, but who still expect it anyway. And after that weekend Chelsea defeat, he also had some selection issues in central defence after both his centre backs limped off on Sunday.
Clement, meanwhile, also knew he had to make changes, as two of the players at the forefront of recent attacking and entertaining displays were ineligible to play. Neither Ianis Hagi nor Danilo were registered in the European squad back in September for contractual and fitness reasons respectively. The optimists would say this was a good thing as they will be fresh for the weekend Old Firm cup final. The pessimists were fearing their exclusion would herald a return to the rigid and one-dimensional tedium served up far too often earlier in the campaign. But, despite the domestic struggles, Clement’s men have enjoyed a series of impressive Europa League results this season, especially away from home. At kick-off, they were sitting in the eighth and final automatic qualifying position in the 36-team group, one place ahead of the visitors on goal difference. If either team is to make the top eight and avoid an extra play-off round, a defeat tonight would represent a serious blow to those hopes.
When the teams were confirmed, both managers had made changes. The Rangers boss had hinted at his press conference that he was approaching the match as the first part of a vital double header, one that would need to see squad rotation. He plumped for four changes – out from the win in Dingwall went not only Hagi and Danilo, but also Leon Balogun and Connor Barron. In their places would be Propper, Diomande, Yilmaz and Bajrami. Meanwhile Postecoglu opted to bring in five different faces. But keeping his place was the goalkeeper from the weekend, another man who the home crowd remembered due to his past association across the city. Fraser Forster once saved a penalty in an Old Firm League Cup final, and had appeared several times in front of a hostile Ibrox crowd. And into the team came another player with memories of a sell-out Ibrox. James Maddison is now an experienced England international, but back in season 2016/17 he was on loan to Aberdeen, and he scored in a Dons win at Pittodrie before playing in an Aberdeen defeat at Ibrox. And to starkly illustrate the difference in spending power between the clubs, also coming in was teenager Archie Gray, the grandson of former Scotland international Frank, a player signed from Leeds United in the summer for a jawdropping £40 million. It would take Rangers years to spend that much.
The Rangers manager had most of us guessing on how he would line up his team, with two players who usually play left back in there. Most assumed it would be back to his favoured 4-2-3-1, with Diomande dropping back beside Raskin in the absence of Barron, and Jefte behind Yilmaz on the left allowing Bajrami to operate in the Number Ten role he was bought to play in. The cup final looked to be in the back of his mind, as well as the threat Spurs pose down the right hand side. With Hampden approaching, it was good to see that Oscar Cortes was back on the bench, giving more attacking options for the final.
The teams took to the pitch to the Europa anthem, and once the Swiss referee started proceedings, it was the expensive visitors who were on the attack, forcing the first corner within 20 seconds. But it came to nothing, and Rangers gradually imposed themselves, with Nico Raskin a terrier in midfield. He won several snapping challenges, setting the tone for the rest of the team, as Rangers gave as good as they got for 45 minutes.
There were chances at both ends, but nothing that could really de described as clear cut. But;land did make a terrific stop from point blank range to deny Son, but the South Korean was flagged offside anyway. The closest Rangers came was right on the interval, a low Cerny shot ending an excellent move, but Forster was down smartly to save. Goalless at the break, with there being no sign of the huge financial gap between the clubs. But while the Rangers fans were happy with the performance, they had groaned after 33 minutes. The only Scot in the starting eleven, and the consistently best Rangers defender of the season went off injured. John Souttar went down in the centre circle as play raged thirty yards away, and the decision was made instantly by the medical team to remove him from the fray. A huge worry for the cup final, centre back is not an area Rangers are well blessed right now. He was replaced by the experienced and reliable Leon Balogun, who was presumably rested tonight with the final in mind. The best laid Rangers plans so often fall foul to an injury curse.
The second half started with Postecoglu making a change, taking off Werner and putting on the equally expensive Kulusevski, a sign of how rattled Rangers had their opponents. But they were rattled far more within two minutes when Ibrox erupted. A wonderful pinpoint Tavernier pass found Igamane, and his low first-time finish was equally pinpoint into Forster’s bottom corner. Rangers scented blood, as did the support with a rousing chorus of “Sacked in the Morning” aimed at the Tottenham manager. It was Rangers who looked more likely to add to their lead in the next ten minutes, with Postecoglu responding with three more changes on the hour. They included his £65 million summer buy Dominic Solanke up front, there was no chance the EPL giants were taking this game lightly.
It was blood and thunder, with Raskin especially providing much of that thunder in midfield, as he won countless tackles. With just over twenty minutes to go, it was Clement who started ringing the changes, thinking both about closing things up in the final stages as well as an eye on Sunday. Sterling and Barron replaced Bajrami and Cerny, meaning Rangers now had double full back cover on both flanks. But, unsurprisingly Rangers started to tire, and with 18 minutes left, Spurs were level. Rangers were cut open down the left, Maddison may have been fouled as he ran onto the cross, but any penalty decision was made academic when half-time substitute Kulusevski buried it behind Butland.
Many inside the stadium would immediately have then settled for the point, and for a time it was Tottenham who looked the team who would find the winner. But to their immense credit, Rangers found reserves of energy in the closing minutes, and it was the home crowd who thought they were celebrating a winning goal. Dessers had replaced Igamane by then, and he was both unlucky and infuriating when he showed brilliant skill to dance through the Spurs defence, but his finish was too close to Forster and the goalkeeper managed to divert the ball past. Then on 86 minutes, Dessers did have the ball in the net, but he was clearly offside.
Three minutes of injury time wasn’t enough for either side to come out on top, and when the Swiss referee signalled full-time, the Rangers support gave their team a deserved ovation for a tremendous fighting performance that was sprinkled with no little skill. A similar level of commitment and positive attacking football on Sunday, and just maybe the bookies odds on Rangers for the cup final are overly generous.
One more Clash analogy left. Many thought that the millionaires from London would have Complete Control tonight. But they walked into a Rangers team who were intent on fighting an English Civil War… (if you don’t remember The Clash, that was totally wasted!).
Post-match, the managers gave their thoughts on a 90 minutes that must have silenced a few critics of Scottish football down south. Postecoglu talked of the game being tight and the point being a good one in the context of the group. He said Rangers were always a difficult opponent, particularly in Europe, which is maybe something he wouldn’t have said in his last job! He did criticise his own team, naming Werner in particular as being unacceptably poor. Not the best way to get more from him I suspect.
Philippe Clement was proud of his team, emphasising yet again that this is a new team with young players who are growing week by week. He expressed some disappointment that it hadn’t been three points which he thought Rangers had deserved over the 90 minutes. When asked if this was the best European performance so far in his time at the club, he agreed that this was the highest level of opponent he has faced so far, and that there needs to be the same consistent excellence domestically as being shown in Europe. He was particularly happy with how Rangers ended the match after Spurs had equalised, and his players did not look to hold on for a draw. Rangers are a club built on winning.
Clement did say that the performance was not just a credit to Rangers, but also a boost for Scottish football. He was unable to give an update on Souttar’s injury, but stated that the no matter how quickly the cup final comes along and how little rest some players get, this is a match that only full commitment and full focus will be enough.
On to Hampden we go, the fears of weeks gone by about these two matches have gone. We are in with a real chance of retaining our trophy and finally sending Celtic away from Hampden as losers. This is an even bigger Clash on the horizon. It’s time to send our Glasgow rivals Straight To Hell.