da bet7： The 2016/17 Scottish football season is now well into its final phase. The winter break is over, the transfer window is shut and teams are progressing in the Scottish Cup. It’s an exciting time.
da pixbet： Rangers’ promotion to the top-flight hasn’t all been plain sailing, especially with supporters’ expectations at a high last summer, expecting big things from Mark Warburton’s side.
You have to credit them, though, they’ve taken on the likes of Aberdeen and Hearts – albeit they lost 4-1 to the latter on Wednesday evening – who have excelled in recent seasons, and currently sit in second position in the table – the Dons have a game in hand. However, the league title is beyond them this year with arch-rivals Celtic a massive 25 points ahead of the rest.
Warburton is unlikely to be phased by that, the Gers have their own goals this season and winning the league was probably not one of them, and they’re still on course to meet his ambitions this term.
Here are the THREE goals that Rangers must achieve in order for their season to be considered a success…
Achieve European football
Finishing second isn’t going to be easy for Rangers. Derek McInnes’ Aberdeen side have found some good form again and will push the Ibrox team all the way to May in their quest to finish second yet again.
Second position has a big prize attached to it, the prime spot for Europa League qualification. Rangers fans love European competition and seeing their side compete on the continent will no doubt be a source of great pride.
It’s imperative that Warburton and his side give themselves the best chance to succeed in Europe and securing second would do that. They need to have the determination and belief of title contenders to see off Aberdeen’s threat.
Avoid the whitewash
Celtic have dominated derby games so far this season, in the league and the League Cup, but Rangers must find it in themselves to put in a performance that can challenge the Hoops.
They showed they can do it in the New Year’s Day derby game at Ibrox. Warburton’s men were fantastic for half an hour that day, getting in the face of their opponents and rushing into a 1-0 lead.
Unfortunately for their supporters they couldn’t sustain it and now the Rangers manager has to find a way to replicate that performance across an entire 90 minutes.
Gaining a derby victory over Celtic this term would be fantastic for Gers fans everywhere and would stop all the chatter about Brendan Rodgers’ side going the season unbeaten.
Who better to do it than their city rivals?
Win the Scottish Cup
Adding major silverware to the Ibrox trophy room is something that Rangers fans have been crying out for for years.
In recent seasons, they’ve won league titles in the lower leagues and they’ve won the Scottish Challenge Cup, but nothing compares to the Scottish Cup.
They came incredibly close in last season’s competition but were foiled by Hibernian in the last minute of a dramatic Scottish Cup final at Hampden Park. This is the season for them to go one step beyond.
They’ve already put out Scottish Premiership competition in the form of Motherwell when Kenny Miller rolled back the years to score a late double and drag his side back from 1-0 down to win 2-1.
That showed the spirit still exists in Warburton’s squad to do something special and there’d be nothing more special for the side than holding the old trophy aloft at Hampden.