Michael Mols: Rangers should be shooting for top six, not first place

This was the day that four years of pain accumulated through a slog around the lower reaches of Scottish football, being poked and prodded by their nearest rivals as they, despite their obvious flaws, cruise to consecutive titles, was finally expelled in dramatic fashion.

The William Hill Scottish Cup semi-final win over Celtic on penalties gave hope to the 21,500 Rangers supporters who were in Hampden to witness Tom Rogic's decisive kick fly over Wes Foderingham's cross bar. But it was also much more than that.

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The victory, earned after a 2-2 stalemate, was seen as the beginning of a new chapter in what has been a tale of woe over the last few year years and a bright beacon that the balance of Glasgow power had shifted back towards Govan.

While Mols obviously shared in the joy of the result with the rest of the Rangers family that he came to know so well during a five-year spell from 1999-2004, his celebrations were tempered by his firm belief that the gulf between the two sides still exists.

Speaking to SportTimes, the 45-year-old urged supporters not to get carried away by the victory, insisting Mark Warburton's team should be shooting to finish in the top six in the Ladbrokes Premiership next term rather than attempt to challenge Celtic for the title.

“No, I think there is still a big gap between Rangers and Celtic,” he told SportTimes.

“Of course the Old Firm win was good against Celtic in the Scottish Cup semi-final, but it was a difficult game.

“I think they need to step up a little bit more to compete with Celtic again. I think there is still a big difference.

“Maybe Celtic didn’t play really good at the semi-final. But we shouldn’t get over-excited by that result, there is still a long way to go.”

How far there is still to go still remains to be seen and is dependent on various factors. It is widely thought and anticipated that the Premiership will be even more competitive next year with Aberdeen and Hearts both seeking to improve their lot. There is also the small matter of Brendan Rodgers becoming the new Celtic manager to mix things up even more.

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On top of that, with many leaving Ibrox in the wake of their Championship-winning campaign including Nicky Law, David Templeton, Nicky Clark, Dominic Ball, Billy King and Gedion Zelalem, recruitment will be an important process ahead of a landmark campaign.

Mols agrees with all of the above, and, to that end, is modest in his own expectations of where he believes Rangers could be shooting next season.

“It depends on what new signings they make and what players they can bring in,” said the former Dutch international, who scored 48 goals during his five-year spell at Ibrox.

“It is important to bring in the right types of players.

“For me, it is difficult to judge what the standard will be of the Premiership next season. It’s hard as I have been watching Rangers in the Championship.

“If Rangers have a good season, then they could finish somewhere from first to sixth place for me. That’s what I believe.”

There have already been signs of encouragement to Mols, mostly in the form of former England midfielder Joey Barton who left Burnley last month to sign with Rangers on a two-year deal.

The signing of the 33-year-old was viewed as a coup for Warburton & Co. given Barton turned down the opportunity to play in the Barclays Premier League with the Turf Moor club to pursue silverware in Scotland.

This acquisition is one of the major reasons for optimism among the Rangers support, with the club yesterday urging fans to join a season ticket waiting list after 33,000 holders renewed. As well as being able to get backsides on seats, Mols believes Barton can add some physicality to the Rangers midfield and strengthen the spine of the team going into a landmark campaign.

“I think Joey Barton is a good signing because it puts somebody in midfield with strength. Sometimes Rangers have lacked that kind of player,” reflected the former Utrecht forward.

“He has done well in England and will be a real quality player for Rangers next season. There’s no doubt about that.

“Barton has great movement, but you need physicality in midfield too. That’s important too. The club have done really well to bring a player like him up to Scotland.”