Superb fans know the script for journey, now players must get their act together

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Superb fans know the script for journey, now players must get their act together

I have no doubt that Rangers will win the Third Division – and with a bit to spare.

Rangers trialist Micheal Fink trains at Murray Park
Rangers trialist Micheal Fink trains at Murray Park

But, at the minute, what the Rangers players need to do is take a good, long look at their attitude.

Their squad is good. The players are good. Man for man, they are better than anything else the division has to offer.

But, unless they get it into their heads that they are going to need to roll the sleeves up and get themselves ready for a fight week in, week out, then they will struggle.

And it's just not good enough. The Third Division is made up of part-time players who will be desperate to make the most of the chance they have to humble Rangers this season.

These guys might never have played before a full house before, yet whenever Rangers are on the road they are selling out grounds.

So there is still a big novelty factor there for all these teams. It is a like a cup game for them and Rangers need to be mentally right.

I don't think that is anything to do with Ally McCoist and what he says to the guys before they head out on to the park.

The bottom line is that it is all to do with hunger and how players themselves want to go about their business as soon as they cross that white line.

They are going to have to get their head around the fact that they need to fight and battle for every ball.

For many of them that will seem strange because they are essentially an SPL side in the Third Division.

But, let me make it abundantly clear – nothing is going to come easy for them; anyone who thinks it will needs to look in the mirror. At Ibrox it is a different story because you have a beautifully expansive park, you have the support of a fabulous crowd and Rangers can play the way they want to.

Away from home, on tight pitches and with players getting stuck in about you, it is a different story. At that stage, it is more to do with attitude and application than it is with ability.

Rangers needed extra time at Glebe Park to get past Brechin and into the next stage of the Ramsdens Cup and they have drawn on the road now to Peterhead and Berwick.

In previous days, a start like that in the SPL would have had people up in arms, yet there hasn't been too much stick dished out – so far.

In actual fact, at this time, when the club have needed their support to stick by them more than ever, the fans have been utterly superb. They have actually adapted to the current circumstances better than the players. They know what is going to be required this season. They know this is a long road back, but they are there and they are certainly willing, with more than 35,000 season tickets now having been sold.

They have sung their hearts out and they have given their full backing at what is the most bizarre situation the club have ever found themselves in.

The players owe the same loyalty in return and need to start getting their heads around what is going to be required on the pitch.

It is tme to get the heads down and get on with winning games. Once they find that head of steam, I think they will be pretty difficult to stop. But it's vital that they start to find a bit of momentum.

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