Preface: Some of you may have read my former Liverpool story thread. Essentially this is the game in which I turned down the Liverpool offer and continued to manage Rangers. I've also turned down jobs from ManU, Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham, Fulham, pretty much every major English club and a few continental jobs as well, plus the Scottish National Team. I keep telling myself I'm going to retire, what else can I do? And then I take another step in the Champions League or just realize that I quickly lose interest in any other game I'm playing. It's tough paying attention to any club you don't love, isn't it? I think so.
Anyways, here's my story so far, more than likely in a few parts so people can actually manage to read it all and not get too far lost. Forgive me if I forget a few details along the way; this game's been ongoing for months now. Hope you enjoy.
-Shane
Part 1: Reclaiming Scotland for the Light Blues
29 June 2007: Rangers Hire Unknown Nicholson
Taking over the club from Walter Smith was certainly no easy task. My first move was to establish the leadership positions of my team, with Barry Ferguson remaining as skipper and Lee McCulloch named vice-captain. I also demoted Ally McCoist to first team coach and named Kenny McDowell as my assistant, certainly not easy news to break to Ally in the wake of one of his favorites being replaced by a former Sunday footballer. I also moved Michael Watt up to a full team coach, a position he holds to this day.
I wasn't sure the direction I wanted the club to go in. Tactics were unstable and results were similar. Handed a small transfer budget and constantly handcuffed by rumours of the club being sold to a local consortium I was handicapped in efforts to build my squad. Lewis Stevenson was brought in from Hibs for a well over priced 1.5m, and Daniel Andersson was signed from Malmo to anchor my midfield for 1.6m after the sale of Brahim Hemdani to Birmingham.
The side didn't gel quickly and I quickly found myself out of the Champions League in the second qualifying phase, not the start I was hoping for at the club. Results in the league were no better and I soon found myself trailing Celtic by five points only 12 rounds in. Kris Boyd was almost single-handedly keeping the team afloat with his performances as the lone striker. Ferguson and McCulloch stabilized the midfield, both giving solid showings nearly every time out, Carlos Cuellar and Andy Webster quickly formed a strong understanding at the back, and Allan McGregor was the savior between the posts. As finances were still on shaky ground there were no major signings in the winter transfer window, and Chris Burke was allowed to move to Sunderland for 2.3m, a moved forced by the board leaving my already thin team weaker still.
The team finally began to come together after being knocked out of the CIS Cup semi, and by late March we'd crawled back to within two points of Celtic with a game in hand. A loss in the Scottish Cup semi to the Hoops was heartbreaking but I was able to overcome our fierce rivals down the stretch and overtake them in the final weeks of the season and win the SPL in my first year at the helm, certainly saving my job and ensuring that I would at least be given a chance to improve next season.
Darcheville was the super-sub of the year and Lee McCulloch was incredible on the left, providing a strong level of support to my lone striker with his runs off the wing. Charlie Adam was starting to show his promise as the key link between the midfield and the forward, and Kris Boyd took home the Football Writers' Player of the Year award.
As you can see, the transfer market still eluded me somewhat. Sunday pub leagues are a little different than the big time.
As we entered the summer talks of the club changing hands became more and more prevalent, and on 5 June 2008 a consortium headed by local businessman Dale Hendry finally took over the club. My position was immediately thrown in the balance with talks of Felix Magath being brought in to take the team to the next level. After weeks of speculation the new ownership group finally announced that I would be allowed to continue in my position but that result must vastly improve in order to retain the job.
Year 2: Establishing my place
The summer transfer window brought on a flurry of movement. Tomasz Kuszczak was brought in at 1.7m for some much needed cover in goal. Danielle Dessena was signed from Parma for 4.5. Defensive midfielder Benjamin Laurant was signed from Le Havre for 180/k, my first of many forays into France in search of young talent. The biggest move away was Kevin Thomson to West Brom for 4m, another key player I was forced by my board to move on.
Champions League play was an improvement from the previous year, but I found myself in a group with both Barcelona and Liverpool, no easy task. Barca thrashed me in two game 10-1 on aggregate and Pool handled me as well, my only result in the group a draw at home against Olympiakos. It was clear I was still a long ways away from competing on the European stage.
Domestic competition found me much better than last year, though. Celtic and my boys ran away from the league early and the perennial two horse race at the top of the SPL was quickly underway. By the time the January window rolled around I was trailing my Old Firm Rivals again despite a win off them at Parkhead in the league and a 5-2 dominating performance at Ibrox in the semi's of the CIS Cup, with Kris Boyd cementing his place in Gers folklore with a four goal performance chasing Boruc from the game at the half.
McGregor had become unsettled by the arrival of Kuszczak in the summer and for good reason. By nearly November the Polish keeper had ceded the top spot away and looked certain to hold onto it. He finished the year with 34 appearances in goal, 18 resulting in the opposing team being held scoreless. He had quickly become a fan favorite and it was clear that McGregor's days at Ibrox were numbered. Attempts to find a suitor in the winter transfer window were fruitless, however my first “revelation” was about to make his presence known in Scottish football.
Webster had returned to Wigan following his loan spell and with David Weir leaving in the summer the backline was struggling to come together. Sasa Papac was somewhat out of position at the centre-half, and Steven Smith was struggling to find his place at the left full-back position. It was obvious that if the team was to advance in the league that solving the problems in defense would have to be the first priority. In stepped Arturo Vidal and the problem was instantly remedied. He played like a man possessed down the stretch, pairing beautifully with Cuellar at the back. His passing was precise, his positioning nearly flawless, and his presence on corners at both ends of the pitch was immense. Goals had been hard to come by as Boyd had struggled with injuries throughout the year so the options Vidal provided at the back could not be underestimated.
Three other new additions also provided for much needed depth, as Steven Hammell arrived from Motherwell in exchange for Scott Durie and 220/k, James Collins was pried from West Ham for 1.8m, and Manucho was brought in from ManU for 1m. All three gave critical minutes down the stretch, most importantly Manucho and the nine goals he provided to the somewhat beleaguered frontline. And Jozy Altidore for 1.8m plus a 20% sell-on clause looked to be a longterm solution at the front.
The title race was intense and we found ourselves trailing by two points after 32 games, Celtic with a strong lead in goal difference. The split fixture list provided the potential for an epic finish to the season with an Old Firm match scheduled for the final day. Both teams won their first three Championship Group matchups, but in the fourth round of fixtures the offense again failed to provide the firepower necessary and a 0-0 draw at home to Falkirk looked certain to hand Celtic the title. But at Fir Park, as it looked a chance for back-to-back SPL titles had slipped away, David Clarkson provided supporters of the Light Blues the ray of hope they needed, firing Motherwell back from 2-0 down at the half to draw Celtic 2-2. The stage was set for a final match day showdown for the SPL title: Rangers v. Celtic from Parkhead.
We had it all to do, two points down and backs against the wall. Scott McDonald gave Celtic an early 1-0 lead, beating Kuszczak on a half-volley from 20 yards. At the half it looked as though the season would be lost. My only chance was to light a fire under the team and hope Celtic came out flat. It was clear that the halftime speech worked only a few minutes into the second half, as McCulloch hooked up with Boyd on after a spectacular run down the left flank, providing a picture perfect cross to the far post that gave Boruc no chance of saving. Score 1-1, 40 minutes to bring the title home.
The game stagnated as Celtic settled in to hold out for the draw that would give them the title. I switched from my 4-1-3-1-1, pulling my defensive midfielder in favor of a second striker in Manucho. Deployed as a target man, Novo and McCulloch continued to drive down the wings and attempt to whip crosses toward goal in hopes of finding one of their targets with space to finish. Inside of five minutes from time it looked as though Celtic had put in a good enough show to reclaim the title, but a quick counter started on the right by Steven Whittaker gave some hope to the Gers faithful. A long cross played perfectly in stride to McCulloch threw the Celtic defense into disarray, and as he found Manucho at the penalty spot Kris Boyd timed his run perfectly to collect the flicked on header and bury the ball in the bottom right corner. We pulled back, 11 men behind the ball, and saw the clock out. Back-to-back titles and in the most spectacular of fahsions.
Celtic were able to regain a bit of revenge with a 3-2 win in extra time in the Scottish Cup the following week, but the damage had been inflicted. Two years, two titles, and Gordon Strachan was left again to wonder how this nobody manager who had been unknown to the footballing world less than 24 months prior had twice beaten him to the punch when it mattered most.
Barry Ferguson, the certain player of the year. There were times that he almost single-handedly carried the team through. On top of the 49 appearances for me he also captained the national side 10 times. An incredible year.
Starting to look a little better although the balance was certainly not what I was looking for. But it was beginning to look as though this team would be able to take control of the league and start to progress in Europe.
And I'll end this here for now. No point in overdoing it in the first post, eh?
Still to come: Ibrox expanision; The first undefeated SPL campaign; Breakthrough in Europe; Doing the double; The gospel of Carlos Cuellar; Aquino takes Scotland by storm; and the Golden Boot comes to Glasgow
Seven Years at Rangers 
Had to kill off Hoop trash down the road first. They're fighting to stay in the top four of the league now.
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