**Clark** Sniping doesnt hurt Rangers captain McCulloch as Ibrox club bid to make history By Mark Wilson 3 December 2013 It may seem another run-of-the-mill fixture at first glance, but Tuesday night actually presents the Rangers class of 2013 with a chance to make their own little piece of history. Extending their flawless record in League One with victory at home to Forfar will create the club’s longest winning streak in more than a century. Since losing to the same opponents in the League Cup back on August 3, Ally McCoist’s side have racked up 18 successive triumphs in all competitions. Making it 19 on the spin would trump the total set by Walter Smith’s team back in 1992 — then spearheaded by McCoist in his scoring pomp — and leave Rangers just three wins short of matching the club’s all-time record from season 1898-99. The achievement would come with the obvious caveat that Rangers currently operate in the third tier of the Scottish game, far removed from their title-winning past. Yet isn’t the old saying in football that you can only beat what’s in front of you? Ibrox captain Lee McCulloch knows that doesn’t necessarily apply in the intense atmosphere that surrounds his club. There is always someone willing to offer a sharp answer to the question: “What more can we do?” It was heard again on Saturday as McCoist’s side dug out a 2-0 win over 10-man Falkirk to book a Scottish Cup fifth-round tie at home to either Ayr United or Dunfermline. Stretch: Lee McCulloch limbers up at Murray Park as the Rangers squad prepare for the visit of Forfar Stretch: Lee McCulloch limbers up at Murray Park as the Rangers squad prepare for the visit of Forfar The fact Rangers toiled to break down opponents depleted for the final 32 minutes was seen by some as proof of how short they remain of top-level quality. Indeed, young Falkirk midfielder Conor McGrandles pretty much dismissed the chances of the Cup wearing red, white and blue ribbons next May. As a veteran of famous triumphs at home and abroad, McCulloch has heard it all before. The 35-year-old simply uses the criticism as fuel for his efforts. ‘It doesn’t get to me. I’m sort of used to it,’ said McCulloch. ‘I was in the squad that played in the UEFA Cup Final (in 2008) when we were still getting stick for being there. ‘I don’t think that is ever going to change. I’ve won Scottish Cups, League Cups and league titles on the last day of the season. Yet there is always someone with something to say. ‘That’s just the way it is at a big club. You are there to be shot at. You need broad shoulders and just take it on the chin. ‘The main thing is the new boys get used to it quickly. I think somebody had a go at one of our players today in the papers, but you’ve just got to get on with it. ‘You can’t react. You just remember it and use it as a motivation to prove other people wrong. So I think it can be a good thing. ‘The only way to go is to rise above it, especially at a club like this. Numerous players have shown that since I joined Rangers and that is the way this club should continue.’ McCulloch saw his spot-kick saved by Michael McGovern after Falkirk centre-half David McCracken was dismissed on Saturday but felt that Rangers were always well on top during the game. ‘To be fair, I have missed a penalty so we could have walked in with a 3-0 result,’ he said. ‘I can’t remember Falkirk creating a chance or having a clear shot at goal, ‘I think the criticism is unjust and we totally deserved to win that game. It was 2-0 going on three or four, so I don’t really see a problem.’ That victory opened the possibility of an Old Firm meeting in yesterday’s Cup draw. Speaking after Celtic’s 7-0 thrashing of Hearts, Kris Commons admitted he was eager to lock horns with Rangers — especially if it was in the final at Parkhead. Such an outcome is still feasible after the clubs were kept apart, with Rangers instead handed a home meeting against either the second or third-placed League One side. ‘We’d have taken anybody at home,’ added McCulloch. ‘People had asked about Celtic — and their players were saying they can’t wait to play us. Some were saying they want us now, some saying they want us in the Cup Final. ‘You didn’t get any Rangers players shouting about what they wanted. All we hoped for was a home game, it didn’t matter. ‘We’re always going to be talked about because of the size of this club. Until we get back into the Premiership, it’s always going to be that way. ‘Celtic are firm favourites to progress. There is a quote that they are miles ahead of us, so I’m sure it’s a game the neutrals would like to see sometime. ‘I wouldn’t say that they are miles ahead of us. I’d say they are ahead of us because we are in League One and they were in the Champions League. The draw: Scottish FA President Campbell Ogilvie makes the draw for the William Hill Scottish Cup Fifth Round at Hampden The draw: Scottish FA President Campbell Ogilvie makes the draw for the William Hill Scottish Cup Fifth Round at Hampden ‘I think that’s the obvious difference. ‘I believe anything could happen in a one-off game. ‘You saw at the weekend how Albion Rovers beat Motherwell. Everyone is saying Motherwell should have won that match 4-0 or 5-0 — but that’s not the case in football.’ McCulloch’s current Rangers contract will expire before the club’s scheduled return to the top flight — and a guarantee of Old Firm matches once more. ‘I would like to be there,’ he said. ‘You do miss the nerves, the excitement, the pressure of these games. ‘That is a game like no other I have played in before — even including international football. It’s a hundred miles an hour and the passion of the fans is fantastic. ‘I think it would be good for the new boys in our team to experience that sort of atmosphere and pressure. All smiles: Rangers boss McCoist could lead his club to their longest winning streak in more than a century All smiles: Rangers boss McCoist could lead his club to their longest winning streak in more than a century ‘To be honest, I feel like I am playing in a Premiership team at the moment with the quality I have around me. ‘The way we have started this season, our form and the stats would probably back me up in saying that. ‘We have scored 50 goals in the league, have had 15 clean sheets and have had 18 wins in a row. ‘All of these stats certainly indicate a Premiership-standard of team but we know that we have to keep proving that. ‘It’s hard to say where we would be in the Premiership right now. ‘I wouldn’t say we would win it but we would definitely be up there with the quality we have in our team.’
Posted on: Tue, 03 Dec 2013 06:34:14 +0000
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