I watched Rangers horror show and felt sorry for Steven Davis but new manager will soon suss flops out - Kenny Miller
The former Ibrox striker has given his thoughts on the current crisis engulfing his old club in his latest Sunday Mail column.
Being Rangers manager should be the biggest honour of your life. But I actually felt sorry for my old team-mate Steven Davis on Thursday night.
What I expected to see from the players in Cyprus was an ADDED effort for Davo. After all, some of them played with him. The rest know him. He’s been in and around the place, ironically, trying to get himself back fit to help them on the pitch. They said before the game against Aris Limassol that they’ve got great respect for him as a club legend and incredible footballer.
So I thought the players would have shown a bit of pride for him and also themselves. I expected to see desire and passion. That might sound like dinosaur language now and old school. But there’s still a lot of value in things like running about and tackling. It’s about showing you care for the badge you’re wearing. Those things matter to me. And it gets to me when I don’t see it –because as a player, that’s what I displayed.
Whether I was good, bad or indifferent, irrespective of what club I was at, I always felt I was giving a lot to the team. I was lucky to play in some top teams with great players. And I always felt I gave my all for the cause. On Thursday night with Davo at the helm, I thought that was the least the players would give for him. But I just didn’t see it.
Let’s be honest, Aris aren’t a great team. They’re no European super-power. They aren’t even a big club in Cyprus. So it was a chance to salvage something for the club, while giving Davo a performance to be proud of in the dug-out. But a lot of the characteristics I’ve spoken about were missing. And that’s before you even start talking about quality. When you’re bereft of confidence, it’s not easy to play well.
But the other stuff? That should be a given. There is a phrase that’s used a lot around Rangers – about the jersey being too heavy for some players. I believe there’s a lot of substance to that. And at this moment, it’s looking a bit too heavy for a lot of players in that dressing-room. I’m not just talking about the new boys.
A group of them have been at the club for a long time now. Some responsibility has to be taken by them in terms of who they represent. After what happened to Michael Beale and with Steven thrust into this position in a tough moment – there had to be a response. But we didn’t get it. If anything, it was another step in the wrong direction.
After the game, Davo said he couldn’t fault the players for their effort. But he had to say that. He was never going to throw them under a bus. That’s not him. And he’ll have felt it wasn’t his place to say anything different. But ultimately, it wasn’t true. He COULD have asked for a lot more of the players. So inside, he’ll be deeply disappointed. He’s the one who had to front that performance.
And as a professional, Davo is a proud man. When he played, he showed every attribute I’ve mentioned. Forget his ability. He grafted. That’s why he’s still a player at 38 and the record cap holder for an outfield player in Britain. This current Rangers squad have left themselves open to accusations of them not caring.
That they know Steven and Alex Rae won’t be there much longer and a new man will be in with a clean slate. But you know what? Whoever comes in as manager will soon suss them out. At least with Michael in charge, they were HIS players. He brought them in and they let him down. But when the next guy comes in? They’re not his signings and they’ll have to earn their place at Ibrox.
The manner of the defeat in Cyprus will have hurt Davo, especially going into another really tough game against St Mirren in the league today. Let’s be blunt. If Rangers aren’t at it in Paisley today or don’t give 100 per cent, they’ll drop points. To beat this Stephen Robinson side, they’ll have to fight. They’ll have to earn the points because they won’t be handed to them.
St Mirren are a team that are together, drilled and willing to scrap for every ball. That’s why supporters will actually be fearful going there this afternoon. They’ll turn up more in hope that they can beat St Mirren. That’s a terrible state of affairs. But there is a realistic fear among fans that they’ll drop more league points.
They’ll go to Paisley genuinely worried about not winning. Saints are undefeated while Rangers have already lost three games. And no Rangers supporter should ever have a fear of going into a game against St Mirren. God forbid they suffer another defeat. But if it happens, the scary thing is, for anyone who watched that display on Thursday night, it won’t be the least bit surprising.