Robert Fleck is a man who is well placed to judge the scale of a potential Rangers title success this season, given that he was part of the team who ended a nine year drought in 1987.
Fleck has stated that although the 1986-87 league win was huge and transitional for Rangers, he feels a title win this season under Steven Gerrard would be even bigger.
The now 55 year old is still considered to be the last first team regular striker who has been developed through the ranks at Ibrox.
He made his breakthrough in the 1980s, during a very lean spell of success for Rangers but he played his part in the early days of the Souness revolution.
Speaking to the Daily Record, Fleck said, “There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that winning the league this season would be a bigger achievement than Graeme Souness winning it in 1987.”
“I know the contrast from pre-Souness to winning that first title in 1987 because I’d played in front of crowds of 11,000 at Ibrox so it was a massive turnaround.”
“But I just feel this one is a little bit bigger when you consider where Rangers have come from in the last three years and the budget Gerrard’s had in comparison to Celtic.”
The financial factor is a very important one and given that Rangers have narrowed the gap on their rivals, on and off the pitch, this must be stated.
Then and now
Another contrast between the era’s is the relative contrast of player quality availalable to both managers.
Steven Gerrard is obviously not able to buy the likes of Harry Kane and Raheem Sterling but back then, Souness was able to acquire some of the best England internationals of that time, as Fleck acknowledged,
“Graeme Souness signed guys like Chris Woods and Terry Butcher, established England internationals, but Gerrard has signed players that people in England probably hadn’t even really heard of.”
“That’s no disrespect to the likes of Connor Goldson and Leon Balogun but they weren’t household names when they were playing south of the border.”
“But Gerrard has turned these guys into good professional footballers, along with some of those who were already at the club before his arrival, and if it happens then it will even be up there with the biggest achievements in his career.”
“Graeme Souness had all the money, a bottomless pit really – and Steven hasn’t had that and I just hope Rangers can get back to where they belong and stay there.”
The former Chelsea and Norwich City star, uncle of Sheffield Utd’s John Fleck, also warned of complacency and the need to get the job done by showing professionalism and sticking to the good habits that have got the Gers into this position.
He said, “I know 21 points is a big gap but Celtic have three games in hand and there are two Old Firm derbies to come so nobody at Ibrox will be counting their chickens.”
“The nerves creep in the closer you get to the finishing line when you haven’t won the league for so long but it helps that Rangers have got the sort of manager they’ve got now and he’ll keep them level-headed.
“The huge gap at the top means players, who are only human, could get complacent. And then you look at Motherwell on Sunday who are fighting for their lives so they’re not going to give up.
“There’s no pressure on Celtic but can they win every game? Rangers don’t have many players who have been over the line before so Allan McGregor and Steven Davis will play crucial roles, along with the experienced Jermain Defoe.”