Rangers have announced that a staggering 35,000 season tickets have nearly been sold with the deadline still a week away, before those on the waiting list finally get their chance.
It is an indication that Rangers fans believe that success is just around the corner despite the uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic and former Premier League striker, Noel Whelan, speaking to Football Insider, has backed their enthusiasm.
So what has Whelan said?
When asked to comment on the news that Rangers fans have committed so heavily to the club despite there being no sign of fans being allowed back into Ibrox any time soon, he said:
“It shows what a great job the club and Steven Gerrard has done.
“They have turned the club around and got that love back. I am sure it never left but it has been about getting the excitement back.
“They have had a taste of it this season. They are probably excited to see what will happen this season and see if they can win a trophy. I believe they are in great shape to do just that, I really do.
“They have the manager and backroom staff to do that and they have the support as well. It is commendable to everyone involved at the club.”
So is Whelan correct?
Absolutely, Gerrard came agonisingly close to ending the club’s major trophy drought last season, only to be denied by inept officiating in the league cup final, had Rangers secured the first silverware of the season, the league campaign could’ve turned out entirely different.
The Ibrox side has proven that in head-to-head matches they are more than a match for Celtic but have yet to reach the same level of consistency, another season with a more settled starting XI should help to improve this if one or two key players are added, which the gaffer hinted at recently.
Rangers haven’t won the Scottish Premiership since Walter Smith’s last season in charge, and there would be no better time for Gerrard and his players to end that run in what is sure to be one of the most dramatic seasons in the club’s long and illustrious history.