BBC pundit warns Rangers not to forget SPFL commitments amid Europa League
Rangers can produce “something special” in the Europa League but it cannot be allowed to cause their league form to suffer says Mark Hateley.
The former Gers forward was hugely successful in the mid-1990s, winning five league titles at the club, but was knocked out of the European Cup by the upcoming European opponents in 1990.
Speaking at a Scottish Cup event for Premier Sports, via Football Scotland, the 60-year-old BBC Scotland pundit said: “It would be something special if Rangers could beat them [Red Star Belgrade] this time and reach the quarter-finals of the Europa League.
“But if it came at the cost of the Championship? That was the problem for Walter Smith back in 2008 when continued success in Europe meant fixture congestion.
“But the demands at Rangers are that you win every game and if you’re not up for that you shouldn’t be at the football game.
“It’s points over performances at this stage of the season, all day long.
“You want to peak – like Rangers did against Dortmund – but if it doesn’t come then you have to adapt, roll up the sleeves and grind out results.
“There are going to be a lot of big decisions in the next month or so. It’s now or never.”
Business end
Everything could go one way or another from this point, with both the European and domestic campaigns delicately poised.
For all the glory that the Dortmund ties brought, and the memories will live long in the memory, the shine will be taken off them somewhat if they crash out in the next round.
The exertions against the Germans contributed to dropped points in both of the next league matches, without which Gers would currently be top.
So if Giovanni van Bronckhorst is going to guide his team further in the continental competition, he needs to work out how to manage his squad better across two high-pressure run-ins.
They already missed one chance to take first place back from Celtic by throwing away a two-goal lead against Motherwell.
And with the Hoops out of Europe they will be free to concentrate on the league.
Frankly, if the Light Blues are going to let the European run get in the way of the title defence then they better win the whole thing.
They would then make it into the Champions League anyway, and it would back up the statement they made against Dortmund.
But even then plenty of fans would be unhappy about surrendering the league, and as Hateley says, to operate at this level you have to be able to face up to both challenges.
In other Rangers news, a former player for both sides has warned Red Star about the “hellish” welcome they will receive at Ibrox.