AN individual moment of magic or a lapse in concentration can prove the difference between winning and losing. It is all about the team, though.
There were plenty of fine personal showings for Rangers last season but it was the performance of the group that ultimately saw Mark Warburton’s side rewarded.
If they are to be successful once again this term, the flashes of brilliance will have to far outnumber the errors, but the collective will also have to improve. The Premiership is a step up, but it is one Rangers are more than capable of handling.
For all the plaudits their attacking play gained last season, the spotlight often shone on the other end of the park. As a forward unit Rangers were in a class of their own, but defensively they often failed to make the grade.
It is an issue that Warburton has attempted to solve so far this summer and he will hope that the arrivals of Clint Hill and Lee Hodson, with maybe another defender to come, and the presence of Joey Barton will make his side a far more compact and solid unit.
Whether it works or whether it doesn’t, the praise and the criticism will always be shared amongst the squad rather than fingers being pointed at individuals. It is a team game.
"We do everything together,” Gers assistant manager David Weir said. “We score goals, we lose goals, we win, we lose, we draw, we take stick, we get praise. That's the nature of it.
“The goal last year was to get promoted and we accomplished that and did it together. The aspects that combine to make that happen are obviously really important.
“We can look at them individually and there are definitely certain areas we can improve on and we will improve on. We're constantly doing that. But it's the big goal, the team goal, that's most important. Rather than looking at individuals or areas, it's ultimately about trying to be successful.”
The team that won the Championship was never going to be the one that set out in search of Premiership glory this season and Warburton and Weir have wasted little time in strengthening their Ibrox ranks. There is greater strength and depth across all areas of the squad and there are still more to come as a fourth central defender and a striker are targeted ahead of the new campaign.
The eight arrivals have added experience and quality and Weir is confident the group will be better for it as the countdown continues to the big kick-off.
“We are trying to help them all,” he said. “You try and have a chat with all of them at different stages.
“It won’t be a problem for Clint. He is an experienced guy who has played at different levels at different stages of his career. He will handle whatever comes his way and that’s why he has played so long and been as successful as he has.
“My job is to try to help all the lads as much as I can but when I speak to Clint I will give him my thoughts on my experiences. However, he has the equipment to handle it all.
“I think everyone needs competition no matter what walk of life you are in. You need to have that competitive edge and you need to be pushed and challenged. You have to constantly make yourself better and that’s the environment we want to create.
“Whether there is someone vying for your position or not you need to have that mindset that you need to work hard. We are the same as coaches as we have to solve problems and find solutions.”
After four years in the lower leagues, Rangers are now just one month away from playing Premiership football once again.
Much, of course, has changed at Ibrox and further afield since the Light Blues last took the park in a top flight fixture but the demands and expectations from the stands remain the same.
Weir was instrumental in leading Rangers to three Scottish Premier League titles under the guidance of Walter Smith and now the 46-year-old will look to inspire his side to clinch the top silverware in the country.
"It's hard to compares teams and eras,” he said. “These lads have just got to be the best they can be. Up till now they've risen to the challenges. They don't always win every game, but they try to do the right things, they're always asking questions. Anything you ask of them, they do it.
“They're improving individually - you look at some of the individuals, whatever age they may be, they're getting better. As a team and a group they're getting better. There's a basis now of lads who've been together for a period of time and we're adding to it and trying to push them and try and improve them, try and help them raise the bar. These guys will get the maximum out of themselves, there's no doubt about that.”
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