Whenever Rangers are reminded of their new status in the game, it must feel like a rebuke.
Less than three hours after the Champions League draw last Thursday, the Ibrox side played in the second round of the Scottish Communities League Cup, a stage of the competition that excludes teams who qualified to play in Europe. Rangers are even less accustomed to competing in the Ramsdens Cup, the competition for lower league sides, and Europe's elite club tournament has now become unattainable.
Habits remain, and Lee McCulloch watched the draw as it placed Celtic in Group G alongside Barcelona, Benfica and Spartak Moscow. Envy is inevitable, even without the natural rivalries between two clubs from the same city. The Old Firm relationship was sustained by Rangers and Celtic engaging in an endless tussle for supremacy, but the Ibrox side is now coming to terms with this period of temporary estrangement while they attempt to climb back up the leagues from the third division.
"I watched the draw before the game [against Falkirk] and it was a wee bit of a sore one," said McCulloch, who scored twice in the League Cup tie. "Obviously, you think, 'That used to be us'. But to be fair to Celtic, they are in there now and they deserve it. It's good because it's for the co-efficient as well. We can't chip in on that front for a wee while but to be honest it is good to see Celtic getting in there and actually doing well in Europe.
"I certainly hope [Rangers will eventually return to the tournament]. As a fan firstly you want to see them back up there with the best and through time we will get there. That is why for Celtic to get into that group is massive for the co-efficient if we want to progress as a nation. I really mean that. I'm saying they have done well."
Praising the other half of the Old Firm might not be customary, but there is little room for tribalism when there are shared interests. All Scottish clubs benefit when a team raises the country's co-efficient. Rangers will hope to, eventually, take advantage.
There are more immediate concerns for the Irbrox club. New players are being integrated, and the team is still taking shape. That kind of upheaval explains inconsistency, but Rangers have suffered particular problems away from home in the third division this season, including the 1-1 draw at Berwick Rangers last Sunday. Some players confronted each other in the dressing room afterwards, although the team performed better in the cup win over Falkirk at Ibrox.
"To be playing at a club like Rangers, sometimes you need time to settle in," McCulloch said. "Some guys hit the ground running. It is definitely a test of character. But the boys have settled in not bad. They can see for themselves what a big club it is and how hard it can be to play when the pressure is on so much, but I wouldn't say it is team spirit or anything like that, it is just really poor performances away from home. They are all grounded boys in the dressing room, we have all played at grounds like that before. I don't think there is anything up with the grounds. We just weren't good enough."
McCulloch is one strike away from accumulating 100 career goals. The target is relevant because he keeps flitting between playing in central midfield and up front. He is among the elder statesmen of this Rangers team, but is still obliged to lead by example. "I know I'm not going to get a barrowload of goals, like a McCoist or a Boyd or somebody like that," he said. "But I enjoy playing up front, I really do."
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