RANGERS THEN AND NOW

IT was Mark Hateley who kicked off the debate about comparing the current crop to those who starred in the Rangers nine-in-a-row era.

In the aftermath of the way the champions fought back to victory against Hearts at Tynecastle, after having recovered from two down to win against Aberdeen at Pittodrie, Hateley drew a favourable comparison between then and now.

Now, after Rangers came from behind to triumph against Celtic at Parkhead for the first time in 33 years, Walter Smith has joined in and announced he is as proud of the modern Rangers as he ever was of any of the teams he fashioned in the past.

Though, unlike Hateley, Smith was careful not to be too specific and never mentioned the various line-ups which figured between the summer of 1988 and the spring of 1997.

But if you cast your mind back about a year you may recall Smith taking at least one of those nine-in-a-row men to task for making a disparaging comparision.

That came at a time when it was fashionable for pundits, and many media men to moan about Rangers being one of the worst in the club's history.

At the time I was quick to argue this point, citing the sides which played during the end of John Greig's era as manager, and when Jock Wallace returned for his second stint.

That led to some of of the knockers regrouping and saying that what they really meant was that the Smith team which took the title in 2009 was the worst to win the championship.

Which again led me to history and season 1958-59 when, with Scot Symon in charge, Rangers lost 2-1 to Aberdeen at Ibrox on the last day of the season, and needed Celtic's win over Hearts at Parkhead that same afternoon to give them the crown.

The relative merits of different teams from different eras will always provide a banquet upon which fans love to gorge.

Opinions will vary, and older heads will always hold the advantage of having seen more. A Partick pal of mine, Robert, brooks no argument with his assessment that the football played for two years under Dick Advocaat was better than anything he has seen from Rangers.

I often take issue and point to that period during the nine-in-a-row run when Paul Gascoigne and Brian Laudrup were together, as being just as good.

Of course, on the subject of an older - and baldy head - I am able to pull rank and return to the early 1960s and the outfit of Jim Baxter and Ian McMillan, plus Millar, Brand and Wilson.

For me, there is no comparison between the Rangers team of the last couple of seasons and the one which contained Gazza and Laudrup.

There are though, more than a few similarites between the sides Smith can field now and the ones he put together, and which laid the foundations which Gazza and Laudrup built on to complete nine-in-a-row.

The fighting spirit of that side, with John Brown always seen as its brave heart and Richard Gough its courageous captain, can be seen in the strong and steady approach of David Weir and the way Madjid Bougherra can lift his side when he breaks forward.

While in goal, Andy Goram often appeared to be the only thing which stood between Rangers and defeat back then. One night at Pittodrie springs to mind when he almost single handedly defied a fine Aberdeen side and Hateley scored in a 1-0 win.

Allan McGregor is another keeper whose form for two years has often been outstanding, and who seems to inspire the same confidence in those in front of him as Goram used to

The main difference is that back then Smith had the option of buying big. Even before such glamour names as Gascoigne and Laudrup joined the ranks, he had lashed out plenty for Goram and McCall, plus, among others, Alexei Mikhailitchenko and Trevor Steven.

Nowadays those sort of players, with their massive transfer fees and huge wages, are well beyond the reach of Rangers.

And yet, with such limited resources since he returned in January 2007, with Rangers out of both cups and too far behind to even challenge for the title, Smith has, in three full seasons, won two SPL crowns, three League Cups and one Scottish Cup, plus taking the team to the UEFA Cup Final.

That surely gives the players who have contributed to to that success story, the right to be taken more seriously than they were just a year ago when all of the snide comments regarding them being the worst Rangers team ever, later modified to the worst to win the title, must have angered Smith.

In what those who have observed him for some time expected, Smith chose to keep his powder dry until the moment was right, and as ever his timing has been impeccable.

However, to earn the right to a true comparison with the teams which played through the first part of the club's nine-in-a-row era, this current crop will be required to hand the manager a retirement gift of a third successive SPL trophy.

If they can do that, then anything Smith would have to say about them would be well worth hearing.