Progress still the name of the Rangers game

RANGERS football club is aiming for another season of solid progress. Despite the club gaining only the same amount of points for the past two seasons, last season they managed to avoid the wooden spoon and Priaulx coach Mac Gallienne is happy with the progress being made.

'We gave the bigger sides a better game each time,' he said.

'The big thing is we didn't finish bottom.'

Gallienne said that the cups had also given his team confidence and shown that they could compete with the best.

'We reached four semi-finals and we lost out to the eventual winners on each occasion so I was happy with the season.'

One of the big differences is in defence with the players at the back showing improvement with every game.

'We are a little bit more organised and we have better personnel,' he said.

'We are not going to win three or four nil so we have to be tight at the back.'

He added that the focus on defensive duties continued.

'We had to work on it this season and hopefully we will be even better.'

He said that the improvement was overall and down to the players working really hard.

'We have turned the corner.'

He said that they were not settling for second best and it now annoys them whenever they lost.

Although Gallienne has his own ideas on what target he wants to meet, he said the players would also have a big say.

'The players and coaches will sit down before the start of the season and set achievable targets.'

Rangers see winning the title as a unrealistic target this season but that's not to say it will not happen in the future.

He said that the position which Rangers is in is no different to one that many other clubs in the Priaulx have found themselves in.

'When I was at Sylvans we were in the same situation as Rangers is now so everybody does it.

'We'll keep plodding away.'

There have been 20-25 players turning out for first-team training, which has been boosted by a few useful squad signings including Craig Carre from North.

He said that the squad was young with a top age of about 26-27.

The one downside to the young squad is the departure of a handful of players to university including the lively Olly Dowding and Ross Allen.

He said that their loss would not prove too damaging to the teams prospects as none of them was a regulars or formed the backbone of the team but added: 'They are very good players.'

Another who will not be missed is Matt Warren, who 'almost' signed this summer from Sylvans.

'What you haven't got you don't miss,' said Gallienne.

'It was a surprise that he signed. If he had signed the right form, he would have been a Rangers player. How long for, only he knows.'

He added that the player could have left on another transfer straight away and he believes transfers only when he sees that player at the training session with his own eyes.

Another reason why Rangers might not miss Warren is the continuing emergence of Piers Ockleford.

'We would like to use him as often as possible.'

Another player that might prove useful for Rangers is Dale Garland.

Although firmly committed to his athletics career, which is coming on leaps and bounds, he will still be used by Gallienne when he is in the island and available.

'He is available but he has bigger fish to fry,' said Gallienne.

'But he is a Ranger at heart.'

Tomorrow: Vale Rec