COURAGE isn’t the absence of fear.
It’s the ability to find a way to succeed when that fear is coursing through your every vein.
Rangers won the last 16 tie on penalties[/caption]
Jack Butland and Barry Ferguson celebrate at full-time[/caption]
SunSport’s Bill Leckie has high praise for Ferguson’s side[/caption]
Somehow, from somewhere, Rangers found that courage here.
Their heads might have been full of broken biscuits. Their legs might have been like lettuce.
But they survived. They clung on to their European dreams by the very last swirls on the tips of their fingers.
For that, they deserve nothing but credit.
Because forget Queen’s Park in the cup. Never mind St Mirren and Motherwell in the league.
Had their fourth straight home defeat put them out of Europe, it would have been so much more damaging, so much more devastating, than the other three put together.
Being turfed out of the Scottish Cup by a team of minnows was embarrassing. Being so far adrift in the title race was humbling.
While they had Europe, though, they had hope. And somehow, that hope remains alive.
Somehow, they’re not only still on the Road To Bilbao, they’ll actually be there in the last eight next month thanks to a penalty shootout victory to shred the nerves.
You’d always wondered how a side caretaker boss Barry Ferguson had openly admitted had a fear of playing at home would react if they went behind.
On a night that finally ended their season and with it, surely, the Ibrox careers of a host of those responsible, it seemed for a long time that the answer was there for all to see.
As a 3-1 lead from the first leg became 3-2 and then 3-3, the truth is that their reaction had been one of a team short on backbone, on leadership, on belief.
From the moment seconds before the clock ticked to 45 minutes when Sebastian Szymanski smashed home a wonderful volley to half the deficit, Rangers shrank inside their jerseys. Once the Pole flicked home his second – with only his side’s second shot on target – 17 minutes from the end of the 90, they looked frozen with fear.
Twice after that, 34-year-old Dusan Tadic could and maybe should have put them out of their misery only to fire wide. Right at the end of five added minutes, it took a captain’s tackle from James Tavernier to stop Youssef En-Nesyri as he made to pull the trigger 16 yards out.
All the while, Ferguson was pent-up, pacing, pointing.
Anyone could see he felt like he was on the wrong side of the white line. Let me out there, his body language screamed, let me at them.
But instead, he was helpless. A caged bear. An onlooker as it all went wrong on a night when he’d really, really needed things to go right.
Twice in extra-time, Jack Butland pulled off point-blank stops to keep the tie alive. Right down to the end of 120 minutes and more, they were manning the barricades against Fenerbahce breaks as Jose Mourinho urged his side to pour forward, forward, forward.
How they rated
Jack Butland – goalie hardly had a thing to do until he was given no chance at Fenerbahce opener. Left exposed when Szymanski smashed home his second of the night too. Important late extra-time save 8
James Tavernier – right centre-back of the three again. Caught out by deflected cross at Fenerbahce opener then failed to block Szymanski’s second. Crucial block then late goal saving intervention and free-kick saved 7
**John Souttar – immense in Istanbul and aggressive from the off again last night. Booked for hauling back Talisca and will miss first leg of quarter-final. Won second half header but lacked power 8
Leon Balogun – started with Propper on bench after the head knock he suffered in first leg. Took out Talisca as he threatened to break to land booking on half hour but stayed disciplined 7
Dujon Sterling – impressed as sub in first leg and replaced Yilmaz for first start since January 5. Landed harsh booking 25 minutes in then let cross in that led to opener. Hooked on 55 5
Nico Raskin – started well, breaking beyond the lines and snapping into tackles. Kept energy up after break to win challenges and make key passes in important role in both halves of the pitch 8
**Mohamed Diomande – took up some good positions but final pass often let him down. Booked after ref bought Mert Muldur dive to count him out of next round. Well timed challenge inside box in second half 6
Connor Barron – gave Fenerbahce midfielders no time on ball. Dropped in to cover defensively and was in right place at right time. Late cross inches away from Hagi. Extra-time exit with cramp 7
Jefte – lucky when caught Talisca on line of penalty box but fellow Brazilian was booked for dive instead. Villain at second goal when went to ground and failed to stop ball in. Subbed in formation change 5
Vaclav Cerny – first leg goal hero was lively again. Sliced chance then lashed one from distance into the side netting. Didn’t see enough of ball second half but extra-time effort brilliantly saved 7
Cyriel Dessers – scored one in Istanbul and saw two chalked off for offside fewer chances last night. Handful for Skriniar but booked on stroke of half-time. Mistimed hooked volley in second half then subbed 5
SUBS: Ridvan Yilmaz (5) sent on early in second half. Late strike then booked for dissent, Hamza Igamane (3) great shot clawed away but too often picked wrong option Nedim Bajrami (5) low shot saved then smashed high and wide, Ianis Hagi (3) inches from sliding home then booked, Tom Lawrence (3) extra-time arrival.
That got them to penalties. When a keeper whose mistakes had put him so far under the microscope this season saved the first one from veteran Dusan Tadic, it got their foot back in the door of the last eight.
And when the last kick of a dramatic, nerve-shredding night flew high into the skies off a Turkish boot, they’d kicked that door wide open.
Before kick-off, a giant banner had been unfurled across the full width of the Copland Road stand reading: In The Eye Of A Rangers Storm.
It was meant as a reminder of the way they’d barrelled their way to these knockout stages, to put the wind up Mourinho and his men.
Yet the longer this game went on, the more it was Rangers themselves who were caught in a whirlwind of uncertainty, a flurry of flashbacks to that previous hat-trick of disastrous defeats on their own turf.
That they fought their way back out, that they lived to fight another day?
Well, who knows what it’ll do for them from here.
First up, they can go to Parkhead on Sunday with their heads held high.
Jack Butland was the penalty shootout hero[/caption]
Then, they can head for the Basque country with nothing to lose and everything to gain.
As for the former skipper brought in to hold the fort after Philippe Clement left them on their knees?
I wrote beforehand that, if he had long-term ambitions, then this was his audition – and no one can say he didn’t pass it; maybe not with the flying colours he’d dreamed of, but he won’t care.
Results are their own reason. Winning is all that matters.
He was brought in to drag Rangers off the canvas and there’s no doubt this incredible victory from the jaws of despair has done that.
The noise around Ibrox when Butland saved his second spot kick was ear-splitting. Yet the din when the final Turkish effort flew into the Copland Lower made it sound like a mouse whispering.
Astonishing scenes on a remarkable occasion. Unbelievable emotions, a phenomenal release of tension – and, yes, of fear.
Had this one gone the other way, it would have seen Ferguson leave in a few weeks time. It would surely have seen most of this team emptied in the summer.
Now, though, they’ve given themselves one more chance.
Now, they can dare to dream again.
Now they have to tell themselves there’s nothing left to be scared of.
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