CRISIS? What crisis? Outside Ibrox yesterday a desultory knot of supporters staging a silent protest disbanded as soon as a car carrying new signing Maurice Edu hoved into view. Inside the ground, the most visible sign of discontent was a banner in the Broomloan Street Stand that was unfurled ten minutes before the match started.
"We deserve better", it read. By the end of a match in which debutante Pedro Mendes and defender Madjid Bougherra had given performances of consummate quality the banner had disappeared. Better had arrived.
If Bougherra's assurance at the back and
Kyle Lafferty's goal-scoring contribution suggested that this summer transfer window may yet be remembered for more than the loss of Carlos Cuellar, it was the performance of man-of-the-match Mendes that was perhaps the most significant, particularly in light of Barry Ferguson's absence. There was nothing flashy or gaudy about the Portuguese midfielder's play, save for one attempted shot from 20 yards, yet Mendes played with a precision and prescience that had the crowd purring.
It was all the more surprising as Mendes admitted afterwards that he had yet to train with Rangers. His performance was particularly impressive for a man who first met his team-mates in the changing room before his debut. "I arrived (in Glasgow] on Friday morning, walked around the stadium and imagined how it would be," said the Portuguese midfielder. "Today wasn't a surprise for me – I was expecting this type of atmosphere and environment. The fans were fantastic, always supporting the team, it's what everyone told me I'd find. And Hearts were a good team that came to play football, so it was a good game."
If Mendes wasn't surprised by Rangers, nor did his impact shock Walter Smith. The Rangers manager signed the finished article from Portsmouth for £3m this week, a player who won the Champions League with Porto as recently as 2004. "He was very influential today," said Smith. "It's important because it's an area we've been trying to strengthen over the close season."
Mendes was an instant crowd-pleaser. He displayed audacious skills early on when he effortlessly controlled a bouncing ball, drawing a gasp from the crowd which turned into thunderous appreciation as he tapped the ball through to Kris Boyd. Virtually every pass found its target, every run posed a danger or pulled Hearts' defenders out of position.
With American Edu and Steven Davis almost sure to have their moves confirmed this week, possibly to be followed by Mark Bresciano, Rangers' midfield may be much-changed by the time Ferguson – a player Mendes says he knows and respects highly – next sees active duty in October.
The full article contains 457 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
