MISSING out on the championship would be a sore one for Kyle Lafferty, but not as sore as the catalogue of back, knee and ankle injuries that have blighted his first season with Rangers.
Hung out to dry on the left side of midfield and exposed to the complaints of an Ibrox crowd that expected more for their money, the lanky Northern Ireland forward has been put through the wringer since his £3 million transfer from Burnley last
summer.
Finally restored to fitness after the damaged ankle ligaments that were his latest handicap, Lafferty would love to strike a telling blow in next weekend's SPL climax, but the instant gratification it would bring, the place in Rangers history, might be a little embarrassing after what has been a frustrating campaign. "It would be amazing, but I just want to try and get this season over and done with. Hopefully win the double, and then start again. It hasn't really been the best. I've scored a few goals, but with injuries and all that, I haven't done what I'm capable of. No matter what I do now, it's not going to justify my season."
In fact, there have been just six goals for Lafferty, who was a second-half substitute against Hibs on Wednesday but was in the starting line-up against Aberdeen yesterday. He has suffered more injuries this year than he has in the rest of his career, which some have blamed on the new routine. The 21-year-old admits that training in Glasgow has contrasted starkly with its Burnley equivalent. As the pressure on Rangers has grown with every game, his old team have been defying all expectation in the Coca-cola Championship.
Their manager, Owen Coyle, has taken them to within 90 minutes of the Premier League by demanding that his players enjoy themselves. Asked about the Scot's influence on his career, Lafferty says: "He relaxed me a lot. He just told me to go out with the players and do what I do best. There was no pressure from him on me or any of the others. I think that's why they are doing so well. It's not long ago that he was a player himself."
Relaxation is in shorter supply down Govan way, through no fault of their manager, Walter Smith. The Glasgow divide contrives to make a serious business of winning the championship. "Rangers are a big club," says Lafferty. "I'm not saying Burnley aren't, but you have to do your best in every game for Rangers. There are players around you who can back you up, but..."
It is a familiar theme in these parts. Adjusting to life with the Old Firm can be a long and tortuous process, especially for the younger lads, who are prone to inconsistency. Smith has signed a few since beginning his second stint with the club over two years ago, most notably Lafferty, Kevin Thomson, Steven Whittaker and Steven Naismith, all of whom have had their frustrations. "When I came back, I made a conscious effort to bring in younger players, and every one of them has been exactly the same," says Smith. "Steven Whittaker, Kevin Thomson ... it takes them a period of time to settle in. The demands of the Old Firm are greater than a lot of people imagine, especially for a younger player.
"Kyle Lafferty has taken his time to settle in, but I'm hoping that he will start to flourish next season when he is played in his proper position. And the experience he has gained this season will help. Having watched him in training and seen him play, he looks as though he could be a really good player. He has a good future."
If Lafferty responds to adversity half as well as his team have this season, he will be an unqualified success. To have run Celtic this close is quite an effort by Rangers, whose early European exit at the hands of Kaunas was followed by deepening financial trouble, and a number of other distractions, such as the proposed sale of Kris Boyd, and the controversy surrounding Barry Ferguson and Allan McGregor. Their recovery from a seven-point deficit after the Old Firm game on 27 December is a tribute to the growing contribution of Smith's pre-season signings. While Kenny Miller produces more sweat than goals, Madjid Bougherra and Pedro Mendes are valuable assets, and the slow-burning Maurice Edu has had the audacity to fill Ferguson's boots. Even Andrius Velicka has been bagging a few lately.
While they lack the quality of years gone by, they have at least found the resilience that was missing early in their campaign. "The disappointment of the European exit played a big part in our season," says Smith. "It took us a while to get over that, but if you look at us now, we have overcome quite a number of injury and suspension problems in the last two months. We have shown better consistency, which in the early part of the season was something we needed."
It is a commodity that next weekend's opponents, Dundee United, could do with rather more of. Despite the yawning gap between themselves and Rangers, they have made quite a nuisance of themselves against the Ibrox club, who are no longer such an intimidating proposition. The two teams shared four goals at Tannadice in December, and six at Ibrox four months later. There were two similar draws last season.
While United are not the opponents Smith would have chosen for his final match of the season, their progress under Craig Levein could make for another thrilling spectacle. "They have managed to stabilise, in a defensive sense especially," says Smith, "but they have also shown the ability to cause problems on the break. We have had a couple of games against them, like the 3-3 one, when it was going back and forward so much that neither manager had any great control of what was happening. We have had some terrific games, and the last day of the season brings its own kind of tension."
Smith, of course, knows how it feels to win the title at Tannadice, as he likes to recall with a heavy dose of sarcasm. "Brian Laudrup goal, Charlie Miller cross, a header ... I vaguely remember it. Trevor Steven goal, Stuart Munro cross, a header ... I vaguely remember that one as well." Should Lafferty be lucky enough to join that list, he is no more likely to be forgotten.
