The Rangers storm of 1994 remembered and the lesson Beale and struggling stars must heed

David Robertson shudders at the memory of an August week at Ibrox that was WORSE than the four-day catastrophe that’s thrown Michael Beale’s Rangers revolution into turmoil.

Three defeats in the space of seven days early in the 1994-95 season saw Walter Smith ’s side crash out the Champions League qualifying to AEK Athens, lose the first Old Firm derby of the season and then hit rock bottom as they were humbled by Falkirk in the League Cup.

If that wasn’t bad enough all three seismic losses were dished out in their own back yard as Ibrox momentarily lost it’s fortress tag and pressure grew on Smith and his big money summer signings Brian Laudrup and Basil Boli. Just like now, serious questions were being asked. Yet nine-in-a-row hero Robertson insists the one thing never suggested was that Smith should pay the price for the early season crisis with his job.

Put that down to the huge credit the Ibrox icon had rightly built in the bank or the fact there were no mobile phone far less social media three decades ago, Robertson insists the popular opinion stood strongly behind the legendary manager.

And in return the manager ensured none of the pressure seeped into his players. Parallels between then and now could easily be drawn after Gers’ Champions League hopes were brutally ended by PSV Eindhoven in a 5-1 hammering in Holland before Celtic visited Govan to take the first derby bragging rights of the campaign.

Robertson knows the natives are hurting. But he insists it’s too early to be calling for manager Beale ’s head.

Harking back to the late summer of ’94 the former left-back remembers the key characteristics that got the stuttering season back on track and allowed them to clinch the seventh title of nine-in-a-row