The Record Sport columnist reckons that his former club can crank up the pressure on their rivals and leaders Hearts(Image: SNS Group)

Let’s start by stating the obvious.

The whole country owes Steve Clarke and his players a massive thank-you after they clinched qualification for the next World Cup and sure the way they did it, with that 4-2 win over Denmark, might just go down as the most single most dramatic and enjoyable game of football I’ve ever seen.

They’re talking about making him Sir Steve now that he’s got us to three out of the last four major tournaments and who can blame them?

As I said myself the other night on the Daily Record’s Hotline Live, I’d back the idea of rewarding him with a knighthood because what he has done for the reputation of Scottish football over the last six and a half years has been out of this world.

He gets a hard time from supporters now and again and I’ve never really worked that one out. What more does the man have to do before we all realise just how lucky we are to have in charge?

But, anyway, that’s another argument for another day. Because, as much as I loved the outcome of this latest international break, I’m counting down the clock already to the return of the nitty gritty in the Premiership title race.

And, yes, before anyone starts having a pop, it really is a title race and Rangers really are still in the thick of it.

The truth is, new boss Danny Rohl was just building up a nice wee head of steam before everything stopped for Scotland.

The 3-0 win at Dens Park means he has chalked up three league wins in a row. That might not sound like much of a big deal but given how inconsistent the side has been this season I’ll take it as a solid sign of improvement.

Now he has to follow it up with another win at Livingston because Rangers need to string a number of consecutive victories together if they want to chip away at the gap between themselves and Celtic and Hearts.

(Image: SNS Group)

But it can be done. And no one will convince me otherwise.

It’ll be difficult, yes. But it’s doable all right. Put it this way, never in my life have I seen a league title won or conceded before the end of November.

People will reach their own conclusions and have their own opinions. And a lot of them will have written Rangers off already.

That’s fine. But the last time I checked there’s only five points between Rangers and Celtic and right now they haven’t even got a permanent manager in charge. So why shouldn’t Rohl and his players paint a target on their backs?

That’s the first aim. Try to claw back those points by rattling off some results and then, if they can do that, then take a look and see how Hearts are getting on at the top.

There’s no getting away from it, Derek McInnes and his players have been the best side in the country so far this season. The table doesn’t lie.

But it’s what comes next that really matters most of all and I’m sure Danny will be hoping to eat away at that lead between now and the turn of the year.

Then, if they can bring in some more reinforcements in January, we’re all set for a real scrap over the second half of the season.

I’m not sure what the cash situation is going to be like so I don’t know if the new manager will be heavily backed or if the club will have to do some wheeling and dealing if they want to bring in new faces.

But there is one thing that Rangers certainly can’t afford to do and that’s consider selling Nico Raskin to raise a bit of spending money.

If they are serious about mourning a challenge for the two remaining domestic trophies then you can’t do it by losing one of your most important players and that’s exactly what Nico is.

I’m sure the manager will have been assessing what he’s got and who he might be able to move on.

But Nico won’t be on that list. His contract situation is not ideal because he’s into the last 18 months. That means there could be a temptation to look for offers.

But, because of that, they’d have to settle for a lot less than he’s worth if they let him go in January. And that would seem like a false economy, when there’s so much still to play for this season including a possible place in next season’s Champions League.

Nico Raskin celebrates

It would make more sense to keep him, let him go and play at the World Cup with Belgium and then go to the market. If he stars on the biggest stage of all and attracts a lot of interest then Rangers might end up getting even more money for him as well as an extra six months on the pitch.

Selling him now would send out all the wrong messages. If you want to compete you need your best players on the pitch and, having worked with the young man, I know how important he can be.

If you asked Nico he’d probably admit he’s not been up to his own high standards so far this season but he was showing signs of getting there over the last two or three games.

He could have a massive part to play from here on in so there is no argument at all that makes me think letting him leave at this stage would be the right thing to do.

Let’s not forget Nico will be desperate to get back to his very best between now and the end of the season as he’ll want to go to the World Cup with all guns blazing.

And when Nico is at the top of his game he’s already proved that he has a big influence on the team.

That’s the kind of quality that Rangers will have to rely on if they are to turn this season on its head from this point onwards.

And anybody who thinks it simply can’t happen could be in for quite a surprise.