Scottish League Cup final: 'Switch flicked' in 'good final' but Rangers still left with regrets

As the Rangers players stepped out of the tunnel at Hampden Park, they were welcomed by a banner in the stands from their fans that said, "Focus on the goal."

For 120 minutes, plus any extra time, their determination to claim the League Cup trophy against Celtic was undeniably strong.

Just a few weeks ago, it would have been hard to find many fans who believed that Phillipe Clement's team would keep their trophy.

However, as former Ibrox forward Billy Dodds mentioned on BBC Sportsound, "something has changed" lately.

"Three weeks ago, there was a significant change. The Rangers were prepared for it," he noted.

"Now they need to demonstrate that the standard has been established and that they have a clear long-term plan."

Numerous factors led to the skepticism among the team's most devoted fans as fall gave way to winter.

Celtic's current 11-point advantage in the league is significant. Another factor is Rangers' lack of consistent performance. Additionally, the way Brendan Rodgers' team easily defeated their rivals back in September reinforced this feeling.

This loss was a far cry from that 3-0 defeat.

Even after Rangers fell behind 2-1 at the national stadium, despite initially taking the lead, they didn't lose hope. Their spirits remained high, and they didn't withdraw into their usual defensive shell to let Celtic take control.

Even Celtic's Liam Scales acknowledged the effort put forth by Rangers, referring to the intense competition and the chaos that followed.

Dodds mentioned that they displayed "the appropriate mindset" for competing against the league champions. Meanwhile, another former Ibrox player, Neil McCann, remarked that they had made significant progress since September.

It's rare for the team that loses a cup final to receive such high praise, but Rangers delivered a remarkable, spirited, and dynamic performance. This impressed former Scotland defender Willie Miller, who referred to it as "a good cup final" for them.

Miller remarked, "If losing in a cup final can have its silver linings, that is."

I believe Phillipe Clement can confidently assert that his team performed well. He can make a strong argument to the fans that his players are starting to adapt to his expectations.

At this point, the only point Clement is raising is to question why his team didn’t receive a penalty in the second half.

Vaclav Cerny's shirt was pulled, and Scales caught his foot, resulting in a free-kick being given just outside the Celtic penalty area.

Nonetheless, Clement mentioned that he got "numerous messages" regarding the situation, indicating that the foul occurred just outside the box and should have resulted in a penalty.

"I'm not sure if you caught the pictures earlier, but my phone is flooded with messages about the penalty issue," the Rangers manager stated.

I've received countless messages discussing that crucial moment. The referee was unable to see what happened, but it's strange that he didn’t receive the VAR communication to check the screen.

What surprised McCann and fellow Sportscene analyst Scott Allan was the absence of anger from the people in blue.

McCann couldn't believe that the Rangers players weren't losing their minds, while Allan found it strange that Cerny wasn't making much noise either.

There was a lot of shouting from the audience, the bench, and the field when the Rangers failed to take advantage of a four-on-one opportunity.

Cerny gained control of the ball and passed it to Hamza Igamane. Instead of sending it back to the advancing Cerny or to his left to Mohamed Diomande, Igamane chose to play it to Nedim Bajrami on his right.

Cameron Carter-Vickers stepped in to intercept Bajrami's cross, preventing the opportunity from developing.

Clement expressed his frustration, stating it was "truly disappointing that we chose incorrectly." Nonetheless, mistakes have been uncommon, unlike in recent derby matches.

Although the Rangers ultimately let the trophy slip away, they walked off the field nearly three hours after the match, optimistic about future victories.