Leon Balogun returned for Philippe Clement's team on Sunday (Image: PA)
The dark clouds that had gathered over Rangers before Sunday cleared in the aftermath of a Scottish Cup win against Hearts. Leon Balogun would have preferred different climatic conditions, but the forecast is now better for a side that looked somewhat poor on the way to Hampden.
At the end of a few difficult weeks, the sun finally shone on Philippe Clement again. Two goals from Cyriel Dessers secured a place in the showpiece final of the campaign and kept the treble dream alive. It has also lifted the spirits of a discouraged support who feared their season would spiral out of control.
The defeat to Motherwell and the missed opportunity against Celtic shifted the momentum to Glasgow and the loss to Ross County and draw against Dundee have put Clement's side on the back foot. Their fate is still in their own hands ahead of the final six games of the season, but the marginal win against the Jambos should be followed by more significant signs of progress.
Balogun watched from the sidelines as Rangers stumbled in the Premier League. At Hampden he was again at the heart of the defense. Clement put the decision to drop Connor Goldson down to 'freshness' and hinted he was planning to make the move to Dens Park. Ultimately, it proved to be a smart move from Clement, as Balogun marked his return to the side in style, a performance that proved integral in helping Rangers secure a comfortable win.
Apart from a late run-out against Celtic, the start against Hearts was Balogun's first minutes since being forced off against Livingston in early February. The serious facial injury he suffered that day resulted in an absence that lasted longer than he had hoped. After being called upon to be in the film from the start, he proved his quality and character at Hampden.
"Tired," laughed Balogun when asked how he felt after the ninety minutes. "I mean, it got tough, especially when the sun was shining. I would have preferred it to have stayed cloudy or rainy, even if we had a lot. I think it's been eight or nine weeks since I last played there, and then I was sick at the beginning of the week and didn't really get back on my feet until Thursday.
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"I had some kind of flu. I was down for a few days and didn't feel so good. But it was good to get back out there. You have to get it out of yourself and pull yourself back and feel good about yourself. I'm glad I did well.
'I think the idea [for me to play against Dundee] was there, but I can't really say because before I knew it, I was flattened and sent back home from the team hotel.
A trip against St Mirren on Sunday sees Rangers begin their post-split fixture schedule. These five games will determine whether they return to Hampden aiming for a clean sweep or simply a cup double to mark the end of Clement's first season in charge.
The Belgian has been criticized in recent weeks as his team lost points and momentum in the Premier League. However, he got his big calls right on the weekend and never doubted that his side would rise up and deliver results. Goldson, for so long one of the most important presences on and off the park, took a seat behind him in the dugout.
"He's brilliant," Balogun said of the man he teamed up with during the '55 campaign and has played together often this season. "He always is, whether he's playing or not. As far as shoe size goes, I'm almost making it up. But they're big boots to fill and I feel like a lot of times he doesn't always get the credit he deserves, and that's also in terms of his communication on and off the field It is not easy to repeat that. He encouraged everyone."
Goldson's position has been under discussion for some time. Come summer, his place within the squad, let alone the team, will once again be a topic of conversation. Clement has shown he is not afraid to make decisive decisions when it comes to team selection, but his vision for the future will come into sharp focus ahead of his first summer transfer window.
Balogun is one of the few players who is no longer under contract at Ibrox. He doesn't have to prove any points in the coming weeks, but his position will be final anyway.
"Of course you always want to play, but right now if you think back to October and think about the situation we are in now, you would have signed up for it," Balogun said. "Even if you look at last week, we could have put ourselves in a better position, but for me it's about being strong as a team. Whether that's me, Ben Davies or Connor Goldson, for me it's ultimately about what we want to do for the club. We serve at the end of the day and we have a big challenge in front of us and it takes everyone. If I am, I'll be happy. I think I have proven enough that I am a team player during my time here.
"I hope [it is a positive for the future that I was picked on Sunday]. I really do not know. I think these decisions will be made within the club in the coming weeks. I hope I get a notification a little sooner than last time! I'd like to think I can be very positive and address what you said about the manager choosing me [against Hearts]but I can't really tell you - I don't know yet.
Balogun returned to Ibrox last summer as defensive cover for Michael Beale. Now he could be a three-time winner if Clement's side want to write their names in Ibrox history.
Celtic stand in the way of Rangers in what will be the first Old Firm Scottish Cup final in 22 years. Rangers have undone some of their good work with their Premiership failures, but victory over Hearts could give them a timely boost heading into the business end of the campaign.
"I think it was very important for us," Balogun said. "You can tell it was a statement because when you have two games from last week it feels like it's been two, three weeks since we just trained. It happened within a week and everything we had done before went out the window. At least that's how it felt, so it was very important for us to turn it back on. The manager did a really good job this week of reminding us of what we are really good at and what we have done despite not performing at our best.
"And then [on Sunday]I think it was normal that we might have some rough patches. I think as a group we can be very proud of the way we showed resilience and the way we got through those periods. Super Jack in goal doing his job is always helpful! But I think we did enough to deserve to win this match. It's no surprise that there were times when it seemed like they didn't look real, but we need to get our confidence back. I think those performances should give us a big boost."
