Title is in sight at last for Rangers

Graham Spiers

It may seem a perverse thing to say, days after Celtic scored seven goals and Rangers just the one in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League, but I have become more convinced in the past two weeks that Rangers are finally going to end their years of many-sided suffering and win this year's championship.

I say this knowing what a mug's game punditry is. If ever, indeed, an experience should have finally declared the death of punditry it was last season in Scotland, when Celtic, having lost at home to Motherwell in early April to lag a country mile behind Rangers, were declared dead and buried by everyone that Saturday evening.

Six weeks later at Tannadice, where Celtic soared while Rangers simultaneously crumbled further up the coast, what a sticky scene it was as we all wiped egg from our faces.

Rangers, however, I now believe will win the 2008-09 title because their football, as teething as it sometimes can be, is more convincing in all three areas of the park: defence, midfield and attack. There is a growing mettle about Rangers which I think Gordon Strachan recognises and would love to have in his own team right now.

David Weir and Madjid Bougherra form the best central defensive partnership in Scotland, borne out by the fact that, in their last 15 hours of football together, hardly any striker has managed to squirrel past them.

Weir and Bougherra have a clear edge on Gary Caldwell and Stephen McManus, both of whom are vulnerable at the heart of Celtic. It all looks like being to Rangers' advantage in the weeks ahead.
In midfield, meanwhile, the skill-level clearly is of advantage to Rangers. At Hamilton Accies on Saturday Barry Ferguson began to show again what a fine player he is, with a goal and a performance which spoke of the player once coveted by a host of Barclays Premier League clubs. Ferguson on his day is a lovely, artful performer.

And, in this context, little more needs to be said about Pedro Mendes. He will surely be Scotland's Player of the Year and will be a further weapon to Rangers, which Celtic cannot match.

Goals, however, more than anything are football's prized currency, and Rangers are also more dependable in this department. If any team has a striker worth 30/35 goals in a campaign, then they are halfway there, and in Kris Boyd Rangers have that man. Boyd is no Denis Law but he is, statistically at least, an Ally McCoist of his day.

Celtic, meanwhile, have strikers who have become impotent in the penalty area, and it has hurt them dear of late, notwithstanding Saturday's 7-0 rout of St Mirren (in which no Celtic striker scored - quite a feat). Ironically, I think Celtic may soon be shown to have irrevocably hurt their title hopes in the two months following their 1-0 win at Ibrox on December 27, when Strachan's men simply frittered away points: 11 of a possible 18 between January 3 and February 22.

Those span of weeks is precisely the time that Sir Alex Ferguson has always designated as the "kicking-in" period for title aspirants, yet Celtic have gone in the opposite direction. Football is fickle and random and chaotic but, even given all that turbulence, from this vantage point of March 3 I think Rangers are going to win the 2009 title.

Comments

[Derek D]

Yes Celtic's strikers may as well be left on the bench these days. JVOH being the main culprit but all of them being guilty of very poor quality. Rangers are still woeful though and it shows the lack of SPL opposition to suggest that they're playing well.

Celtic I predict will pick up form again and that means the end for Rangers. Rangers have caught up due to - as you mention - the incredible lack of form by Celtic; but it's highly unlikely that this will last for the season remains.

Sorry, but Rangers will falter again and end up runners up. As well as a tough Champs League qualifying prospect.

Will they then have to sell rather than buy? It's not looking good for the light blues to be fair.

DD

[doug]

By Celtic's own admission last year's SPL lacked integrity and may always be recalled as the 'tainted title'.

Celtic's success in denying Rangers a professinal preparation to the UEFA final was Scotland's shame.

[BIG WULLIE]

Rangers are not good enough to win the SPL.
Celtic have a stronger squad and have been over this ground before.
I just can't see Rangers winning the big one this season.

[HarrietP]

from this vantage point of 4th march, it seems the light blues will need to keep looking till next season after a defeat to the bottom club

[jon]

i agree with graham that rangers have a superior defence and that celtic's strikers (apart from mcdonald) have gone missing this season, but surely he must be kidding when he says rangers have a better midfield.

nakamura, hartley, robson, crosas, mcgeady, brown. six very good players, and all would walk into rangers' current midfield.

pedro mendes started really well but has faded noticeably in recent weeks, and it is becoming increasingly obvious to everyone that barry ferguson is in decline and has been for some time. he can still pick the occasional good pass but he spends ever more time being a bystander.

and does anyone honestly think for a second that steven davis or kevin thomson would be regular starters for celtic?

[Radup]

Graham, excellent article. However I dont think you've taken into account the temperature rising in the kitchen? That Mr Strachan has us all fooled again me thinks.

[paul smith]

This would seem to be a good analysis until the latest twist. The 'kicking in' period for Celtic was late last season, and seems to be happening again this season. Had Celtic become complacent with the points cushion over Rangers? Was losing the lead the impetus that Celtic needed to dig deep? Rangers have had their chance to sustain a challenge, but there is a suspicion of nerves. Rangers may have the better defence and attack on paper, but Celtic have the match winners in midfield to make it happen. Last season it was Hartley and Robson who were the core that helped the other parts of the team tick over. This season; Crosas and Brown?

[DMC]

Boyd hasn't scored in the league since mid-January, and Miller will always be a streaky striker who has more off games than on.

And how you can argue that the Rangers midfield is more skilful than McGeady-Crosas-Brown-Naka is beyond me. Yes, Barry Ferguson scored a goal at the weekend, but that lot scored seven between them.

Celtic will win the league, in what's been a poor year for the quality of the SPL.

[Andy]

Doug - your comment shows that you have a short memory, 2003? what grace was offered to Celtic in the run up to Seville and subsequent SPL games that decided the title. Get over it, Rangers were given an unjustified assistance by extending the league once and they still lost. Scotland's shame...we all know the real root of it.

[andy]

Pedro Mendes player of the year?
you have to be kidding, the guy is incredibly overated. Nakamura has had an average season and he still has 7 more goals than the guy and i bet Naka has more assists to his name aswell. Every Sportswriter around scotland has been desperate to give him the player of the year award ever since August. If a rangers player wins the award it should be Boyd or Davis.

[john gibson]

Graham

Regardless of results last night i must take issue with your analysis which seems intent on generating comment rather than being based upon normal rational assessment.

weir and bougherra may have delivered 15 hours of combined clean sheets but to any decent observer they would not constitute a quality centre back partnership. even the limited potency of SPL attacks would finally find this duo out. to say david weir has been 'getting away with it' for too long is an understatement even in a league as poor as this one.

what is even more remarkable is your assertion that barry fergusson is showing what a quality player he really is and pedro mendes is nailed on for player of the year. have the two of them really kicked a ball whilst playing together? from what i can see mendes would much rather play without fergusson who in turn is a shadow of what was at his best a decent square ball player.

your final aaseertion regarding kris boyd is always a subject to be keenly debated. of course he can score goals but when it comes to the crunch (and i dont mean QOS in SC) would you bet he would do it for you? would he create that opening with a run off defenders at the crucial moment? i think you and walter both know the answer.

finally remember who is playing alongside boyd. miller, lafferty no wonder walter wanted a motivated cousin in his team.

celtic are poor but this is as bad a rangers team as i have seen.

j.gibson496@btinternet.com

[BLF]

"knowing what a mug's game punditry is."

Seems this may be the only part of your article which is still correct!

Whilst I tent to agree Rangers are more solid in defence (even with weir in there) and they probably have more clinical strikers, Celtic's midfield has more creativity and a greater ability to impose themselves on a game. Rangers looked toothless against ICT the other night, for all their possession, that will be a worrying thought for Smith whereas Celtic seem to have rediscovered their scoring form, but Rangers' result on Wednesday shows just how quickly these things can change.

The SPL still has a long way to go and either half could still win it - 10 games left, 10 wins from the title...

[doug]

Andy

point well taken but Celtic's grace came in the respect shown to Phil O'Donnell including fixture re-arrangement and it wasn't returned.

You are correct though and we should prioritize 'success at all costs' for all Scottich clubs in European competition.

[Doug]

Andy:
another point. The authorities decisions in 2003 were taken without any club writing a letter. Celtic's interference in 2008 was a first.

[don]

we gordys looking for a way out he is off in the summer , west midlands is the place, he is looking at houses coventry area.

[Miguelon]

Graham - good article but like the others i agree that rangers are rank rotten and celtic arent much better! Celtic to win the League Cup and League, Aberdeen to win Scottish Cup and us fans to face a decade of abject misery watching this dross. If none of the above comes true i'll do chick youngs housework in the nude for a week! (all proceeds go to charity)