RANGERS' margin of error in the SPL title race has disappeared as a result of their goalless draw against Hibernian yesterday. Seven points behind Celtic with three games in hand, the Uefa Cup finalists are still in control of their own fate, but that will change if they slip up once more.
Celtic's 2-1 win at Motherwell on Saturday took their goal difference to plus 55, eight more than Rangers'. That means that if Walter Smith's team win two and draw one of those three matches in hand, they will be level on points with the champions,
but probably still behind them on goal difference.
Rangers had a couple of late chances in yesterday's game at Easter Road, notably a Kevin Thomson free-kick and a David Weir header, and if either had gone in to give them the three points their situation would have changed significantly for the better. As the gap with Celtic would then have shrunk to five points, they would have been able to afford to lose one of their three matches.
Instead, they now face a series of must-win games, with the small matter of that Uefa final against Zenit St Petersburg to negotiate in the middle, and the Scottish Cup final with Queen of the South to come at the end. Celtic, on the other hand, have just two games left in their season: having edged back into contention after appearing out of the running just a few weeks ago, the champions can pile the pressure on their Glasgow rivals by winning both.
The first task for Rangers in the run-in is to defeat Motherwell at Ibrox on Wednesday night and thus narrow their deficit to four points. If they win their next game, at home against Dundee United on Saturday, they will be breathing down Celtic's necks.
Gordon Strachan's team could then be the ones feeling the pressure, as they would go into their next fixture, at home to Hibs on Sunday, just one point clear. Once that match is out of the way, however, they then have a rest of 11 days before preparing for their final game, at Tannadice on Thursday 22 May.
In other words, Celtic, while not exactly able to take things easy, can at least prepare for their remaining matches in an orderly manner.
Strachan's sole criterion for selection will be which line-up is deemed the best to take on the opposition in hand. Smith, by contrast, will have to decide on how to spread his resources, and will have to gamble on resting players from one game with a view to having them fresh for another match two or three days later.
The Rangers manager insisted yesterday that physical tiredness was not a problem for his team, and advanced as evidence of that the fact that they looked stronger than Hibs over the closing ten or 15 minutes. He accepted, all the same, that mental tiredness was a factor, especially in the first half.
That mental fatigue was also perhaps evident in the lack of imagination shown by the Rangers attack. And, if they are to win all their forthcoming games rather than drawing them, that is something they will have to shake off.
They could yet receive a significant boost from the return of several players. Charlie Adam is just about ready to return, according to Smith, while Lee McCulloch is maybe a week away. DaMarcus Beasley could also feature between now and the end of the season, although, having been out for some months, he would be some way short of match sharpness.
Five or six weeks ago, and even before the first Old Firm game at Celtic Park, it seemed reasonable to forecast that both teams would drop points over their remaining fixtures, that Celtic, having a weaker squad, would if anything drop more, and that Rangers would therefore become champions with something to spare. Since then, however, Celtic have acquired significantly greater momentum, and look perfectly capable of winning both their remaining games. In that case, Rangers would need to win all five of theirs to be sure of the title, and the last three – away to Motherwell, St Mirren and Aberdeen – come in the space of six days. If they win three and draw one of their first four, and score heavily in their victories, there is even the chance that the SPL title will once again be decided on goal difference.
The full article contains 752 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
