Can Rangers do it?
The SPL is now in full flow as we enter one
of the busiest parts of the season, but it has been a mixed bag for Rangers so
far. Although the Gers are sitting fourth in the table, four points
adrift of Aberdeen
and six off first placed Celtic at the time of writing, it still feels like they are
finding their feet in their second season back in the Premier Division. Fourth place certainly isn’t ideal at this point and would be one place below their placing
last year if nothing changes. Those who feel that Rangers have what it takes to
topple Celtic can bet on a winning finish, can
do so through 888sport.
Celtic too strong?
Things have been very plain sailing across
at Celtic Park since Rangers disappeared from the
top tier of Scottish football in 2012, but they haven’t exactly had a quality
set of opponents to challenge them. Former Liverpool and Swansea boss Brendan Rodgers has built a
strong squad that is phenomenal in the SPL, but still falls at the first hurdle
in European competitions. The strange air of confidence exuded by Rodgers gets
a fair bit of stick
on Twitter thanks to the club’s financial status and consistent failures in Europe. With some exceptional players and a certain
rhythm when it comes to getting results both home and away, it doesn’t feel
like Rangers have quite what it takes to do anything to upset the status quo
this season.
Results so far
Although their league placing looks strong,
readers need to remember that Rangers have had a couple of slip ups, with 2
losses and 2 draws causing vital points to be dropped. After a frankly
embarrassing defeat to Luxembourgish nobodies Progres Niederkorn that dumped them
out of Europa League qualifying, August was a rollercoaster ride that saw a
disappointing defeat to Hibs and a goalless draw at home against Hearts mixed
with a 6-0 hammering of Dunfermline in the
cup and wins away at Ross County and Motherwell.
September saw some more convincing wins
against Dundee and Hamilton,
but a draw against Partick Thistle in a game they should have won convincingly
and a comprehensive defeat against Celtic at the Ibrox left Rangers fans with
mixed feelings. A 3-0 win over St. Johnstone will have cheered most fans up
after international that saw Scotland
fail to qualify for the World Cup.
Back to form and quality
Rangers are starting to look like a title
challenging team again, with a squad that was designed for back to back
promotions now boasting depth and talent. Outgone manager Pedro Caixinha tried to state his intent with some key international signings. Amongst the
relatively young new talent there is some serious experience coming from
players like Bruno Alves, Niko Kranjcar and vice-captain Kenny Miller, who
looks like he could play into his 50s, picking up several goals in the league so far.
New South and Central American signings for
the season Alfredo Morelos and Carlos Pena have added flair to the side, with
Colombian Morelos picking up 6 goals in 8 appearances to make him the league’s top
scorer for a while and Pena picked up a brace in the St. Johnstone game. It seemed that
Caixinha was using his international contacts to root out foreign talent.
Can they do it?
In short, it doesn’t feel like Celtic will
slip up. Rodgers has a good squad before him and despite a couple of draws
against St. Johnstone and Hibs (both of which followed morale-destroying
European defeats), Celtic have the depth and talent to win the league. The real
fight will be for second place and the all-important Europa League qualifying
round 2. Rangers likely weren’t that bothered about a European campaign this
year, but next year could be a different story if the right new manager can find success and
continue to build the squad.
With promising results in the games you’d
expect them to win and no demolitions in the games they have lost, it seems
Rangers are well on the way to becoming a title challenger once again. Let’s
hope the form continues and that the new manager can back up his credentials by
getting a win against Celtic next year.