It doesn’t matter how you win, as long as you do. Hearts showed that grit on Tuesday evening and ground out a crucial victory in the Edinburgh derby.
Derek McInnes well and truly threw the gauntlet down to Rangers (and Celtic) and challenged Danny Rohl.
Rangers travel to Fir Park tonight in a double header which probably defines whether Rohl’s Rangers are the real deal or not. Rangers and Motherwell will fight it out.
First Rohl has to negotiate an in-form Motherwell who fly high in fourth and have the league’s most in-form player. Then he has to host Hearts and get that all-important 3 points in a potential top-of-the-table clash.
Get those 6 points and Danny Rohl may just have proven Rangers as true title candidates. But then there’s the small matter of Martin O’Neill’s Celtic at Ibrox to contend with as well in 3 weeks.
It is safe to say the next four matches are the make or break period.
This is the critical February into March zone where titles are frequently won or lost. And given the calibre of three of the fixtures, this is where Rangers prove whether they have what it takes under Rohl or not.
It’s gigantic.
Motherwell and having Scotland’s most potent forward in Tawanda Maswanhise. Then Hearts who are grinding out the wins and hanging onto top despite losing their most important two players.
Then Celtic who will always be a threat.
But let’s not get too far ahead.
Motherwell are the first obstacle. The Steelmen will be tough to say the least. They haven’t actually conceded a goal at Fir Park since October the 18th. Rangers will not find that rearguard easy to break down.
But if Rangers can get that result, it’s a big piece of the puzzle.
The title may well rest on getting a huge result in Motherwell, something neither Hearts nor Celtic could do. That no one has since Falkirk in October. Rangers and Motherwell is big.
So we shall see if Rangers roll their sleeves up and get the 3 mammoth points.