Why Rangers must leave no stone unturned in claiming the Scottish league title this season
After years and years of undisputed dominance, Celtic are finally being challenged by arch-rivals Rangers in the ongoing campaign.
In fact, as of now, the fate of the Scottish Premiership title could go either way. After 12 games this term, Celtic are on par with Rangers as far as points are concerned. Both clubs have managed to bag a total of 31 points but Neil Lennon’s men are ahead solely due to goal difference – 29 compared to the Gers’ 28.
That can hardly be considered a gap and with more than half the season ahead of us, it will be interesting to see if Steven Gerrard can topple the mighty Celts.
Having won, drawn and lost an equal number of games so far, it must also be noted that the Old Firm rivals have conceded merely 7 goals each. Purely based on the numbers we have at hand, it does seem like both teams are neck-to-neck in terms of quality and overall displays up until now.
With the Gers getting ever so close to clinching their first-ever Premiership title since 2011, here is why Gerrard’s team do the unthinkable and end Celtic’s dominance this season.
The fact that the former Liverpool star took Rangers to a second-place finish in his debut season, marking their first time in that position since 2012, spoke volumes of his calibre as a manager. And he has surpassed expectations this time as well, providing a very tough battle to Celtic.
Unfortunately for Gerrard though, the timing is a tad questionable since Brendan Rodgers left Parkhead to take the job at Leicester City.
He played a key role in establishing Celtic’s reputation as a domestic giant north of the border but Lennon has done a decent job since replacing him. Regardless, things have worked out in the Gers’ favour and the Glasgow outfit has certainly not let the opportunity slip by.
Back in September, the two teams faced each other and Celtic walked away with a win. And in that game, Rangers looked like the weaker team of the two.
That said, one cannot deny that the Gers have caught up to Celtic in terms of performances, confidence and winning mentality.
In the last 5 Premiership games, Lennon and his men recorded 4 wins and one loss, whereas Rangers are unbeaten since their defeat to Celtic in September! And that, more than anything else, sheds a light on how Rangers have a solid chance of upsetting the order in Scottish football.
Going forward, the list of fixtures will get more hectic and Gerrard must be wary of the challenges coming up. But if he manages to navigate through those hurdles and continue doing whatever he is doing right, Celtic might have to remain satisfied being the runner-up this term.
