Relentless Rangers homing in on title

THE current Rangers team are deserving of the Private Eye treatment, where an apology is rendered in the unashamed style of newspapers prone to suddenly changing their view on an issue in order to be seen to be in tune with the prevailing climate.

• Kenny Miller's goal put the seal on Rangers' win at Kilmarnock on Tuesday. Picture: SNS

During the early winter, and despite the Ibrox side riding high in the league, the manner of their home defeats in the Champions League had many proposing Walter Smith's current side to be one of the worst Rangers teams of all time. Now the revisionists are out. This Rangers side are being hailed as if not the greatest, then certainly one of the most obdurate seen at Ibrox.

And it is hard to deny anyone this belief following yet another win – this time at Kilmarnock, on Tuesday night – having seen their lead at the top extended to 13 points. Despite not having purchased a player in the course of this calendar year, Rangers have lost only once in the Scottish Premier League – against Aberdeen, at the end of November.

It is a formidable record, and one likely to present Rangers with a second consecutive league title in what could be as soon as a matter of six weeks' time, though the moment of glory could yet be more imminent should Celtic stumble in the meantime. Although their next two appointments are both cup clashes – against Dundee United in the quarter-finals of the Active Scottish Cup on Sunday, and next weekend's Co-Operative Insurance Cup final versus St Mirren – Rangers are just six league wins away from being anointed champions again.

In the event of them emerging victorious in each of their next half-dozen league matches, and Celtic doing likewise, then the red and blue ribbons will be applied to the championship trophy following the first match after the split – on the weekend of 17/18 April. This is a full month before the Scottish Cup final, when Rangers aim to be looking to claim a remarkable treble.

Former Ibrox midfielder Stuart McCall yesterday reflected on the possibility of Rangers having to cope with a pause between lifting the title – should they do so – and contesting a Scottish Cup final, were they still need to progress through the next two rounds.

He highlighted the negative aspect of being confirmed as champions long before the end of the season and an involvement in the showpiece occasion at Hampden Park. With United to be faced at Ibrox on Sunday there is much to be done before Smith's side can even consider an appointment at the national stadium in May.

There are, also, many points to be collected before they can reflect on a significant title win, while looking forward to the prospect of automatic entry to the group stages of next season's Champions League competition.

"Nobody has given Rangers the title yet, but it would be an absolutely massive destruction from themselves to blow it," said McCall, who played under Smith between 1991 and 1998.

"They have a chance of a treble which would be a great achievement this season, given the financial situation. Without being too negative though, there is a downside maybe.

"With us, sometimes, we won the league with four or five games to go and it took the edge off the last few weeks of the season. We went into cup finals and we weren't at our best. You can tail off a bit.

"I think my best Rangers cup final was in 1996 when we beat Hearts 5-1 and that was on the back of being pushed right to the second-last league game by Celtic when we beat Aberdeen. It kept everybody mentally focused and everybody driving on.

"Over the last few seasons the league has been quite tight, but sometimes, psychologically or whatever, when you go into your last few league games and the title is wrapped up you sort of take your foot off.

"I'm sure Walter won't let that happen, but I think that will be the main concern for him and his staff.

"If it goes on how it looks to be going, and they can win the League Cup, get through to the Scottish Cup final, then they have to make sure they are still at it, so to speak."

But the first priority is securing a championship. And wins at home to Aberdeen and Hamilton Accies, and away against Hearts, St Johnstone and Dundee United will see Rangers go into the first game after the split requiring one more victory to collect Smith's ninth title at the club.

This relies on Celtic being similarly consistent over the same number of weeks.

While the currently remorseless Rangers appear ready to keep to their side of the bargain, Tony Mowbray's Celtic, whose next two league matches are at home to St Johnstone and then away at St Mirren, appear much less capable of posting the kind of run required to postpone as long as possible the moment of their rivals' coronation.