TIME WE PULLED A FASTRUN
RANGERS LATEST Forget three wins in row Holt says Rangers can still fight for the title
JASON HOLT insists Rangers have six festive fixtures to shoot themselves back into the title race.
The Ibrox midfielder swears they remain in a shoot-out with Celtic who hold a seven-point advantage with a game in hand.
A meeting this weekend with Ross County is followed by Hibs, St Johnstone, Kilmarnock and Motherwell before facing Brendan Rodgers’s leaders at Parkhead.
Holt is convinced there’s no margin for error in a make-orbreak month after two wins over Aberdeen lifted the into second.
He said: “We need to win all our games in December but it’s still early doors in the season. We have had two good result but we need to follow this up.
“We dug deep against Aberdeen but we need to show these characteristics more often.
“There are a lot of games over the Christmas period so this is a vital stage of the season.
“We have shown recently we have a good squad of players here.
“If we can keep showing the ability we have we will be on a better track. The games come thick and fast and it is a testing time for any squad. If we can come through this period on the right side hopefully it will be onwards and upwards.”
Raising the bar at Rangers used to be measured by doubles and trebles. Now it’s been set at consecutive wins and Holt admits it tells it’s own story.
A five-day spell last week brought signs of a reversal of fortune that could continue against Ross County on Saturday when a win would mean a hattrick of victories for the first time since last December.
It’s also coincided with the return to form of Holt who has flourished under the caretaker charge of Graeme Murty.
After enjoying his best games of the season in the two triumphs over the Dons the 24-year-old midfielder said: “It is not great we’re even talking about trying to get three wins. At this club we should be going on far longer runs if we’ve ambitions to win things.
“That needs to change and that is something we’re striving to do. I don’t think we have any mental anxiety, we just have lacked consistency.”
If the double whammy of the Dons is to prove a game changer then three points over the Dingwall side are the minimum requirement and Holt insists a transformation after defeats by Hamilton and Dundee has been night and day.
He said: “In the past few games we have shown what we’re all about. You could see on the pitch there was a big difference and that helped us get the results. We were delighted how Wednesday went at Ibrox – and then to put in a performance at Pittodrie which is difficult place to visit.
“We showed a lot of grit and determination in the second half.”
It’s been left to Murty to pick up the pieces after the sacking of Pedro Caixinha and it’s been a period of acting up from the Ibrox Under-20s coach that’s coincided with their most impressive week’s work since kicking off the campaign.
Holt has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of the caretaker’s stewardship having been recalled to the side after a period of being blanked by the previous boss.
It’s a mutual respect Holt believes has been the biggest factor in the team’s turnaround.
He said: “Graeme has been great since he came in. All the boys have enjoyed working under him. It is a difficult situation for him and players appreciate that.
“The main thing we can give him is 100 per cent hard work.
“We have given him that and he has given the same to us and it is good when these things come together. He has managed to put his ideas across in a short space of time.
“Every manager has different philosophies and perspective on things. He has kept things relatively simple and what he has done has been great.”
Murty may not be a candidate for the post on a permanent basis but Holt is convinced of his credentials to become a top boss in time and insists he’s in no hurry for the caretaker to be removed from the job of picking the team.
He said: “We would certainly welcome working with him for a longer period of time.
“But that is not up to us. I certainly think he has the tools to be a manager.” a