DOUBLE EDGED LORDS
Rangers’ big-game players do the damage as they home in on historic league and cup success
HERO status was already assured before a ball was kicked at Ibrox.
But when the final whistle blew on the latest Old Firm clash, this group of Rangers players had given themselves the chance to become legends.
Steven Gerrard and his squad will be revered forever by reclaiming the title in this season of all seasons but if they can deliver a Double their names will be up there with some of the greats in the club’s history.
We’ll get to why Rangers won the game but the message now is this is not the time to take their foot off the gas, there are potentially seven games to be played before mission is complete.
Yesterday’s win was just another huge step towards Scottish football and Glasgow’s power shift being completed and restored in Govan.
Any debate over which side is the best in the country was put to bed.
There can be no arguments now as Rangers are miles ahead both on their day and when it comes to consistency.
I’ll be the first to admit they weren’t the better side in either of the last two Old Firm league games but they banked four points out of six and that’s the mark of champions. To pick up points when you aren’t playing as well as you can is the secret to any successful side and Rangers have that.
Let’s be in no doubt, with the exception of a five-minute spell after Rangers opened the scoring, Gerrard’s players were by far the better side.
While Celtic were tentative and putting a toe in to tackle, Rangers were full blooded, aggressive and on the front foot.
They knew where and when to press the game and that is a massive part of why they won this Scottish Cup tie, that and the fact they also had the outstanding performers.
Ryan Kent, Steven Davis, Joe Aribo and, it almost goes without saying in Old Firm games, my old mate Allan McGregor.
Kent’s a big-game player, he produces when it matters but if I have one criticism then it’s that he doesn’t score enough goals.
His pace and attacking cut and thrust are potent weapons but he should be aiming to get his goals tally into double figures. If that was to happen then he’d be taking himself into a higher bracket as far as value is concerned.
How much could we be talking for the Englishman? No less than £20million for a player who has time on his side.
Success at any club also comes with a demand for the services for the main men who have achieved it and there will be interest for several at Ibrox.
Kent will be one but so will skipper James Tavernier. Money talks and Rangers have been open about it at their AGM, if the right offer comes in then they will do business.
It’s a huge question but it has been made easier by the emergence of Nathan Patterson who has been excellent domestically and in Europe.
Then there was Aribo who gave Diego Laxalt nightmares before the Uruguayan was hauled off.
You could see after around the 10-minute mark that Rangers had identified Celtic’s left-back as the weakest link and so it was to prove.
I was surprised John Kennedy didn’t make a change in that area earlier than he did as they were struggling on that flank from the first few moments.
Celtic just edged the last two Old Firm games in terms of performance but nobody could argue that Rangers weren’t the better side in this one.
It wasn’t quite a cruise but as soon as Aribo destroyed Laxalt to force Jonjoe Kenny into netting an own goal to take it to 2-0, I relaxed.
Celtic did have some moments with Stephen Welsh missing a sitter but then came the Odsonne Edouard penalty. Rarely do I favour the keeper rather than the guy taking the kick but my money was on McGregor.
I’ve run out of compliments for Greegsy but he knows how highly I rate him so I’d hate for him to get big headed. As for Celtic, the quicker the season ends for them, the better.
Everything is now geared towards the quarter-final meeting with St Johnstone and Rangers need to make sure they get themselves into that semi-final.
OUT OF RANGE Kent forces Kenny’s OG while Greegsy saves from the spot, below