KEITH JACKSON
Villa’s Stevie swoop could be a blessing in disguise for Gers
IT may not have felt like it at the time but, more and more, it’s starting to feel like Steven Gerrard did Rangers a favour when he bolted back over the border in a rush to
up sticks for Aston Villa.
Had he hung around for much longer, then the momentum swelling behind Ange Postecoglou and Celtic might have swept them a whole lot closer to the top of the table than they found themselves yesterday after dismantling Dundee United at Tannadice. That they were only 2-0 up at half-time was almost inconceivable given the extent of their domination. Had it been four, five or even six then United could have had no complaints. In fact, a relieved Thomas Courts may have felt as if his players escaped with some of their dignity intact given they managed to limit the damage to just a three-goal beating. But the fact is, Celtic played them off their own pitch and had it not been for a combination of sloppy finishing and fine goalkeeping then the margin of defeat would have reached embarrassing levels long before sub Liam Scales slammed home the third deep in the second half. Now that all the early season posturing from the other end of the M8 has subsided the race for the title has become what we always suspected it would be – a straight shoot-out between Glasgow’s feuding neighbours – which is precisely why the arrival on the scene of Giovanni van Bronckhorst may have come in the nick of time where the hopes of the blue half of the city are concerned. Put it this way, when Rangers defeated Dundee on Saturday, it was the first time all season that the champions had notched up four wins on the bounce. And given the lethargy and complacency which had been creeping into Gerrard’s camp since the summer, there is no way of knowing if they’d still be protecting a four-point lead at the top had it not been for a sudden change in management. In fact, it was quite ironic that Celtic sent out such an emphatic message from Tannadice because it was there, way back at the beginning of August, that Gerrard’s relationship with Rangers began to look ominously strained. A week or so after that shock 1-0 defeat to United, when it was first floated in these very pages that the Scouser might be entering the end of his time at Ibrox, the reaction from the club’s supporters was one of eye-popping outrage. But, while it may have seemed like sacrilege to suggest that Gerrard’s heart was no longer in it, the warning signs were flashing brightly with each passing setback and every ‘this one’s on me’ assessment of another substandard performance. That they were so wilfully ignored was testament to the immaculate nature of the job Gerrard had carried out over the previous three seasons, culminating in a first title success in a decade. But his body language from that day at
Tannadice pointed to problems brewing behind the scenes. Gerrard also talked repeatedly about the need for his players to press the ‘reset’ button but, by definition, the notion of resetting every second week painted a picture of chaos and turmoil.
In a very short space of time van Bronckhorst has restored a sense of stability to a season which was in danger of spiralling out of control long before Rangers were sent crashing out of the Premier Sports Cup by Hibs, shortly after Gerrard had hurriedly departed for the Midlands.
Van Bronckhorst may not have reset the players Gerrard left but, crucially, he does appear to have his key performers refocused and re-energised at a critical stage of the season, heading into a crammed festive period.
And they will need to be if they are to suck the wind out of Celtic’s sails now Postecoglou has knocked that ship into shape. Even without injured duo Jota and Tony Ralston yesterday, Celtic didn’t miss a step. In fact, they came storming out of the traps and even though the manager makes a habit of playing it all very low key in post-match interviews, deep down he must have been delighted with the 90 minutes he had just witnessed. His mood may have been dampened somewhat by the hamstring issue which may force James Forrest back onto the treatment table. But even with the casualties piling up at the end of the corridor, a sense of positivity is washing through Celtic’s Lennoxtown HQ as Postecoglou prepares to get busy in the January sales. The big Aussie’s objective now will be to stay on Rangers coattails until the New Year, when the pair will collide for the second time this season and then bring in reinforcements for the run-in. Van Bronckhorst, on the other hand, has a healthier squad with no shortage of options. After successfully rekindling the fire in the belly of his team, he will head into December with his own targets in mind, starting in France on Thursday. If the Dutchman can maintain his unbeaten start against Lyon and then safely negotiate an away trip to Tynecastle on Sunday, he will look like a man walking on water by the time he returns to Ibrox for home games against St Johnstone, United and St Mirren. It may be more than 20 years since his playing days in Glasgow, but van Bronckhorst will know he’s returned just in time for the heart of this season’s battle for supremacy with Postecoglou. What happens over the course of the next four weeks could make or break the first season ambitions of both of these new bosses.
Gio may have come in nick of time for hopes of blue half of the city