SPFL WILL BE A LAUGHING STOCK IF THEY VOID SEASON
THERE has been a lot of talk in recent days about the Premiership stopping and the league being declared ‘null and void’.
That would be terrible. In my opinion, it would be the worst thing that could happen to Scottish football.
But ‘null and void’ is not a situation I ever expect to happen. It would be too costly for the Scottish game as a result of breaking the league’s broadcasting contracts.
The prospect of the current campaign having to finish early due to the new wave of coronavirus is a possibility, although I hope that does not happen.
But should it happen, from my point of view, it is quite clear that the situation is very similar to what happened last season.
I’m sure the players, managers and fans at every club would all have loved last season to have been played to a finish.
But that was not the case and Celtic were handed the trophy after 30 games when they were 13 points ahead with Rangers having played one game fewer.
Currently Rangers are 21 points ahead after 24 games with Celtic having three games in hand.
So I think if there was a vote to curtail the league then Rangers should get the trophy.
Of course, we will have to wait and see if that happens. We don’t know if it will.
I know people may ask if I would say differently if I had not been a Rangers player. But it’s quite clear that Rangers are comfortably top of the league right now and if the season had to stop then it should be Rangers crowned as champions. No doubt about it.
I also read this past weekend that Steven Gerrard has said that clubs and everyone involved in the game have a responsibility to protect the reputation of Scottish football after last summer’s Covid civil war. I think that is a very sensible message. You don’t want Scottish football to end up as a laughing stock.
Scottish football has so much to offer, especially in such an important season when some people are going for ten and others are looking at the number 55.
It’s such a monumental season with so much at stake and, right now, you have to say Rangers have one hand on the trophy. You just can’t argue with that.
But we have to hope that the season can be played out until the very last game. And I do think that could happen.
It’s been a season where everyone has been holding their breath and hoping that coronavirus does not get out of control.
But so far the clubs — around Europe and not just in Scotland — have done extremely well.
There have been cases of one, two or three players getting the virus at clubs but, overall, the situation has been handled really well.
If that continues, it looks like the season could be completed in the way it should be completed.
Also, there’s been a lot of talk about the debacle of Celtic going to Dubai during the pandemic but people can’t escape the fact that Rangers’ form has been incredible this season.
Celtic have gone away on a mid-winter break amid difficult circumstances and players and their management team have subsequently had to miss games.
It’s been a total nightmare but you just can’t take away from what Rangers have achieved this season, being unbeaten in the league and winning 15 and drawing one of their last 16 matches.
Of course, you can talk about what Celtic have done badly; that they have not been good enough in the transfer market and so on. But, at the end of the day, it’s all down to what Rangers have done on and off the park.
After such a disappointing campaign last season, with the way it ended, they got their head up and got the right strategy in place and the right players in.
Last season, they lacked a Plan B — but they certainly have a Plan B this season.
They’ve been outstanding defensively and they’ve been very convincing in Europe.
That’s a credit to Rangers, their manager and also to Scottish football as a whole because it’s a great sign.
I have heard people in Denmark this season saying: ‘Rangers play some good stuff’ — like it’s a surprise because the club have been away from the major trophies for years. But, suddenly, here they are back on top of the league and doing well in Europe.
It is such a monumental season for Rangers because it is a full decade since they last won the league.
That’s a lot of years for a big club like Rangers and a lot of these current players have not yet had their hands on that trophy.
The big challenge for Gerrard and his coaching team has been to get that winning mentality back within a club that expects to win all the time.
If it happens this season then it will be an absolutely sensational achievement by Steven and his team.
But I can understand why he was remaining calm and focused after Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Motherwell at Fir Park and telling his players to keep their heads down.
We all know what happened last
Right now you have to say Rangers have one hand on the trophy
season after Steven celebrated that New Year win at Celtic Park.
His players would have seen that and thought: ‘We are on track now’ — and we all know what happened next. Rangers came back from their own winter break and went downhill.
So it’s all about concentration and focus for Rangers right now and you can’t overestimate the role of experienced players such as Allan McGregor, Steven Davis and Jermain Defoe. These are guys who have been there, done it and got the T-shirt and their experience is vital. Otherwise, the team could risk ending up crumbling again.
It’s unbelievable how important these experienced players are at this time of season.
Right now, after many, many years, Rangers are closer than ever to the Scottish title.
If it happens — and it very much looks like it will — it will be such a tremendous season for everyone associated with Rangers.
But let us all hope that the campaign goes the distance.