Sir Kenny Football will kick you when you’re down
Rangers recorded their 14th clean sheet in 17 games in beating Lech Poznan on Thursday night.
It’s an impressive record.
Steven Gerrard has his defensive line well-drilled. They all know what they’re doing.
But wasn’t just about Allan Mcgregor, James Tavernier, Connor Goldson, Leon Balogun and Borna Barisic on Thursday night.
Credit must also go to Steve Davis, Scott Arfield, Glen Kamara and Ianis Hagi, as the midfielders also put in a whack of work.
It has given Rangers a solid base to build from every week, and the proof is there as they are top of the Premiership, and have full points from their two European games.
They will look for another clean sheet in today’s game at Rugby Park, a 90 minutes that will be extremely tricky for the Ibrox men.
Across the city, Celtic haven’t been as solid, and Neil Lennon is still trying to find solutions.
In the month of October, Celtic played six games and won two of them. They haven’t come out on top in their last four outings, and have conceded 10 goals in the process.
Shane Duffy has been searching all season for a level of consistency in his game
Neil will be feeling much better about things after the 2-2 draw against Lille on Thursday night.
Sure, they were 2-0 ahead and scored a fabulous opener from Mo Elyounoussi.
The manager would have expected to see it out for a victory, and they were a wee bit unlucky as Lille’s equaliser came from a deflection.
But a point in France is never a bad result. It was an admirable result, and Celtic have now lost just one of their last 11 away matches in Europe.
Scott Bain saving a penalty is also a real positive. He deserves the jersey just now as he hasn’t done much wrong.
However, when things aren’t going for you, it always seems as though the problems pile up.
And any feelgood factor may have been wiped away from Neil when he was given the news that Kris Ajer is likely to miss today’s Scottish Cup semi-final against Aberdeen.
It’s amazing how football can kick you when you are already down.
The Norwegian defender has been one of the team’s better performers in recent weeks, and his absence would be a blow.
It means Neil will have to find a new partner for Shane Duffy.
The Irishman is still searching for a level of consistency in his own game, so having someone different beside him at Hampden wouldn’t be ideal.
Neil and his players have been getting
a bit of stick, and they will all know the best way to reverse the narrative is by winning games.
They have the ideal opportunity today, and stand just two wins away from the quadruple Treble.
What an incentive to put things right. They face an Aberdeen team who will arrive in Glasgow in a confident mood. Their performance in the 3-3 draw last weekend was good.
Sam Cosgrove played his part, and he’ll be desperate to start today. He is always a handful.
Scott Wright came off the bench for the Dons, and was direct and tricky. I liked the look of him.
I’ve a feeling this game will be tight, and the first goal could be crucial.
If Aberdeen get it then it gives them something to hang on to.
Should Celtic score first, however ,it
might just provide the impetus they are looking for.
I’ve a feeling Celtic will just nick it in a really close match.
By the time the game gets underway at Hampden, the match at Kilmarnock will be finished.
Will Rangers have stretched their lead at the top to nine points?
Again, I think they will win. They have a squad full of confidence, and while they struggled a wee bit at times to break down Poznan, they remained compact and patient.
Alfredo Morelos came off the bench to score the only goal, a bullet header from a lovely Barisic delivery.
The Colombian striker has now equalled Ally Mccoist’s European scoring record for Rangers with 21 goals. That’s a terrific achievement.
But, as Steven said in his post-match conference, the next step is to make the goals count by helping the team win games and securing silverware this season.
It needs to be the full package.
To win a League title, you need to be able to go to places such as Rugby Park and come away with the three points.
That is the challenge Rangers face today, and for weeks to come. Silverware doesn’t come to any team on a plate.
Celtic know what is required, and they have delivered for the past nine years. That’s why they can never be written off or underestimated.
It all makes for an exciting race at the top of the table, and credit to Aberdeen and Hibs for doing well in the League as well in the opening couple of months.
It’s all great for Scottish football.