GERS TO MAKE A TITLE MARK
MARK WALTERS helped Rangers recover from their previous worst away start to a league season to go on and clinch the title 29 years ago.
And the former Ibrox wing king believes history can repeat itself under Steven Gerrard as he backed Rangers to win the Premiership this season.
Gerrard’s side slumped to a 1-0 defeat at Livingston on Sunday to leave them without a win in four games on the road in the league.
That’s the worst run since Walters was in his pomp and Graeme Souness’s side’s draws at Celtic and Dunfermline were sandwiched between defeats at Hibs and Motherwell at the start of the 1989/90 season.
Gers kicked on after that and won the title by seven points from Aberdeen for their third league trophy in four years.
And Walters, back at Ibrox yesterday to launch his autobiography Wingin’ It, believes Gerrard’s side can do the same.
The 54-year-old said: “While its unusual for them not to have won away from home for that length of time, I can’t see it lasting for long with the players and the attacking mentality they have.
“It will get better for them – there’s no doubt in my mind. It can become a psychological problem. When I was at Villa BY GAVIN BERRY under Graham Taylor we had a long spell where we couldn’t win at home.
“Maybe for Rangers it’s just the pressure of being away that they can’t get over just now. Invariably, these things will turn around over the course of a season but your home record is usually better than your away record anyway.
“It’s better to have a sequence of results like that now than at the business end of a season when all the games really matter.
“Steven has already made a big difference. The games I’ve watched so far they are more expansive, more attacking and tactically they seem better. They started well but have had a little hiccup here and there which is normal as Steven’s young in his career as a manager.
“If they can win the big games then it’s possible they could even win the league.
“I feel second is realistically what Steven could have hoped for but the romantic in me says if they can win the big games, do well against the smaller teams, then they could win the league.” ● Wingin’ It is available to buy priced £18.99 and tells Mark Walters’ story of his successful spell at Rangers plus his time at Aston Villa and Liverpool.