Second’s out and Rangers need KO blow

In Glasgow, second place is last.

It’s a phrase that has been being trotted out plenty of times since Rangers lost to Celtic in the Viaplay Cup Final.

The Ibrox side are second right now but as far as a chunk of their supporters are concerned they might as well be scooping up slop with a wooden spoon.

It’s always the way in this neck of the woods.

But what about right now? There’s growing anger in the Ibrox stands, discontent with the men in suits and calls for the likes of director of football Ross Wilson, chief executive Stewart Robertson and commercial chap

James Bisgrove to pack their bags.

Yes, there have been struggles on the park at times. The Champions League campaign was mortifying, some of their games have been harder work than a cryptic crossword and they’ve been hosed a few times by Celtic as well.

We’ve seen a manager sacked and the new one talking about a major rebuild. If there’s another sore one at Celtic Park in a few weeks, the reaction will be nuclear.

But, in terms of the bigger picture, are Rangers really as bad as folk on both sides of the divide are making out? The Light Blues might be chasing tails in the league but they have 70 points already.

That would

be enough to be leading at this stage in most campaigns.

It might just be that Celtic are a bit better, perhaps even a good bit better, but the season they are having has become a major outlier.

Ange Postecoglou’s side are just a point behind Brendan Rodgers’ tally at this point in his Invincibles year.

It’s ridiculous form – and it’s making Rangers look worse than they possibly are.

Either that or the pair of them are showing the standard of the league is alarmingly low as well.

You only need to look at some of the names around the division – there are plenty of guys who were squad fillers just a few years ago and are now key men for their clubs.

The likes of Hibs and Aberdeen have spent a large chunk of the campaign toiling yet are still fighting it out for fourth.

We are now heading for a scenario where both Glasgow giants could be getting up towards or even over the 100 point mark for the first time. Clocking up the ton is not that common and even getting beyond 90 points only happened in half of Celtic’s 10 titles out of 11.

Rangers are suffering because their rivals are flying, but they still managed to reach the Champions League and were in a European Final less than 12 months ago.

No one is saying it’s all rosy in the garden but it’s not quite the edge of the cliff stuff some make out.

The problem for them is not just how they stop them, but how anyone else can slow Celts up. Gers need to find a way to close the gap or simply hang on for some kind of seismic shift at Parkhead that might nudge open the door.

Only the waiting game is not an option in an Old Firm power struggle where there are no second prizes.

Celtic’s form is simply ridiculous and it is making Gers look worse than they possibly are