Rangers look to have blown any already slim hopes they had of lifting the Scottish Premiership title this season after letting another lead slip against a side they should be comfortably beating.
Steven Gerrard has questioned his side’s mentality after the match and skipper, James Tavernier, called the result embarrassing in an apology to the fans.
In the space of six games the Gers have gone from two points behind – with a game in hand – to ten points behind and have been blown away in the goal difference stakes by their city rivals.
Rangers suffered a similar drop in form after the winter break last season but the difference has been that nobody saw the alarming drop in standards from the current crop of Rangers players coming such was the impressive nature of their Parkhead display and they way they have performed both domestically and in the Europa League.
It isn’t just one factor, mentality has been questioned, as have the tactics, there has also been inept officiating by the usual suspects but more importantly the absence of key players since returning to action hasn’t been dealt with at all.
Gerrard knew that behind Borna Barisic and James Tavernier he doesn’t have full-backs capable of replicating either their attacking output or even their style of play and yet didn’t look for reinforcements in the transfer window. He also knew that Alfredo Morelos was suspended and carrying an injury and would miss the first 3-4 games but didn’t bring in any more attackers until it was too late with Florian Kamberi and Ianis Hagi coming off the bench to make their debuts in the stalemate with Aberdeen having just been signed.
Neil Lennon is guiding Celtic to the league because he was pro-active, he noticed a flaw, changed his system despite being top of the league and they now look unbeatable. Gerrard refused to make substitutes at Rugby Park until the score was 1-1 even though it was obvious that his side had lost control of the game and were under increasing pressure.
Will Gerrard turn things around for Rangers?
Yes
No
Everyone knew that appointing the Liverpool legend was a risk and he has – without question – improved Rangers, he just hasn’t been afforded the luxury of facing an opposition that allows for errors, how his side reacts to the latest set-back will be an indicator of Gerrard’s powers of motivation with the Scottish Cup taking on even greater importance as their only realistic hope of silverware and crucially, putting a halt to their bitter rivals dominance of Scottish football.