This is something I can’t quite get my head around. If we had matched our away record this season at Ibrox, we would be level on points at the top of the league. Just think about that for a moment.
We have picked up 13 fewer points at home than away this campaign, and the thing is there isn’t one singular reason why our team has struggled in front of our own fans.
The first home loss of the season against Hibs was very much down to the incorrect decision to send of Ryan Jack, but our losses against Killie and our rivals in recent weeks, as well as against St Johnstone and Hamilton earlier in the campaign, are far more difficult to explain.
For sure, some of the insipid displays can be blamed on both Grame Murty and Pedro Caixinha. The lack of penetration and creativity when the onus is on us to attack at home is certainly a plausible argument.
Yet, shouldn’t the more difficult atmospheres playing away from home also have led to similar results? We have matched Celtic stride for stride away from Ibrox with just two defeats and 36 points accrued.
At home, we have flattered to deceive. The fans have seen too many poor displays to believe in this team, and that can become a vicious cycle I suppose. The crowd waits for the team to start performing, and the player’s fail to get the crowd going.
The fear of losing and weight of expectation of playing for such a great club may have something to do with it. But we have numerous experienced players at our disposal, so for me such an argument doesn’t ring true.
On the face of things, it really is a season of what might have been. Whoever takes charge next season must make our ground the fortress it was once, instilling fear into our opponents. Otherwise, we will remain very much behind our rivals in pursuit of the title.