nvager Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 Title is in sight at last for Rangers Graham Spiers It may seem a perverse thing to say, days after Celtic scored seven goals and Rangers just the one in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League, but I have become more convinced in the past two weeks that Rangers are finally going to end their years of many-sided suffering and win this year's championship. I say this knowing what a mug's game punditry is. If ever, indeed, an experience should have finally declared the death of punditry it was last season in Scotland, when Celtic, having lost at home to Motherwell in early April to lag a country mile behind Rangers, were declared dead and buried by everyone that Saturday evening. Six weeks later at Tannadice, where Celtic soared while Rangers simultaneously crumbled further up the coast, what a sticky scene it was as we all wiped egg from our faces. Rangers, however, I now believe will win the 2008-09 title because their football, as teething as it sometimes can be, is more convincing in all three areas of the park: defence, midfield and attack. There is a growing mettle about Rangers which I think Gordon Strachan recognises and would love to have in his own team right now. David Weir and Madjid Bougherra form the best central defensive partnership in Scotland, borne out by the fact that, in their last 15 hours of football together, hardly any striker has managed to squirrel past them. Weir and Bougherra have a clear edge on Gary Caldwell and Stephen McManus, both of whom are vulnerable at the heart of Celtic. It all looks like being to Rangers' advantage in the weeks ahead. In midfield, meanwhile, the skill-level clearly is of advantage to Rangers. At Hamilton Accies on Saturday Barry Ferguson began to show again what a fine player he is, with a goal and a performance which spoke of the player once coveted by a host of Barclays Premier League clubs. Ferguson on his day is a lovely, artful performer. And, in this context, little more needs to be said about Pedro Mendes. He will surely be Scotland's Player of the Year and will be a further weapon to Rangers, which Celtic cannot match. Goals, however, more than anything are football's prized currency, and Rangers are also more dependable in this department. If any team has a striker worth 30/35 goals in a campaign, then they are halfway there, and in Kris Boyd Rangers have that man. Boyd is no Denis Law but he is, statistically at least, an Ally McCoist of his day. Celtic, meanwhile, have strikers who have become impotent in the penalty area, and it has hurt them dear of late, notwithstanding Saturday's 7-0 rout of St Mirren (in which no Celtic striker scored - quite a feat). Ironically, I think Celtic may soon be shown to have irrevocably hurt their title hopes in the two months following their 1-0 win at Ibrox on December 27, when Strachan's men simply frittered away points: 11 of a possible 18 between January 3 and February 22. Those span of weeks is precisely the time that Sir Alex Ferguson has always designated as the "kicking-in" period for title aspirants, yet Celtic have gone in the opposite direction. Football is fickle and random and chaotic but, even given all that turbulence, from this vantage point of March 3 I think Rangers are going to win the 2009 title. in Columnists, Featured, Graham Spiers | Permalink Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott-RFC Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 With any luck he'll finally get something right for once Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canadaready Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 Hard to believe he wrote that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GOAT Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 Who REALLY wrote this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saudibear Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 If he actually said this, it's the first time I will ever have agreed with this arsehole. I still expect him to come out with something negative against us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IamthatIam Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 I think someone's looking for a hug. Coming to a newspaper near you soon 'Celik are going to win the league' by GS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brissybear Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 Im always cautious about these things but this year is different for me. When PLG signed I remeber FF lighting up with outrageous claims of years of dominace to come. I never though, and as excited as I was to see the back of Big red, I always had a naggling doubt. He makes a good point in that we are hitting form at the right time and as long as we continue we will be fine. My only concern are injuries, if anything was to happen to Mendes long term we might struggle, otherwise I think WS will grind this one out for us. Put it this way, we simply must win it. They surely, will never be as pish again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smitzer007 Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 The glass will be half empty today then Graham, eh ?!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest therabbitt Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 "It seems a perverse thing to say...." Suck my rocket Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poetry_In_Blue Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 Well knock me down with a feather! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nvager Posted March 4, 2009 Author Share Posted March 4, 2009 Well knock me down with a feather! Is he not a Rangers supporter from youth? yes Right! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muff Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 Got to Graham Spiers and stopped reading. I hope no-one clicked the link on the Times website - don't give him any hits! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nvager Posted March 4, 2009 Author Share Posted March 4, 2009 Got to Graham Spiers and stopped reading. I hope no-one clicked the link on the Times website - don't give him any hits! I'd love to hit him!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart_RFC Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 Thats us fucked then Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lancedeangers1 Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 Turn to the next page after reading this and in large bold letters Speirs spells out - Aye Dead On You Suckers !! It must be a windup.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JR Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 I love how he says he had to "wipe the egg from their faces" regarding last term.....then goes and makes an identical prediction for this term. Anyone can make a mistake, but only a fool makes the same one twice. If last year (and Helicopter Sunday) taught us anything, it was to take each game as it comes and you are only assured of the Title when it's a mathematical fact....not before. I suggest everyone should take this type of "journalism" with a pinch of salt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nvager Posted March 4, 2009 Author Share Posted March 4, 2009 I love how he says he had to "wipe the egg from their faces" regarding last term.....then goes and makes an identical prediction for this term. Anyone can make a mistake, but only a fool makes the same one twice. If last year (and Helicopter Sunday) taught us anything, it was to take each game as it comes and you are only assured of the Title when it's a mathematical fact....not before. I suggest everyone should take this type of "journalism" with a pinch of salt. Especially Spiers!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimfanciesthedude Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 if we keep playing like this tonight then spiers will look like even more of a fanny asap Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManchestGer Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 I hope he's right but right now all I want is a couple of goals against Caley Thistle, is that too much to ask? Then we can take it from there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amac9 Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 Fuckin sure we are not- we are pish! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Hammer 11 Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 Bastard jinxed us Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thermopylae Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 Bet britney feels like a bit of a tube now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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