‘Madness’ – Gordon Strachan issues verdict on reason for Rangers slump
Gordon Strachan has claimed that off-field “madness” could be to blame for the manner in which Rangers have slipped up in the Scottish Premiership title race.
The Gers went into the winter break off the back of 2-1 win over Celtic at Parkhead that left them just two points behind the Hoops with a game in hand.
Since then, however, Steven Gerrard’s men have struggled for form, and now find themselves 12 points behind the Bhoys after dropping points again over the weekend with a 2-2 draw against St. Johnstone.
And Strachan believes that issues behind the scenes, including the recent controversy surrounding Alfredo Morelos’ mistranslated interview with Sky Sports News, may be the distraction at the heart of the Gers’ recent slump.
Speaking to the Daily Record, he said: “Over the last couple of months I’ve not been able to pick up my Daily Record without seeing some latest row blow up. We’ve had everything from gestures to statements, interviews and mysterious translations.
“Who was behind that? What’s this guy doing? What does that gesture mean? It’s been madness.
“Now I don’t know if it’s been a factor or not but something seems to have affected the Rangers players and it could be all these other things going on away from the football.
“I just don’t believe that guys of the calibre of Stevie Gerrard, Gary McAllister, Steve Davis and Ryan Jack could allow complacency to slip in if they were all just concentrating on winning games of football.
“Maybe they went on the winter break and thought to themselves, “We’re looking like favourites to win this thing now. I don’t want to be the manager or the player who is blamed for throwing it away!’.
“Sometimes players can put themselves under too much pressure to keep on delivering. It’s strange the way demons can get into people’s heads at times.”
Is Strachan right?
At the end of the day, nobody knows what’s caused this slump from Rangers since they returned from the winter break, and that probably extends to the players and coaching staff as well.
On the face of it, nothing has changed, and so it makes it doubly confusing as to what’s gone wrong in recent weeks.
With that in mind, it’s only natural that Strachan might like to a behind-the -scenes reason for the dip in form, but to do so is pure supposition.
Whether it is an issue of mental fortitude, or whether it’s just a drop-off in form, pure and simple, the only thing for certain is that the Gers’ hopes of dethroning Celtic this term are hanging by the finest of threads.
In other Rangers news, ‘Accept it’ – Charlie Nicholas claims Gers must sell ‘£20m’ ace to stop 10-in-a-row.