Ibrox View: Coyle comments show Rangers must learn to land knockout blow in 20/21 title race
When Rangers beat Celtic at Parkhead in December, it was hard not to let ourselves dream a little.
Two points behind with a game in hand going into the winter break, it really did feel as if we had a great opportunity to push the Hoops all the way in the title race.
Of course, what followed was a disastrous dip in form that marred our 2020, and ultimately allowed the Bhoys to open up a 13 point gap over us at the top of the table.
In part, that has been a consequence of Neil Lennon’s men putting together a good run post-Christmas too.
The Hoops dropped just two points in the league since we beat them in December, and the importance of that cannot be overstated.
It’s a point that Owen Coyle has made too.
Speaking during an appearance on the Football Daft podcast, the journeyman Scottish boss said: “Celtic know how to win; they know how to be champions.
“They know how when they’ve had a bad day – as they had in that game just before New Year [against Rangers] – when you’ve had that punch in the nose, they know how to bounce back.
“They know they’ve got that character within the dressing room; they know how to get themselves back up to the level they were again.”
But while Coyle’s comments are frustratingly accurate, there is a positive that we can take from them.
The fact is that we did bloody Celtic’s nose last season.
Admittedly, we didn’t follow it up with anywhere near the amount of intensity or consistency needed to capitalise on our advantageous position, but there was a while when we genuinely had the Bhoys rattled.
Even as recently as April, Michael Ball argued that he had seen enough from Steven Gerrard’s men to suggest that they are capable of winning “title after title” under the ex-Liverpool legend.
And we completely agree with him.
We have proven that we can best the Hoops on any given day, and now it’s a case of finding the consistency needed to turn that into a sustained title challenge.
We’ve landed the first punch, next season we need to land the knockout blow.
In other Rangers news, Gers youth midfielder Joao Balde confirms Ibrox summer exit.