‘There’s no doubt…’ – Stewart makes big Rangers & Old Firm claim after shock M’well stalemate
Michael Stewart has backed Rangers to remain invincible in the Scottish Premiership this season and has taken a swipe at Celtic for their ceding of power.
Rangers have soared to the top of the standings after a sensational start to the season and are currently sat 21 points clear of their Old Firm rivals who offered another reminder of their faltering side after a second successive draw against Livingston on Saturday.
Steven Gerrard’s side could have put further distance between them and the chasing pack but tripped up against lowly Motherwell, going a goal down early on before clawing a point through substitute Cedric Itten’s close range finish to level the game 1-1.
It served a reminder to Rangers that they cannot saunter their way through the rest of the season and showed some weaknesses in their game but Stewart has backed them to go undefeated, as he remarks in his BBC Sportscene column: “Rangers haven’t put a foot wrong this season in their quest for the Scottish Premiership title. With 14 league games to go, it’s hard to see where they are going to slip up.
“There’s no doubt Rangers could go unbeaten in the league. They’ve got such a comfortable lead that only taking their foot off the gas and getting a sucker punch could cost them.”
He added: “The wheels have come off Celtic in dramatic fashion. I don’t think anyone could have foreseen them falling apart to the extent they have.
“That’s beyond Rangers’ control. Steven Gerrard’s team have gone about their business impeccably this season. You can’t draw any other conclusion than there’s been a massive sea change and shift in power.”
Countdown is on
Rangers have 14 more games to hold out if they want to back up Stewart’s prediction and write their names into folklore.
This will be no mean feat with Rangers still due to play away to Celtic and Hibernian before the league is split for the last five games of the season.
The Gers have only dropped six points in the Premiership this season but two of those points were lost against Hibernian when they drew 2-2 at Easter Road on September 20, while Celtic will surely be fired up after an embarrassing run of defeats to Rangers has underlined the shift in power in Scottish football.
Gerrard’s side will also have a Europa League campaign to content with starting with a last 32 clash with Belgian side Royal Antwerp, something their Old Firm rivals won’t have to worry about after they were unceremoniously dumped out at the group stage with just a single victory to their name.
It is a tough ask for the side to keep this up with squad rotation surely likely to play a part as the campaign starts to reach its conclusion but this must be something the players are eyeing up as the finish line starts to draw nearer.
They have the chance to make themselves legends in Rangers history, and do not back against them following Stewart’s words and achieving the unthinkable invincible tag.
In other Rangers news, see our exclusive interview with Alex McLeish on the loan departure of this exciting youngster.