Rangers ‘blistering’ v Hearts as Michael Stewart blown away on BBC Sportsound, drops title hint
Michael Stewart was blown away by a “blistering” and “rampant” Rangers side as they blasted Hearts out of Ibrox 5-0.
The BBC pundit reacted live on Sportsound at half-time on 24 February with the home side already 3-0 up, to admit the Light Blues had been outstanding in the first 45 and the visitors couldn’t live with them since Mohamed Diomande’s “fantastic finish” in the second minute.
Cyriel Dessers doubled his own tally as soon as the second half started to make it 4-0 and Philippe Clement’s men never looked back in a near-perfect display, with Stewart suggesting the title momentum may soon be unstoppable.
He said (3.53pm): “Look, a blistering start from Rangers. I think some of the Hearts defending has been pretty poor and it’s allowed a rampant Rangers to get their noses in front early on and they’ve really not let up at all, Diomande with another really good goal…
“Rangers are so rampant, and so on top, that’s a ground that really has a feeling that things are going the way that they want it, and it’s building up a head of steam that could be very difficult to curtail.”
He added after the game (5.36pm): “Rangers were rampant from the start and made it difficult for Hearts, but you’re going to expect that the way that Rangers are at the moment, and credit goes to Rangers…
“The biggest takeaway from today for me was not how poorly Hearts were, but how good Rangers were.”
Rangers unstoppable behind Dujon Sterling and Ridvan Yilmaz in Ibrox stunner vs Hearts
It would be difficult for anyone to criticise the Light Blues after they produced the performance of the season to make an in-form Jambos side look anything but.
Steven Naismith’s side almost left Govan with a first win in years on 29 October but there was never a chance of that this time around.
Finally going clear at the top of the SPFL last weekend may have invited the squad to subconsciously take their foot off the accelerator and be caught by a Hearts outfit coming off eight-straight wins, but a second-minute opener on the way to a 5-0 hammering was the exact opposite.
There were periods between the first goal by Diomande and Oscar Cortes’ second in the 37th minute where the passing was off and the door may have been open for the visitors to get back in.
But once the Light Blues were 2-0 up they never looked back, with so many players putting in excellent showings to stretch the lead over Celtic to five, including the likes of John Souttar.
There is some way to go yet but the Gers are starting to look ominous in the league race.
In other Rangers news, a pundit admitted he “lost my rag” in a rage at one sly character jettisoned at Ibrox.
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