Rangers and Celtic title prediction shared by Keith Jackson after ‘chaotic’ weekend
Keith Jackson says the Scottish Premiership title battle between Rangers and Celtic will ultimately come down to who can handle the pressure better.
Rangers opened the door for Celtic to return to the top at the weekend after falling to a shock 2-1 loss against Motherwell on Saturday (2 March).
However, Celtic were beaten 2-0 away at Hearts the following day and therefore remain two points further back in second place.
Reflecting on the weekend’s action in his column for the Daily Record’s print edition [4 March, pages 37 & 38], Jackson said: “Now that every man and his dog in the SPFL are busy writing their own stories perhaps they ought to remember the importance of a good plot.
“And once they’ve found one they like the look of they should do as much as they can to stick to it. Because there’s a big difference between creating a plot and losing one.
“And, over the course of a perfectly chaotic weekend, that’s precisely what Rangers and Celtic took it in turns to do.
“You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to know what’s at stake now that the finishing line is coming into sight in the race towards the title.
“Tempers are beginning to fray and nerves are being stretched but, as is always the case in these adrenaline-charged moments, clear heads and a strong constitution will be required between now and May.
“Rangers allowed their composure to escape them on Saturday when all they required was a run of the mill victory over Motherwell to open up a five point lead at the top of the table.
“Whoever manages best to stick to the plot over these next few manic weeks is likely to come away with a happy ending.”
Rangers retain two-point lead on Celtic in Scottish Premiership
Rangers had built up plenty of momentum under Philippe Clement, but the winning run was never going to continue through the remainder of the campaign.
The loss to Motherwell was a shock to the system, but it will not be the last time the Gers drop points before the season concludes.
It is simply a case of matching Celtic stride for stride at this point, knowing that there is a two-point buffer between the sides.
As far as weekends go, they do not come much more dramatic than what we saw over the past couple of days. Indeed, it is the first time in six years the Old Firm pair have lost on the same weekend.
Both Rangers and Celtic have players and managers with experience of holding their nerve in a title battle, and those experienced heads need to step up.
Supporters, for their part, must ensure they stick behind the team every step of the way, even if results do not go as expected.
With two months of the season to go, strap yourselves in for a few more twists and turns yet.
In other Rangers news, Chris Sutton responded to a “seriously worrying” claim made live on BBC regarding the Gers.
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