Rangers are preparing for the visit of Kilmarnock in a match which becomes more of a must-win and a banana skin in equal measure by every passing day.
Following last week’s 1-1 draw with Hamilton Rangers lost two points in the title race with Celtic chopping a further three into the 23-point gap in midweek.
The Gers might still be 18 points clear – having played a game more than Celtic – but Steven Gerrard and co won’t be taking any chances as the season enters its final 10 games.
Getting 55 over the line is all that matters and heaping unnecessary pressure on a title race which so far has been a canter won’t be welcomed by anyone at Ibrox.
This was a message that couldn’t have been clearer from Allan McGregor in the aftermath of that stumbling Hamilton draw and Rangers simply must get back to winning ways to avoid any backlash.
The match is made all the more difficult by the appointment of Tommy Wright at Kilmarnock, who is tasked with keeping the experienced Killie side above water this season.
Wright’s tactically disciplined style may well suit Killie and even if they failed to register a point in the Northern Irishman’s first game – a 1-0 defeat to Motherwell – they’ll come to Ibrox with a game plan.
Killie have been a troublesome opponent throughout Steven Gerrard’s tenure and the Ibrox gaffer will be determined for that not to be the case again as the campaign bottlenecks.
Rangers must show more intent, more ruthlessness and much more determination against a side scrapping for survival and buoyed by the appointment of a known Scottish Premiership quantity.
Not only that, but they’ll have to do it without both Alfredo Morelos and Kemar Roofe, both of Rangers’ first choice forwards serving retrospective bans
All with an eye on Antwerp and a last 32 Europa League tie on the horizon.
This is a potentially huge game in our title charge and three points will relieve the simmering pressure which is starting to build at this particular juncture of the season.
We fancy three changes for the visit of Killie, with Nigerian international Leon Balogun replacing Filip Helander in defence and Steven Davis and Ryan Jack replacing £2.7m man Bongani Zungu and Finnish international Glen Kamara in midfield.
Is this the team to go on Ibrox this weekend and maintain the club’s perfect home record so far this campaign?
