Rangers have been handed a boost in terms of Champions League qualification as Aberdeen fail to halt a dispiriting run of form away to Hearts.
The Gers support had been goaded in the early part of the season as Jimmy Thelin guided the struggling Pittodrie club through a blistering start that saw them keep pace at the top of the Premiership.
But since the last international break the Swedish manager has begun to fall away with the Dons now without a Scottish Premiership in three games.
The situation will be welcomed by Rangers supporters, who’ve had to suffer the ignominy of being told they’re in a race with the Dons for second place in the table.
Aberdeen drop Scottish Premiership points
Aberdeen have dropped another two points following a 1-1 draw with struggling Hearts at Tynecastle in the Scottish Premiership.
The result means the Dons go seven points clear of Rangers in 3rd but the Ibrox side have a game in hand on their northeast rivals.
It also means Aberdeen have now dropped seven points in their last three games.
Should Rangers win their game in hand, they will be within four points of the Dons and by the time the match rolls round, the club might have even usurped Aberdeen in 2nd place.
It comes with Aberdeen set to host Celtic in midweek whilst Rangers entertain the visit of a troublesome Kilmarnock side.
Should both results go as expected, Rangers will be within four points of the Dons with a game in hand, although nothing’s guaranteed in football until all is said and done.
Rangers eye Champions League bounty
It’s unsurprising that Aberdeen have fallen off in this crucial part of the season with the momentum of Thelin’s initial appointment starting to wane.
Whilst the Dons will likely finish in a European place this season, the more-level headed Rangers fans amongst us certainly foreseen this run of form.
Now without a win in three Premiership games, including a defeat to St Mirren and back-to-back draws against Hibs and Hearts, Aberdeen face the visit of Celtic this week.
Obviously Rangers fans would rather take the very slim chance of a Celtic victory in order to reignite the club’s flailing title prospects, but even an Aberdeen defeat comes with benefits.
Rangers – quite simply – cannot afford to miss out on second place let alone first place this season.
The club needs the opportunity to qualify for the Champions League to secure the £40m bounty which comes with it, with Scotland’s top two set to go through the qualifiers next season.
Aberdeen might’ve punched heavy in the early part of the season but the biggest tests of Jimmy Thelin’s team are still to come.
This includes at Ibrox on the 15th January by which time we predict there’s a good chance Rangers will already be ahead of Aberdeen in the table.
