With the 2021/22 Premiership fixtures now confirmed, we thought we’d have a go at predicting Rangers’ first five results, a little over a month out from their opener against Livingston at Ibrox.
A lot could and probably will happen between now and then in terms of transfer activity, but the core of the first-team squad shouldn’t be significantly altered.
Steven Gerrard’s side went the entire 2020/21 campaign unbeaten and while it’s surely unlikely that such an incredible achievement will be repeated, there’ll be a feeling within the camp that a successful title defence is very much a possibility.
Here’s how we see the first five fixtures of the season playing out:
Livingston (H) – 3-0 win
David Martindale did an excellent job at Livi last season following Gary Holt’s resignation a few months into the campaign and it’s rare that the West Lothian outfit make things easy.
However, they didn’t manage to score in four meetings with the Gers last season, with Gerrard’s men taking ten points from a possible 12.
This is a relatively kind opening day fixture and while a degree of rustiness is inevitable, we’re expecting a comfortable home win at fortress Ibrox.
Dundee United (A) – 2-1 win
Dundee United produced a decent showing in their first campaign back in the top flight last season, although poor form in the final few weeks saw them end up in ninth.
Under new manager Tam Courts, their playing style may change, but Tannadice tends to be a tough place to go and in former Gers forward Nicky Clark and Lawrence Shankland, they possess goal threats.
Rangers will still have a much superior side, though, and we’re predicting a repeat of the scoreline from when the two sides met in the Dee last December.
Ross County (A) – 3-0 win
The Staggies showed grit and determination to stay up last season and are looking to avoid a similar scrap this time around under new manager Malky Mackay.
Rangers won all three meetings last season by an aggregate scoreline of 11-0, though, and they haven’t found Dingwall a difficult place to go in recent seasons.
We’re expecting a tricky first half an hour or so before the visitors’ quality shines through.
Celtic (H) – 2-0 win
Rangers dominated the Old Firms last season with four victories and a draw and Celtic’s preparations for 2021/22 have been delayed by their shambolic search for a new boss.
Ange Postecoglou is said to be a manager who likes his teams to play expansively but based on last season’s evidence, it’s tough to see the Hoops rocking up at Ibrox and dictating things.
Instead, we’re predicting yet another derby day shutout for Allan McGregor and a victory that puts down an early marker in the title race.
St Johnstone (A) – 1-0 win
Callum Davidson did a brilliant job on a budget at St Johnstone last season, securing an unlikely domestic cup double and a top-six Premiership finish.
The Saints knocked the Gers out of the Scottish Cup on penalties at the quarter-final stage and held them to a 1-1 draw in Perth in the league in April.
However, one of the standout features of last season was Steven Gerrard and his coaching staff’s success at finding ways to beat previous bogey teams, and after having the summer to think about and find solutions to shortcomings, we’re predicting a narrow win at McDiarmid Park.
Clearly, a five-game winning streak would be the perfect start to 2021/22 for the Gers but it’s a run that this group is more than capable of putting together.
In a few months’ time, we’ll either be looking back at these predictions with a sense of smugness or we’ll be scrambling for the delete button!
One player who doesn’t look likely to feature in any of these fixtures is Kai Kennedy, after a report shared an update on his future.
