Rangers set up Parkhead title ‘decider’ with Killie win | OneFootball

We’re not even going to offer a match ratings for that chaotic 90 minutes, the first 45 being utterly mental, but Rangers did get, in the end, by way of a red card for the home side, an ultimately comfortable in the end 4-1 win over Killie.

We’re going to leave that match there for now, and discuss where things are now in the title race.

Celtic have momentum – Rangers’ form remains poor despite the scoreline today, but with this win today Rangers have set something up now for the trip to Parkhead.

Believe it or not, you’re going to get a speck of optimism from grumpy Ibrox Noise, based on two players who made a big difference today:

Ridvan Yilmaz and Ben Davies.

Davies being a natural left footer, with Ridvan outside him, was a lot more reassuring than Souttar in that position, and with Souttar switched to the right due to Leon Balogun’s injury, Rangers looked a bit more rigid.

It was a more balanced defence, once Sterling and Balogun were both gone, because you had a rearguard shaped up with the correct players.

The Balogun and Souttar combo isn’t working because of Sterling and Tavernier, but a bit of (forced) adjustment saw a blend that did look more settled.

This is why Philippe Clement, having got YET ANOTHER starting XI completely wrong, has to go to Parkhead with the defence being Tav, Souttar, Davies and Ridvan. It’s not an iron curtain but it’s the best balanced one we have. In reality, Balogun is probably out for the season anyway.

But where does it leave it all?

It’s actually winner take it all next weekend. Yes, really.

Celtic have a 4-point lead (with GD), but they also have their notorious trip to Rugby Park the week after. That may well take a couple of points from them.

But next weekend really is do or die.

The goal difference, amusingly, saw no change today – both Old Firm sides got the same score difference.

And next week should Rangers get the win it’s only goal difference in play, and while we doubt we’ll win the 0-6 or 0-5 that we need to erase the GD, a win would now be goliath.

Thanks to 4-1 today, there is actually something riding on next weekend.

Do we believe we can get the win there?

We have to believe, right?

But if he starts with Sterling at LB again, we swear…