Rangers need a good start as they host St Mirren
Rangers face St Mirren on Sunday as they aim to prevent rivals Celtic claiming their 10th straight title. Can Steven Gerrard’s side make a positive start to the season? Have a read of our preview here:
Stopping number 10 means the pressure is real
Steven Gerrard, believe it or not, is under real pressure to win the league this year at Rangers. It seems strange when he has done a very good job of getting the clubs back to title contention that failure to win the title could see him lose his job.
The hype around Celtic winning their tenth straight title is all well and good, but when you have a budget that outstrips everyone else’s by some margin, is it really that big of an achievement?
Yes Rangers are a big club but they have not had regular Champions League money as has been enjoyed by their rivals over the last decade, and this gives the Bhoys a huge advantage.
The fact Gerrard was able to push Celtic so hard last season is a credit to the work he has done at Ibrox. Getting this team back to where they used to be, has to be seen as a long-term project and so any talk of ‘pressure’ should be contextualised with a bit of realism.
Alfredo Morelos is a massive player for Gers and they will be doing all they can to keep him with apparent interest from elsewhere.
Rising stars like centre-back George Edmundson and attacking midfielder Ianis Hagi will also be vital as they continue their development but getting into a consistent pattern of beating teams beneath them and seeing games out will be the most important aspect of the campaign ahead for Rangers.
They should win this one and need to have a good start if stopping Celtic is a realistic ambition and not just a fools hope.
St Mirren hoping to survive
Last season saw St Mirren avoid relegation fairly comfortably and that will be the aim again for the Paisley club.
Managed by Jim Goodwin, they know their campaign will not be decided at places like Ibrox but will be defined by results against sides in and around them.
Goodwin, who was plucked from Alloa last season, is a pragmatic individual and will not get carried away if they lose against Rangers. The Irishman will make sure his side are hard to beat but don’t expect them to spend too much time on the attack on Sunday.
Jonathan Obika is an important player for them as is captain Sam Foley, but they cannot compete with the quality of their opponents and will need to tactically frustrate them in order to be successful.
Rangers v St Mirren betting tip
Rangers beating Aberdeen is a good start to the new season and they will take confidence going into this one. They already have one clean-sheet on the board and we are backing them to get another by tipping Rangers to win to nil at odds of 1.66 with bet365 on Sunday.
