Partly I'm a realist and had the view that we wouldn't win the league on 17th October after Gerrard had the measure of Lennon again and with a bit more ease this time. Our 3 central defenders having the most touches that day indicated Rangers dictated how we played. As big a tactical win by a manager in these games that I can remember. Add to that 0 shots on target and confidence we would win the league had all but gone.
The points difference wasn't that massive though (even though it felt like it at the time) and you never know in football. We were 5pts behind with a game in hand.
It was probably then the 1-1 home game versus St Johnstone that I knew for definite the 10 was gone. Lennon had survived a "Tony Mowbray moment" a week earlier versus Ross County and the opportunity to change the Manager and keep us in the title race had gone. Many fans were saying it'll be gone if we didn't beat Rangers on January 2nd but a) I thought it was already gone, and b) I thought there was a very very low % of us winning that game in January. I couldn't understand where the confidence was coming from.
However .................... I'm partly a dreamer and have always never gave up hope. My head said the title was gone, my heart even said it as well (my heart was broken) but my heart did now and then have a wee flutter and said never give up till it's mathematically over.
I still watch each Rangers game clinging on to hope of them dropping points.
We talk about if Rangers drop points and we win our games in hand and then we beat them home and away that takes us down to 9 points etc etc.
Now that's when it becomes ridiculous. We beat them home and away??
All the evidence would suggest that they will beat us home and away. Yeah we can dream but we need to be realistic about this.
I think the amount of times we say it (in hope) it starts to come a realistic belief we can beat them in both games.
I ran a poll on twitter and after 212 votes the results were as follows;
- 33% believe Rangers will get the better of us over both games and we will get 1pt at most
- 25% believe we will win both games
- 23% believe it will be all equal (either 1 win each or 2 draws)
- 19% believe we will win 1 game and draw the other
In reality I'm surprised at how low the 33% is. I'd suggest it should be more.
It does put into perspective all this talk of if we beat them then that's 6 points when the majority believe Rangers will get the better of us. I think the phrase "if/when we beat them in both games" should be banned now. Yeah never give up and hope for them to drop points but stop saying we are going to take 6 points as if it is going to happen. It is just going to make the disappointment even more harder to take.
However stats are stats and you could argue then that 67% say that Rangers won't get the better of us over both those games. Where is that thinking coming from? The heart obviously!
PS I'll be delighted to be wrong so please feel free to bump this article after both games if we do manage to beat them twice. I'll be more than happy to be told I was talking nonsense.