Celtic stretched their lead at the top to five points with one extra game played this weekend as the title race took another twist.
Three points at home against Ross County on Saturday looked a foregone conclusion with some betting outlets marking the Highlanders down as outsiders to the point of being 35/1, the longest odds for a top-flight game in Europe.
We switched up both the team and formation again with Ajer out due to illness, Jeremie Frimpong unavailable after being stretchered off on Wednesday night at Kilmarnock, and Odsonne Edouard dropping to the bench as we went from a 3-5-2 to a 4-5-1 that saw Leigh Griffiths playing as the lone striker, James Forrest and Mikey Johnston come in as the wingers and Max Bauer move into the right-back spot.
Such a significant personnel and formation shift appeared to unhinge the team and County were really good in the first half as they hit us incisively on the break on numerous occasions showing composure on the ball and some excellent passing while doing so.
Thankfully they couldn’t make any of it pay and we earned a penalty eight minutes before half time after Keith Watson hacked down Johnston in the box. Callum McGregor stepped up and duly converted.
In the second half, we completely controlled the game and created numerous chances with sub Odsonne Edouard replacing Griffiths and scoring twice in the space of three mins to make it 3-0, secure the points and take his seasons tally to 20.
We’d done our bit to go five points clear and the following day Rangers visited Tynecastle to play Hearts who hadn’t won a league game under new manager Daniel Stendel and are rooted at the bottom of the table.
Despite that, you always hold out hope for dropped points there as it’s been a place where there is a potential for the home side to produce a performance no matter what their general league predicament is.
Rangers took the lead in the second half through their ‘bad-boy’ winger Ryan Kent but Hearts came back through ex-Gers striker Steven Naismith and then stunningly won the game thanks to Irishman Liam Boyce who had only joined the club the day before and had been hobbling around the pitch for 20 minutes leading up to his winning strike.
Steven Gerrard came out with his customary ‘I didn’t recognise my team today.’ post-match nonsense which he’s stated numerous times during his 100 game Rangers reign yet somehow claims it had never happened before.
We’ll now wait to see what players he decides to throw under the bus over the course of the week.
And what a week it’ll be as both ourselves and the light blues are out in action once again as soon as Wednesday night as they entertain Ross County – who will have only just pulled back into Dingwall before it’s time to turn the team bus around and head back to Glasgow – and we visit McDiarmid Park to face St.Johnstone in the first of three straight away games.
Rangers blinked on Sunday and I think it’s a pretty safe bet that they won’t do so again against County but we can’t afford any slip-ups ourselves against Tommy Wright’s men who have blown hot and cold all season.
The Perth side are actually in pretty decent form having only lost one of their last seven league games and indeed have won three of their last five including a 2-1 win on Saturday at home to Kilmarnock.
They currently sit eighth in the league, tied on 23 points with Kilmarnock and six points off the top six which is pretty remarkable when you consider they failed to win any of their first nine league games which included being bulldozed 7-0 at Celtic Park in the season opener against us.
There are some pretty notable names in the Saints squad such as Jason Holt (on loan from Rangers), Michael O’Halloran, Stevie May and Danny Swanson but through a combination of injuries and indifferent form, none of those big names have really set the heather alight this term.
Indeed last week they lost one of their best performers of this campaign, Matty Kennedy, to Aberdeen a move which prompted their frustrated manager Tommy Wright to publicly criticise the boards lack of transfer activity in the opposite direction.
Goals have been hard to come by this term with only 18 scored in the league which is the second-lowest and they’ve conceded 36 for a pretty dismal goal difference of -18.
Added to that ever-present midfielder Murray Davidson is out with an arm injury, full back Tony Ralston is illegible because he’s our players and Drey Wright limped off during their win over fellow strugglers Kilmarnock.
Nothing’s certain but we should be looking for not only a good performance but to potentially fill our boots on Wednesday night and don’t be surprised if we revert back to 3-5-2 though Ajer’s ongoing absence might kibosh that.
I’m predicting 3-0 but as is always the case in this title race three points first and foremost is what’s important.
And after that’s done and dusted all eyes will be on the transfer window which slams shut at midnight on Friday aptly enough.
We’ve already added 21-year-old Polish striker Patryk Klimala for ÂŁ3.5 million from Jagiellonia Bialystok and today we’ll apparently confirm the capture of another 21-year-old in Ivorian midfielder Ismaila Soro who jets in to secure a ÂŁ2 million move from Israeli side Bnei Yahuda.
Scott Sinclair has already departed for Preston North End in a permanent move and Lewis Morgan’s move to Inter Miami should be confirmed when the MLS transfer window opens on February 12th. Jack Hendry has also gone out on loan – something he should have done sixth months ago – for the rest of the season to Australian A-League side Melbourne City who he made his debut for on Saturday.
And long-time bench warmer and general man of mystery Eboue Kouassi has departed to Belgian champions Genk who apparently have an option to buy the Ivory coast international something we all hope they choose to exercise. He cost us in excess of ÂŁ3 million and literally hasn’t kicked his own arse over the past three years.
It remains to be seen if there will be any other comings and goings with Neil Lennon sticking to the ‘We’re hopeful of one or two more.’ mantra and rumours over the future of the likes of Bayo, Craig Gordon, and Marian Shved circulating.
Should be exciting I suppose and let’s hope it’s not a bit of damp squib.
....Always A Tim! 