Rangers routed by super St Johnstone
Home side had more to play for
That is a score-line that no one saw coming and for the second Wednesday in a row, a team called the Saints have danced all over one of the big two.
Rangers defeat was not as monumental as St Mirren’s triumph over Celtic but it is still a score that will raise eyebrows everywhere. In one respect, it may be the wake-up call to ensure Rangers shake themselves out of their stupor but it is definitely a worrying result for Walter Smith.
St Johnstone started brightly and had a two goal lead inside the first fifteen minutes but when Sasa Papac pulled a goal back, most people would have expected Rangers to go on and secure at least a point, if not all three.
As the Rangers fans have sung so often this season, “thats why we’re champions” but there was no champion form to follow from the Ibrox side. St Johnstone grabbed their third goal before half-time and that was probably when the Super Saints started believing they could grab all three points.
Walter Smith rang the changes at half-time with Kris Boyd hooked for Kyle Lafferty. Boyd again had a goal-less evening and the strikers dismal return in front of goal continues. Whether he has lost form or the rumours about an impending move are getting to him but Boyd has not pulled his weight in 2010.
Kevin Thomson was also removed as Maurice Edu came on and again, the next goal was going to be crucial. Amazingly enough, St Johnstone scored again putting three goals between them and the champions, with Murray Davidson getting the goal that made it four.
Both teams have had a heavy schedule of late and on paper, both teams have plenty to play for but St Johnstone’s need is much closer. Rangers, even after this defeat, will likely still stroll the league but St Johnstone have only got two games left before the SPL split and now find themselves just the two points behind Hearts.
Will tonight’s result have any real impact on the league?
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i hope we loose again so we work it out to win the title at the piggery.
It could certainly give the fixture computer something to ponder, especially with the SPL saying they won’t have a Celtic Rangers title decider again.
Well it’s nice to see thats its not just Celtic who are rubbish thsi season. Rangers have been rubbish all season, look at the woeful european results, their only saving grace was that Celtic were worse. Enjoy the SPL title this year folks, I think if you are honest you’ll need to improve to hang on to it.
With the gap that Rangers have, it is easy to forget the poor run of form they showed at the start of the season.
Only two league defeats so far is definitely worthy of praise but Celtic have put Rangers under no serious pressure when it matters.
new zealand bhoy we are only trying to make the title run in more exciting so we can hump yous again at parkdeed to make it another world record of 53 titles ,
Wooopeee doooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
lol, well well well, Sir Walter SMith does it again, his team out played, out passed by men on a fraction of the millionnaires salary. Humped by a team who were in the first division last year. Ye would have thought Walter Smith was in charge of us, oh he is! Im getting sick of saying, were a shambles. Were getting by cause Celtic are just as bad maybe even worse, at least they have players ye would pay to watch. If yer a nuetral and fancied a game to go and watch, would you pay to watch McGeady rip defences apart or would you pay to watch Davie Weir fall over and Lee McCulloch kick people??? Its a disgrace. Our reserves should not even lose to a team filled with players no one else wants. I am so embarrassed, that is after the anger died down. Walter, just GO. Ally – P Off. My whole club is shrowded in negativity and mediocrity. Thats maybe how Celtic fans are so angry too, they can see how crap we are. Hearts falling apart against us means nothing when ye turn up at Perth like big time charlies, which our players think they are, they didnt fancy the battle and that for me in the SPL is a criminal offense. We are a shambles and MAJOR changes are needed, i fear too many are needed and it isnt going to happen. Until my club match the fans ambitions i will keep my money in my own pocket.
Smith must go, his management team dont have a clue. They clip boards are so embarrassing.
Does anyone think Ally would have done what Mcinnes has done at ST Johnstone? I will answer that for ye, NOT a chance in hell. Wee Derek has done great and is quickly turning into a fanatstic manager unlike his pal Ally. Full credit to St Johnstone, ye dont score 4 goals and dont deserve to win, they fully deserved it, that is down to our primadonnas attitudes. Its stinking. They make me sick.
Walter Smiths teams are enough to drive ye away from football. What a turn off.
10 points and im so angry.
mcculloch, mcgregor, weir and the missing man boyd MUST all be moved on/binned/sold by hook or by crook. shocking non footballers with ZERO skill level.
weve been playing recently with a few men down every game. ye only get away with that for so long.
what a boost we give the dark side with every pathetic performance we put in.
james i think your a closet celtic fan i
Don’t even bother reading James rants now, boring and pathetic.
What a strange result, a wonder strike, two crazy deflected goals and a fourth that was at least a yard offside. That said, St Johnstone were no flukey winners, they deserved their victory even if the scoreline flattered them.
I’m more interested in the reaction rather than the result, starting with Hamilton on Saturday at Ibrox. They are the form team in the bottom six and whilst you would expect Rangers to beat them, nothing can be taken for granted at this stage of the season. I suspect St Johnstone was a blip and many of the players thought they could just turn up and get at least a draw, not good enough and this must be pointed out to the players that they earn a title, not float over the line.
Walter Smith needs to freshen the team up, get Davis in the middle of the park where he is most effective, even if that means either Thomson or McCulloch have to sit it out. Given Boyd’s recent run of form, I would play McCulloch up front beside Kenny Miller as I think they would compliment each other well. Beasley on the right and Novo on the left and look to re-create the blistering form they showed in December.
I thought that Hibs might stall Lennon’s march for the Celtic hot-seat at the weekend, but they are in a shocking run of form at the moment, hammered 4-2 at home from Dundee Utd last night, that off the back of the embarrassing cup exit and defeat in the Edinburgh derby.
Two home wins against Hamilton and Aberdeen, should be enough to see us cross the line either against Dundee Utd or the first game after the split.
the old selik fan crap jaz, come on, im just saying it as i see it
oh really quagy, then thats sad, take yer blue specs off and wakey wakey
we are a shambles
out played by every club in the league, struggling to beat even the poorest and weakest teams.
huge changes needed at Ibrox starting with our out of date manager and his pals.
aberdeen only turn up against us so i expect yet another hard against a team who everyone else seems to hump week in week out. Utd will beat us, we dont have it in us to dominate them.
For me right now, Utd are the best team in the league, i hope they win the Scottish Cup, just coz they knocked us out!!
the league is far from over, i just hope we get enough home games after the split to give us a better chance of wining the league, its far from over. in spite of ally n walter we should just about win this title with a game or 2 to spare, mark my words.
Its not good enough.
My pockets are lined with cash i used to spend on anything Rangers, now, i cant part with my cash for that, no chance, i may be rangers till i die, but im not daft.