It looks like Steven Gerrard is starting to panic with Celtic hitting top form while his Rangers side are struggling for wins.
It is incredible how quickly things can change in the world of football. Going into the winter break, Rangers were on top of the world having beaten Celtic at Parkhead for the first time since 2010 and as a result taking control of the Scottish Premiership race. In a classic case of overreaction, the critics crowned the Kings of Scotland in January while the eight-time defending champions were written off after just one bad result.
The situation following the winter break could not be more different. Celtic are slowly but surely starting to find their form, having won all of their games since returning from Dubai. Rangers on the other hand are struggling, having already dropped five points with an away loss against Hearts and a draw at home with Aberdeen. And have not looked convincing even in the games that they have managed to win.
This is a huge wake up call for Rangers, who just weeks ago were getting ready to celebrate the league title come the end of the season. Celtic are now firmly in control of the title race while Steven Gerrard’s side are starting to see the ghosts of their failures even in their own shadows.
The Rangers boss decided to complain about the Ibrox pitch following the club’s hard-fought 2-1 win over Hibernian. As reported by The Scottish Sun, he said:
"“Yeah, it’s awful. We are trying (to sort it), we are trying. We’re trying to find a solution. We’re trying.”"
The reality is that that pitch has been awful for a long time. But the timing that Gerrard has picked to complain about it is very interesting. With the team going through a rough patch, it is hard not to feel that he is trying to bring up any excuse that he can in order to explain his side’s sudden downturn in form.