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Every game vital at business end of the season
6th March 2008
EVERY GAME VITAL AT BUSINESS END OF THE SEASON
March is an exciting month in the SPL. No team can afford to drop points as the sides jostle for the highest league position possible. The Old Firm seem unstoppable in their pursuit of the title, the best of the rest are vying for third spot and at the foot of the table poor Gretna are needing results to go in their favour if they are going to edge away from relegation. As Alex Ferguson would say: it?s squeaky bum time.
Celtic and Rangers were once again victorious at the weekend and it seems this season?s title will be determined by the remaining Old Firm games. Celtic have a testing month ahead with only one home game, against Dundee United, and a couple of difficult away matches, including trips to Motherwell and Rangers. Meanwhile, Rangers could fall behind in the league campaign as they turn their focus to the UEFA Cup, Scottish Cup and the League Cup final. The next Old Firm match on March 29 will be a must-win match for both sides.
In the race for third position, Motherwell still seem to be firm favourites. Dundee United and Hibernian are hot on their heels but McGhee?s men should have enough in the tank to earn the lucrative reward of European football next season.
Falkirk, Hearts, Aberdeen and, even, Inverness Caley Thistle are battling to secure the final spot to finish in the top six. The Dons look slightly off the pace right now but they have a promising fixture list for the rest of March. Home matches they should win against Gretna and St Mirren followed by a crunch match away to Caley Thistle. Nine points from those matches may be asking a lot of Jimmy Calderwood?s men but it would certainly give the team a chance of finishing in the top half of the table.
At the bottom of the league Kilmarnock and Inverness Caley have got out of jail this season thanks to Gretna?s struggles to make the step up from the First Division. Eleven points adrift at the foot of the table, it will take a miraculous set of events for the Black and Whites to survive. St Mirren against Gretna on March 29 may well be a decisive day in the relegation battle.
No matter who you follow, the whole season is building towards these final make or break games. Every win and every goal is that much more important than before. The only way to see a difficult March through is to keep winning and hope the teams around about you drop points. A dodgy penalty decision, a disallowed goal or a last-minute equalizer this month could be the difference between a successful season and a year of what could have been.
DAVIES WOULD BE WISE TO STEER CLEAR OF HEARTS
After being overlooked for the Scotland and the Republic of Ireland jobs, Billy Davies has came out and said he would be interested in returning north of the border to become manager of Hearts. How any manager could even consider accepting a post where they have limited control over team selection and transfer of players is unbelievable. Billy may be itching to get back into management but this is one job that he shouldn?t be preparing his curriculum vitae for.
DON?T BET AGAINST MAN UNITED FOR THE TITLE
Arsenal may have managed to rescue a point at the weekend with a late equalizer from Nicklas Bendtner against Aston Villa but Manchester United are in a rich vein of form in their pursuit of the Premiership title. Arsenal?s young side have dropped points two weeks running now and the pressure of leading may be beginning to tell. Man United were able to rest Rooney and Ronaldo ahead of their midweek Champions League tie against Lyon but they still picked up another three points against Fulham on Saturday. It would take a wise man to bet against them overtaking the Gunners before the end of the season.
TALKING A GOOD GAME
?I wouldn?t put my house on it. I?ve worked too hard over 35 years to get a house.?
Gordon Strachan on Celtic?s chances of beating Barcelona at the Nou Camp.
?Even my missus could have seen that and she wasn?t at the game.?
Leicester boss, Ian Holloway, mightily aggrieved that his side wasn?t awarded a penalty against Coventry.
?It is a lot harder when you are 4-1 down than when you are 4-1 up.?
Kevin Keegan making the most obvious footballing observation of all time.
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