The statement was made in a matter-of-fact manner rather than with any sense of bombast. There is no chance of Danny Rohl getting ahead of himself.
In the aftermath of the victory over Aberdeen before the international break, Rohl was asked about the possibility of Rangers going top of the table with a win over Dundee United. As expected, he started his answer by referencing the importance of three points, following on to why he wants his side to be leading the way at the end of the season rather than at this stage and how Rangers must focus on themselves.
“It doesn't matter what they are doing,” Rohl finished by saying. “If we win the seven games, we will win the league.”
It will, of course, be easier said than done. That is the opportunity that Rangers have in front of them, though. To use Rohl’s terminology, seven cup finals await.
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One of the most used cliches – amongst the many in circulation – in the game today is the line about a title race being a marathon and not a sprint. Well, on Saturday, the starting gun will be fired on the dash towards the Premiership finishing line.
Will the blue noses be ahead at the tape? With seven matches still to be played and three runners still in contention, it is too early to say. The fact that Rangers are in that leading pack at all is quite the achievement, but Rohl will know that such a feat will mean nothing unless it is a gold medal that is hanging around his neck come May 16.
On the eve of the first international break of the campaign back in October, Rangers sat eighth in the standings. The draw with Falkirk in what proved to be Russell Martin’s final match in charge saw the deficit to Hearts increase to eleven points. By the time Rohl took to the dugout a couple of weeks later, it had increased even further to 13.
After seven Premiership fixtures, Rangers were written off, were not even considered as possible challengers, never mind as likely champions. With seven remaining, they now have a shot at the silverware.
Favourites? Perhaps not quite. Contenders? Absolutely. In this remarkable campaign, it would be a fitting ending in many ways.
In any other season, Rangers could already have been well on their way to the title. Hearts have inflicted the only two defeats that have been suffered in 31 outings this term, and both in controversial circumstances, given the goals that were allowed and disallowed at Ibrox and Tynecastle. The Jambos have lost five times, while Celtic have been beaten on eight occasions.
Arsenal sit at the top of the Premier League and are on course for the title having lost three matches from 31. Inter Milan have lost five from 30, Barcelona have lost four in 29 and PSG have lost four in 26. Bayern Munich buck the trend and have suffered a single defeat from their 27 Bundesliga fixtures.
The issue for Rangers has been the number of draws recorded. Some can be classed – such as the comeback against Livingston last month or the late salvage job at Tannadice in December – as ‘good points’ given that Rohl’s side were heading for defeats on both occasions. Others are chances wasted, however, and throwing away winning positions against Motherwell and Celtic of late could well be costly come the final tally.
Speaking after the Old Firm defeat that saw Rangers knocked out of the Scottish Cup at Ibrox, Rohl pointed to the nine ‘cup finals’ his side had left in the Premiership. The first two were taken care of as St Mirren and Aberdeen were beaten, now it is the visit of Dundee United and the trip to Falkirk that await before the split.
Two of those final five matches will be at Ibrox and three of them will be on the road. Tynecastle and Parkhead will be visited for a second time, while another is likely to host Rangers for a third time. The perfect 19/19 split is not always possible and the decisions from the SPFL to determine the schedule will no doubt attract controversy, but Rohl will simply focus on winning each one regardless of the venue, the time or the opponent. Win all seven and the job is done.
Rangers have collected 35 points from their 16 outings at Ibrox, while 28 – two more than Hearts and one more than Celtic, who have also played an extra fixture on the road so far – have been picked up on their travels.
Rohl’s side have the best record over the last five, ten and 15 rounds of matches. Indeed, since the German was appointed as head coach, Rangers have been the form team in the country. If they fall short, it will be because of the situation that Rohl walked into and the damage done in the opening weeks and months of the season.
Rohl has made the point on a few occasions that he believes it will go down to the final 90 minutes of the season. On that day, will two of the three face off in a decider? Or will the TV cameras be sent to three venues and managers, players and supporters will have to keep tabs on events in three matches at once? The SPFL better fuel up the helicopter, just in case.
There is confidence within the Ibrox camp that all seven matches can be won. The ambition is to combine performances with results, but it is obvious where the priority lies in that scenario.
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The squad will regroup in the coming days at Auchenhowie and refocus after the time with their nations or with their families during the Premiership hiatus. The team that have not been top of the table for a single night this season could hold that position this weekend.
In all likelihood, it would be a short-lived experience. Yet it would be another sign of the progress that has been made under Rohl and ask Hearts a question that they have not had to answer this season after spending 28 of the 31 matchdays leading the way. The pressure at this stage is very different.
Rangers have made up ground over the course of the marathon. Now they must sprint to the front and get across the finishing line.
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