Fair enough — those league numbers make for an interesting picture. Hearts sit on 60, Rangers on 56, Celtic 54 and Motherwell 50. With games in hand and some tricky fixtures still to come, you can see why folk are asking if Motherwell are still in the mix or just dangling on the coattails.
Motherwell: genuine threat or long shot?
To be fair to Motherwell, a game in hand gives them a real lifeline and they've earned the right to be part of the conversation. Plenty reckon they'll have a say, especially with both Celtic and Hearts still to come before the split. Form can be a funny thing at this stage — momentum matters and Motherwell can make life difficult for the big two on their day.
That said, being 'in the mix' and actually winning the league are different beasts. They still need favourable results elsewhere and to keep picking up points. You can see why supporters worry about complacency, but equally their schedule gives them an opportunity to close the gap if they keep winning.
What Rangers need to do
For Rangers, it's straightforward: win the big home game against Celtic and keep taking points away from the tricky fixtures, like St Mirren. If Hearts and Motherwell both take care of business at home, the next few weeks could leave a tight top four — seven points separating the sides is small enough for drama but big enough that mistakes are punished.
I fancy Rangers at Ibrox against Celtic, and that result would shift momentum. The title race in Scotland tends to favour the team that stays steady and doesn't drop silly points to the lower teams. Consistency over the run-in is where the trophy is won.
Quick run-through of the run-in
Before Motherwell face Celtic, a plausible look at the table could be Hearts 63, Rangers 59, Celtic 57 and Motherwell 56 — all on 29 games. From there, fixtures like Hearts away to Kilmarnock and Celtic v Motherwell become pivotal. Simple predictions rarely survive contact with reality, but the next few matchdays will tell us whether Motherwell are contenders or just a tasty subplot to the battle between the Old Firm and Hearts.
Truth is, it's exciting. A tight top four keeps every match meaningful. We just need our boys to keep doing the basics right and let the rest fall where it may.
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