This might sound brutal.
But Hearts players heading to Ibrox on Wednesday will be thinking one thing: I’m getting Gio the sack today. It sounds horrible. And when you think about it, it is horrible. But that’s the reality. It has to be. This is the top level of professional football and Rangers are vulnerable. Hearts should be smelling blood and that doesn’t happen very often against the Old Firm so they have to have the mindset they’re going in for the kill.
If that means the Rangers manager pays the price with his job then that’s just the unfortunate reality of the game. It reminds me of a trip across Edinburgh to face Hibs in the League Cup quarter final around about Halloween time in 2013. Pat Fenlon was under enormous pressure with the Hibs fans and we knew we could be the final nail in his coffin.
We went down to Easter Road and made sure that nail was hammered in good and tight. I scored midway through the first half and you could sense the atmosphere darkening with every passing minute.
We held on for the 1-0 win and Fenlon held on for another two or three days before he got the heave ho.
That’s football. Rangers are under massive pressure, Hearts are coming off two good wins in the league. It’s got all the ingredients for an almighty 90 minutes.
Everyone knows the Rangers manager’s jacket is on a shoogly peg and that can go one way or the other in terms of his own players’ performance.
But Hearts have to go for the throat and I fancy them to get three points. I’d expect the first 10-15 minutes Hearts will be at it, right from the gun. They know the Rangers fans could turn on their team pretty quickly and then suddenly that big crowd could work in their favour.
The Rangers defence is creaking through injuries and they are there to be got at. It’s made for guys like Barrie McKay, Lawrence Shankland, Andy Halliday and Robert Snodgrass.
What a signing Snoddy has been. Age means nothing when you look after yourself like he has. I watched him against Kilmarnock last month and he was the best player on the park.
His influence against Motherwell on Sunday was huge too. I’m not exaggerating when I say he’s been one of the best footballers Scotland have produced in a generation.
He will prove that over the course of this season. He can control games because his football intelligence is through the roof. He is so comfortable on the ball, always makes the right decision and has a range of passing. He is a massive threat from set pieces too and always pops up with important goals. He’s the full package.
But off the park too, he will be a real leader and mentor to the younger guys. The way he lives his life, the way he looks after himself because I can guarantee you he will be the first in at the Oriam and the last to leave every day.
That’s why he has played at the very top in the Premier League. It’s no secret that Snoddy grew up a mad Celtic fan so he’ll be choking to go to Ibrox and win.
He’s made for this type of occasion. If Hearts are going to have another successful season, if they are going to better the points tally they had last year then they have to go to Ibrox and Parkhead and win.
The victory on Sunday over Motherwell was magnificent. To do it having had only 10 men for the best part of an hour and after Well had fought back to level at 2-2 is a real shot in the arm.
I always said it was going to be difficult combining Europe and domestic football especially with the horrendous injury list.
But those players are starting to come back now. They’ve got themselves back into fourth despite the rigours of Europe and to do that with the players they were missing is incredible.
The buzz they’ll get off that win on Sunday is massive. But victory at Ibrox tomorrow would be monumental.
