Kris Commons has commended Michael Beale for his Rangers record but is certain Saturday's showdown with Celtic will prove too much to overcome.
The Englishman has won every game since taking the reins at Ibrox bar a draw and defeat to Ange Postecoglou's side. They now head east aware defeat at Parkhead will lead to a de facto title party which would see the champions 12 points ahead with a vastly superior goal difference. Commons believes Beale's ability to win on a weekly basis deserves credit, however, he is convinced Saturday will be the end of the road with their faint title hopes extinguished for good.
Speaking in his Daily Mail column, Commons said: "When Beale replaced Giovanni van Bronckhorst during the World Cup break late last year, not many people would have expected Rangers to make it this far. They were spilling points on a weekly basis towards the end of Van Bronckhorst's tenure. Any notion of them still being in a position to challenge Celtic in April would have felt highly fanciful back then.
"So fair play to them for prolonging the matter for this long. I reckon most observers would have expected the title race to be done and dusted by now as we move into April. Since Beale took charge, Rangers have matched Celtic stride for stride in terms of points accumulated in the Premiership. The only time either team have dropped points was in the 2-2 draw at Ibrox at the turn of the year.
"Since then, Celtic have reeled off an incredible 15 straight victories in all competitions, including the 2-1 triumph over Rangers in the Viaplay Cup final a few weeks ago. It's been an astonishing run of form from Ange Postecoglou's side. They have been blowing teams away, scoring goals for fun. He's built a ruthless winning machine.
"Rangers have improved under Beale, of that there is absolutely no doubt. The only problem is the fact that they're trying to chase down one of the greatest Celtic sides in history. So, when the teams clash at Parkhead on Saturday, I expect Celtic to hammer the final nail into the Rangers coffin for this season and put the matter beyond all doubt.
"I read some comments from Connor Goldson the other day when he was trying to insist that Rangers can still catch their rivals. That's fighting talk from a guy who once made the feeble admission that the game was 'over' when trailing 3-1 against Hibernian in a cup semi-final barely 18 months ago. Listen, I understand the context of it. Goldson has probably been asked by a journalist if he felt there was still a title race and whether he felt Rangers could still catch Celtic.
"Of course he's going to say yes. What else is he going to say? Had he suggested anything to the contrary, fans would probably have chased him out the door. If he actually believes it, then good luck to him. But he's only kidding himself. Rangers haven't a prayer of catching Celtic."
And Commons reckons Celtic will be itching to put the finishing touches on their title charge in style. Commons is full of praise for a side who have won 28 out of their 30 league games and have only lost one league match since September 2021.
He added: "I expect Postecoglou's side to deliver this kind of statement victory this weekend and really stamp their authority over what has been an outstanding season thus far. In the bigger picture, they have an opportunity to take one more step forward on the path towards a Treble.
"It's been one of the most dominant seasons I can ever remember from any team, right up there with the Brendan Rodgers' Invincibles and the Treble-winning side under Martin O'Neill. Celtic have swept all before them and done it with such a swashbuckling sense of style that they've been a joy to watch.
"Postecoglou has been absolutely ruthless with his messaging and how he wants this team to continually strive for improvement. A Treble feels like almost a matter of time, almost like there's a sense of inevitability around it given how dominant Celtic have been this season.
"Rangers will, of course, do all they can to deny them that glory. The sides will meet again in the Scottish Cup semi-finals later this month. But, by that point, Celtic will be champions in all but name. Rangers have done well to get this far, but I expect Postecoglou's side to underline the gulf in class on Saturday."
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