Rangers v Saints Preview

Last updated : 14 November 2008 By Stuart Gillespie
Never has one of our games at Ibrox in the SPL been so vital. On three of our four previous visits we have been going there on the back of a win. This time we have gone 409 minutes without scoring, haven't won in over a month and sit just a point above bottom side Hamilton. But we've been here before. Six weeks ago, when Rangers came to Love Street, we were bottom and folk were getting restless after an embarrassing cup exit and a defeat to Motherwell after we held a half time lead. And what happened? We beat Rangers at home for the first time in more than 20 years. Can history repeat itself tomorrow?

It's 17 years since we last won at Ibrox and, realistically, there isn't much chance of us ending that record tomorrow. However, as I've mentioned above, we've gone there in far better shape and been beaten, so it would be typical Saints if we somehow emerged with a point, or even all three, tomorrow afternoon.

Saints boss Gus MacPherson will almost certainly go with a lone striker tomorrow as he bids to end the side's poor run by keeping things tight and hoping for a goal on the break. If he does go for that option, it will almost certainly be Billy Mehmet who starts up front. The former Dunfermline striker is currently our top scorer and is probably the best person to hold the ball up and bring the midfielders into play. With a five man midfield it's likely Garry Brady will return, while after Andy Dorman's horror show in midweek it would be no surprise to see Stephen McGinn handed a start as he bids to shoot down Rangers once again.

Bizarrely, Steven Robb was left out of Tuesday's disaster but should return tomorrow, especially if we go 4-5-1. Why he was left out is a mystery, as the poorest of the two left sided players this season has been Franco Miranda - who was apparently poor once again at Pittodrie. The rest of the team is likely to stay the same as we bid to stay out of the drop zone.

Rangers absolutely destroyed Kilmarnock last week going by the TV highlights, somehow only scoring four goals when they could have managed twice as many. However, they could only manage a goalless draw in midweek when they faced Motherwell. Sadly, that's probably their goal drought over for the next few months. Kris Boyd and Kenny Miller - who we know all about from a visit to Ibrox in 2001 - are in fine form and are causing havoc to most SPL defences, while Pedro Mendes has been superb in midfield.

Elsewhere in the side, former Buddie Kirk Broadfoot has managed to make the right back slot his own and has been a far bigger success at Ibrox than even he could have hoped for. Rumours of a January move to Birmingham City are probably a little fanciful, but he has gone from strength to strength in the last few months and thoroughly deserves his place in the Scotland set-up.

We're currently the only team to beat Rangers in the SPL this season, but the chances of us repeating that tomorrow are slim. It's far more likely that Walter Smith's side will score a shedload of goals while our goal drought will almost certainly continue.