SECONDS OUT FOR GERS, HEARTS HAVE THE BIG FIGHT WON

RANGERS came back from the dead last season when they trailed Celtic by five points with four matches remaining, but I can't see them pulling off another Houdini act this term.

Twelve months on and Alex McLeish's men find themselves in a similar position as they attempt to catch Hearts in the race for second spot.

But there would need to be a monumental collapse for Hearts not to clinch the runners-up spot - and that's highly unlikely.

They were under a lot of pressure when Rangers closed the gap to just three points last weekend as the difference had been 16 back in December.

Rangers had been eating into Hearts' lead for the past few months but Saturday saw the move in the opposite direction and I think a five-point cushion is more than enough for Hearts.

I've seen this happen so often over the years when a team comes with a late run and gets to within touching distance of the side in front, only for the pacesetters to move away again.

I know Big Alex keeps saying there is no reason why his team can't pull off the same miraculous comeback they did last season but I don't see it.

For me Hearts have been playing the better football recently. They also have a bigger squad and while I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing in the long run they do have plenty of cover.

The players they keep bringing in all appear to be capable of performing to a high standard and nobody has let the team down. But it's the mainstays of the side who have been outstanding and that's been the main difference.

Craig Gordon was voted Football Writers' Player of the Year and you can't argue with that. He is a top-class keeper and he's hardly made a mistake all season. Gordon won it but in front of him Andy Webster, Steven Pressley and Paul Hartley were all worthy contenders.

Hartley in particularly has enjoyed another outstanding season and while he had a slight dip around the turn of the year he has really gone into overdrive recently.

He's proved himself the man for the big occasion with a hat-trick in the Scottish Cup semi-final against Hibs and he scored the crucial goal against Kilmarnock at the weekend.

Robbie Neilson and Rudi Skacel are another two who have played in most of the games and they have been so consistent.

But if you go through the Rangers side you really struggle to pick out anybody of similar stature. There are very few players at Ibrox who could say they've had a good season, yet you could name six or seven Hearts players who have been magnificent.

Only Kris Boyd would get a mention for Player of the Year because of his scoring record. After that you're struggling. Barry Ferguson has not had a good season and Fernando Ricksen has been woeful.

Peter Lovenkrands and Chris Burke have played well for spells but haven't been able to sustain it over a long period.

McLeish has no idea what he's going to get from his players every week. Saturday was a classic example when they dropped points at home to Aberdeen, although even before they slipped up I still thought Hearts held the edge.

There is more to them than just hanging on and I can see them winning every game between now and the end of the season. I don't see Rangers doing that.

Ironically the departure of Graham Rix arguably helped Hearts. There has been no dip in form and it provided them with a timely boost.

The players know the current coach, Valdas Ivanauskas, is closer to Vladimir Romanov than George Burley or Rix so his appointment has probably helped keep them on their toes.

But to give Rangers credit it is amazing that despite under-performing for large spells of the season they have actually got so close to Hearts and made such a decent fist of the race for second place.

Taken from the Daily Record