HEARTS moved 12 points clear at the top of the SPFL Championship on Tuesday night with a 2-0 win over Cowdenbeath at Central Park.

I think that is far to large a gap for Rangers to claw back.

I think their chances of winning the second tier title have gone.

The Tynecastle club, who are undefeated in the league this season, have to lose four or more games to slip up.

Their Ibrox rivals, too, have to win all of their remaining games. I just can't see it happening. Rangers have to look at the play-offs as the means of winning promotion this season.

So the game against Hibs at Easter Road on Saturday is massive for new boss Kenny McDowall and his team.

It will not be easy. Hibs have been the best team I have seen at Ibrox this season.

They were very impressive in the opening game of the 2014/15 campaign - a Petrofac Training Cup match that Rangers needed extra-time to win.

And Alan Stubbs' side was also outstanding in their 3-1 triumph in Glasgow in the Championship back in September.

They should blinding pace, fine creativity and great goal scoring ability. I haven't seen the capital club play as well as they did in either of those games in their other outings this term.

But that is so often the case when teams play Rangers. They raise their games and then the following week their standards drop noticeably.

Kenny will have to get the team fired up to ensure they win this game and go on and secure a play-off spot comfortably. And, by the way, I don't want to hear any players saying: "We want to win the league/win promotion for Ally."

They had the chance to do that when he was manage - and they failed miserably!

Players get managers the sack. And that is what happened in this instance.

So, please, no talking. Just go out and do it on the park.

As we saw in the game against Queen of the South at Palmerston Park a couple of weeks ago, there are no easy games in the Championship.

Rangers don't strike fear into their opponents the way they used to.

It is not as if they have 11 fantastic players producing stunning football.

There are a lot of games, both at home and away, where Rangers can slip up and drop points.

Their players have to be completely focused on doing well in all of them and making sure they finish in the top four.

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