Kris Boyd awestruck by ‘Excellent’ Rangers, praises ‘big impact’ Bears star v Hamilton
Kris Boyd has been blown away by Rangers this season for their ‘excellent’ displays both in the Europa League and in Scotland.
The Sky Sports pundit believes that their reaction after playing in Europe has been the major difference this season.
Steven Gerrard’s side struggled in the last campaign but bounced back perfectly on Sunday after the 3-3 draw with Benfica.
Boyd was particularly impressed with Jermain Defoe in the 8-0 win against Hamilton, despite the veteran forward not scoring at Ibrox.
“Their performances this season, especially after coming back from Europe, have improved,” he told Sky Sports.
“It’s been a totally different team, as Steven Gerrard has so much confidence in his players. Even with players like Jermain Defoe not scoring, they’re still having a big impact on the game.
“Defensively, they’re aggressive from the front playing high up the pitch. A lot of the goals against Hamilton were caused by pressing. They’ve been excellent so far this season.”
Defoe had limited chances last season, and despite the competition being stronger in this campaign, he has started twice in as many weeks.
The 38-year-old delivered a single assist in the eight-goal win, but he played a part in most of the goals with his link-up play.
Gerrard claimed that Defoe was trying too hard to score in the win and that he was “desperate” to find the back of the net – it was clear to see.
With Cedric Itten having started on the bench, it appears that Defoe is ahead of the Swiss international in the pecking order and after yesterday’s performance, it is going to stay that way.
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