Kris Boyd grills big Rangers stars on Sky Sports for ‘not turning up’ when Celtic players have
Former Rangers striker Kris Boyd has levelled criticism at his former club, claiming they do not have enough top players turning up who can be relied upon compared to Celtic on Sky Sports.
Celtic stretched their lead atop the Scottish Premiership to six points on Saturday with a 3-0 win over Hearts at Celtic Park.
However, the Gers went and halved the gap back to three points with a 4-1 win over Kilmarnock on Sunday, 5 May.
Boyd told Sky Sports on Sunday ahead of Rangers’ crucial win at Ibrox: “Matt O’Riley was off it for a bit, but he was excellent yesterday. Kyogo with a double. Rangers’ big players aren’t always turning up here.
“You’re looking at Rangers right now and your right-back [James Tavernier] is still your main man for goals and creating goals.
“What has Fabio Silva done since he’s come in? Todd Cantwell… you’ve seen in flashes.”
Tavernier, Silva and Cantwell have all been named in the starting XI for the Killie clash.
Can Rangers’ star men step up?
Boyd’s claim about Tavernier leading by example has been the case for many years at Ibrox – the right-back has become an icon of Scottish football.
Tavernier has 17 goals and nine assists to his name this season, and whilst many will point at his penalty record as a helping hand, the pressure moments in which he has delivered – not just this season – have given Gers fans some unforgettable memories.
Cyriel Dessers and Abdallah Sima have each hit double figures in the league, whilst Jack Butland has shown himself to be the most reliable goalkeeper in the Scottish top flight, attracting interest from English clubs.
Nine goal contributions from Cantwell in 27 games backs up Boyd’s point about ‘flashes’ of very evident ability, whilst youngster Silva has scored twice with no assists in 14 games.
By contrast, Celtic’s Matt O’Riley has scored 14 times with 12 assists so far this season, bringing a crucial fluidity and end product to their style of play under Brendan Rodgers.
In other Rangers news, Derek Ferguson says the club have no chance of the title this season.
For more Rangers news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.