Kris Boyd makes ‘finished’ Rangers claim ahead of mammoth Old Firm showdown vs Celtic
Kris Boyd has ramped up the pressure for Sunday’s Old Firm as he has outlined the difficulties the losing side could face in the aftermath.
The Gers come into the game at Ibrox having faced a blip in their push in the Scottish Premiership title race. The 2-2 draw against Livingston was quite the blow to their hopes.
Opponents Celtic also slipped up, as they lost 2-1 to Hibernian. It now means the Old Firm is a must-win for either side to maintain pace with league leaders Hearts.
And former Rangers striker Boyd believes that a defeat for either side on Sunday will ultimately end their title hopes.
What did Kris Boyd say about Rangers in the Old Firm?
Boyd has plenty of experience in title races for Rangers, and the 42-year-old has further stressed the importance of winning on Sunday.
The 133-goal Gers legend believes that whoever loses will essentially be “finished” in the race for the league title, putting immense pressure on Rangers and Danny Rohl to get the job done.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Boyd said: “It is a huge game at Ibrox. For me whoever loses it is finished. It will be very difficult to come back from it.
“Not only that, I would imagine the fallout and the pressures to bounce back from an Old Firm defeat when it gets to these crucial stages.”
Rangers will come into the game with a little more confidence, having beaten Celtic 3-1 back at the start of January, thanks to a Youssouf Chermiti hat-trick.
Rohl will be looking towards the Portuguese forward, who has been an incredible asset against their fellow title rivals this season.
However, their bitter rivals have Martin O’Neill at the helm once again, who coached Celtic to knock out Rangers of the Scottish League Cup earlier in the season.
It is certainly building up to be an extremely important Old Firm, and it may come down to the decisions made in the dugout.
- Read more: Ryan Naderi will be involved in his first Old Firm – find out why Rohl should start the new arrival
Why Danny Rohl must show experience beyond his years vs Celtic
When it comes to the managerial battle, O’Neill holds all the cards, and Rohl will need to step up in a big way.
The Northern Irishman has won eight of his last 10 league games against Rangers, showing his experience in pushing his side to win these big fixtures.
- O’Neill’s last loss against Rangers came in the 2004-2005 season as the Gers won 2-0 at Celtic Park
Rohl, while already proving himself at Ibrox this season, does not hold the same wealth of experience and must get his decision-making spot on.
Going toe-to-toe against a manager who knows how to get one over Rangers will not be an easy task, but if the German wants to lift league title number 56, he must not allow the occasion to get to him.
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