BIG MATCH PREVIEW
FEATURING SUTTON, KENT, ELYOUNOUSSI & MILLER
THROUGHOUT its long history, the Old Firm clash has been called a derby like no other.
At lunchtime today, it really will live up to its billing.
When Rangers stride on to Celtic Park at High Noon, their players won’t be met by an avalanche of abuse tumbling down from the stands that usually hold more than 59,000 home supporters willing them to wilt in the furnace of an Old Firm shoot-out.
Nor will they hear the defiance coming from 800 of their own fans, shoehorned into a corner to the right of the tunnel, determined to make their voices heard despite the din all around them.
Then there’s the colour ... the sea of green and white rolling round the stadium, interrupted only by the splash of blue, red and white in that same corner.
All of that will be missing. It will be a new experience for the Old Firm but Ryan Kent, for one, can’t wait to sample it.
The former Liverpool kid has had his moments at Celtic Park.
Two goals, one of them in a win, the other in a defeat – that one on the same day as he hooked Scott Brown and was retrospectively banned for his trouble.
All those incidents played out against the backdrop of bedlam that always accompanies this fixture. Whether it’s 60,000 at Parkhead or 50,000 at Ibrox, when Rangers and Celtic meet the players can’t hear themselves think, let alone what they’ve got to say.
Which is why today’s clash is going to be unique, with the thud of every tackle echoing around the cavernous confines of Celtic’s stadium, the shouts of the players picked up by Sky’s microphones and the instructions from the dugouts bellowed loud and clear.
Kent knows football without fans is a whole lot less exciting than it should be but the Rangers attacker is just grateful to be playing. And despite the lack of vocal backing from the stands, he believes the effort, desire and motivation to win won’t be diluted.
The Englishman said: “It’s going to be different from what it’s been before. The fans make this fixture – it’s why it’s one of the biggest derbies in the world.
“But despite the fans not being there, I expect the intensity and the aggressiveness in the game to still be there.”
Rangers’ build-up to the match has been relatively trouble-free in comparison to their hosts, who have been hit by Covid-related issues involving Israel duo Nir Bitton and Hatem Abd Elhamed, as well Odsonne Edouard and Ryan Christie. But Kent, whose five goals and influence on matches made him Premiership Player of the Month in September, is adamant all outside factors will be forgotten the moment John Beaton’s first whistle gets the game underway.
He said: “It’s just this game, you want to feel the way the fans are feeling. You want to share the love for the game the fans have.
“This fixture is special up here and that’s passed on to the players. When you step out onto the pitch
in these games, you can feel that buzz, that excitement and you want to put on the best performance you can and get the result.”
The 23- year- old has been Steven Gerrard’s main attacking threat this season, justifying the £7million outlay required to make permanent his loan move from Liverpool. And he is thriving on the responsibility.
Kent said: “In terms of my output, in terms of numbers (goals and assists) it’s the best position I’ve been in since I’ve been at Rangers. I’m hoping to make a good impact on the game, get myself on the scoresheet or make a good impact for the team.
“Even if I’m not having a good game, I always feel confident. That’s just the way I have to be and it’s how I approach the game because if I’m not confident then I’m not going to affect the game.
“I might lose the ball five or six times on the bounce but there might be one occasion where I do get success in the game and that’s when I can affect it. I’ll find the pockets that I need to get on the ball and hopefully be effective.”
The Oldham-born attacker insists Celtic’s concerns over the availability of players due to Covid issues has not been discussed at the Rangers Training Centre but he is adamant it makes no difference to how his team will approach the game.
He said: “It doesn’t change our gameplan or how we will go into the game. We will still approach it with the same mentality, as though we are up against the best team we can be up against.
In this fixture, it’s whoever turns up on the day. We’re confident on our side RYAN KENT
“There’s probably pressure on both teams. Their fans want them to go on and achieve that and our fans expect us to stop it.
“So there’s pressure on both sides. In this fixture, it is whoever turns up on the day and with the success we’ve had there before, we can go there and hopefully get the job done. We’re confident on our side.”