OLD FIRM SPECIAL
SAYS WES FODERINGHAM
BELIEF can be a fragile thing. Especially for a side as inconsistent as Rangers have been this season.
Without it, however, their hopes of emerging unscathed from Celtic Park will disappear altogether.
Wes Foderingham recognises the fact. A veteran of the ecstatic penalty shoot-out victory over their city rivals in the 2016 Scottish Cup semi-final, the goalkeeper has played in six of the seven subsequent Old Firm games that have delivered precious little reward but plentiful pain.
A 1-1 draw at Parkhead in March qualifies as the solitary highlight of an otherwise sorry sequence. That last season was bookended by two 5-1 defeats explains the more regular narrative of recent derby meetings.
Foderingham, though, is adamant the Ibrox side cannot become bogged down by past failures. While aware Celtic still hold an 11-point advantage in the Premiership standings, he points to the fact they are no longer the Invincibles.
That 4-0 defeat from Hearts at Tynecastle earlier this month offered a shot of hope to the rest of Scottish football — even if Brendan Rodgers’ side have responded by reeling off three straight wins and three clean sheets.
Foderingham knows teams can be beaten before they even step out of the tunnel if their mindset is wrong. He insists Rangers must believe they have quality of their own to stand up against such a dominant foe.
‘They are a fantastic team and have shown that,’ he said of Celtic. ‘They’ve got great players, international players.
‘But we have decent players, too. It has been shown that Celtic have been beaten and dropped points. They aren’t unbeatable. I don’t think we should be going there with that mentality.
‘We must be positive, look to attack and be a bit more solid. Hopefully, we’ll get a good result.
‘Playing for this football club is a massive responsibility and the boys all realise that. We know we have to put on a performance. We’ll go there and try to win.
‘These fixtures are always different. Whatever has happened in the past against them is in the past. We will be looking to this one and focusing on getting a good performance. If we do that then, hopefully, we won’t go far wrong.’
Graeme Murty was in interim charge for the aforementioned 1-1 draw when Rangers last travelled to Parkhead.
Now in place until the end of the season, his best results since replacing Pedro Caixinha have come in the more high-profile fixtures. Away victories over Aberdeen, Hibs and Hearts have shown glimpses of what the squad can produce against strong opposition.
‘I think that has been a criticism of us in the past — that we can’t stand up and fight,’ said Foderingham. ‘We have shown we can do that this season and we need more of that against Celtic. Also more quality on the ball going forward.
‘We are a decent side. A lot of people won’t give us a chance but if we play our football, we are confident. If we stick to our game plan, start fast and try to attack a bit more than we did in the 1-1 game, then we have a chance.’
But how to go about it? Does the high-pressing strategy deployed by Hearts (against Celtic) provide an example for Rangers to follow?
‘It was a good game for them and a good result, but we are two different teams and I don’t think we can look at Hearts and say we need to do what they did,’ said Foderingham. ‘We must play our own game.’
The 26-year-old Englishman will be aware of what can happen if Rangers don’t manage to impose themselves. Conceding five goals is a gruelling experience for any goalkeeper but Foderingham claims history doesn’t make the prospect of another meeting with Celtic feel any more daunting.
‘No, I really enjoy these games,’ he insisted. ‘It is the reason why I came here — to play in these big fixtures and test myself.
‘As a goalkeeper, everyone lets in four or five now and again. The main thing is to try to limit that.
‘As a team, we need to defend better, but also attack better and not just sit back. I think we will look to attack and be a bit more solid at the back.’
Defying odds of 8/1 on an away victory would clearly be the best way to enable some optimism at Ibrox to linger through the winter break.
‘It’s the perfect fixture to be honest,’ said Foderingham. ‘The boys are all looking forward to it.
‘A win is massive. The fans are desperate for that and so are we.
‘We have been a little bit inconsistent so far this season. We have shown we can play great football in patches — and also that we can be very inconsistent as well.
‘We need to find a medium between our high and our low. To make sure we are at a minimum of six out of ten and not three. That’s the most important thing for the second half of the season.
‘Also, there is a little bit more certainty around the manager’s position now. The boys know what’s going on.
‘He has been brilliant with me. He was great even before when he stepped in on an interim basis. He is good at putting a smile on the boys’ faces and getting them full of confidence, which is a massive part of being a footballer.’