THE HURTLOCKER
Bhoys have got the artillery to cause Blues serious pain.. that’s key to glory
WHEN you’re chasing titles you need players you can hang your hat on to score goals and win you games.
And right now there’s far more of those in green and white than royal blue.
Celtic are at home, the stadium will be packed with their own supporters, and I just can’t see past Brendan Rodgers’ side securing the win that will all but wrap up a third successive Premiership crown.
They’re really starting to click into gear and unfortunately for me it was Hearts that were in the firing line last weekend in a performance that was as good as I’ve seen from Celtic this season. If their attacking players turn up then they’ll be too much for Rangers.
Kyogo Furuhashi looks like he has his confidence back and always seems to come alive in the Old Firm.
No matter if you think he’s not had the best of seasons, you know he has the quality to absolutely light up the occasion.
He can score goals out of nothing like he did in the last derby at Parkhead.
Matt O’Riley is the exact same. He can change the game with an exquisite pass in behind, like for the second goal against Hearts last week, or a piece of magic in the box.
Rangers don’t have that right now. They don’t have someone in the final third who will produce the goods to change a game. Todd Cantwell does okay but he’s a creator, not a scorer.
The only one that can provide something out of nothing is James Tavernier and that’s bonkers given that he’s a right back.
I have to admit I find it hard watching Rangers at the moment.
You never know what you’re going to get. They can be good but they can also be stinking.
I watched their win over Kilmarnock on Sunday and until the sending off the Ayrshire men were the better team.
Rangers looked like rabbits caught in the headlights for a spell – just like they did against Ross County and Dundee.
I’d imagine Celtic training will be absolutely flying this week.
They’ve come off one of their best performances of the season and are within touching distance of the title.
Don’t get me wrong, they haven’t matched the levels of last season.
Everything clicked going forward for them then, whereas it’s been a bit more disjointed in spells in this campaign.
But it’s now coming together at just the right time.
Again, they’ve got players that can hurt teams.
James Forrest’s burst of form for the Hoops is another indicator of things coming together at Parkhead.
He’s been there, done it and got the T-shirt so many times now.
I played with James’ wee brother Alan at Ayr and I’m so happy to see a Scottish boy having so much success at an Old Firm club having been there his whole career.
People have written him off at various stages, the injuries he’s had, but what a servant he’s been.
He’s come back and his displays in recent weeks have been outstanding.
So he’s another that could make the difference.
When you are playing with confidence then, genuinely, you feel like you can do anything.
Again, I don’t think Rangers have that confidence just now.
It’s right through the spine of the team and again in defence Celtic seem in better shape at this moment. John Souttar has done well for Philippe Clement but the rest have chopped a n d changed and now that Leon Balogun is injured it looks like Ben Davies will be thrown in from the start having only played once – last week – since before Christmas.
That’s far from ideal going into an Old Firm game that’s basically a title showdown.
On a positive note, Rangers simply have to win and you never know what’s going to happen when an Old Firm game kicks off. They need to attack it with the handbrake off. When Clement first came in I saw them cause teams trouble playing balls into the channels and getting players running in behind.
Rangers need to be on the front foot, play in Celtic’s half, turn them and constantly ask some questions of them. That’s when they’re at their best.
But even then it may well not be enough on the day.
I just can’t see past Rodgers’ side securing the win that will all but wrap up the title