Rangers boss feels for Deila
MARK WARBURTON last night expressed sympathy for the predicament of Ronny Deila — and admitted he is perplexed about the criticism that has flown the way of his Old Firm managerial rival. The Rangers boss is seeking to lift three trophies in his first season at Ibrox with the Scottish Cup, Petrofac Training Cup and Championship title now within his side’s grasp. In order to win the former, Rangers must first see off bitter rivals Celtic next month with the semi-final also being billed as Deila’s last chance of salvation. The Norwegian’s side still have a four-point lead at the top of the Premiership table but an abject European campaign and a defeat in the League Cup semi-final to Ross County has called his suitability for the post into question. Despite being immersed in Glasgow’s intense football culture for eight months, Warburton
believes the man he will go head-to-head with at Hampden next month has been unfairly criticised. ‘I feel some sympathy for him but I think you know when you join a club like Celtic or Rangers, you know what you are putting yourself up for,’ the Rangers manager told TalkSPORT. ‘I thought London was a football city and then you come to Glasgow and really they live and die for their football. ‘There’s 14-15 pages every day in the papers, there are radio shows every evening, and it’s scrutiny beyond belief. The fans phone in and it fuels the fire. ‘So, he’s top of the league. They had a difficult European campaign, OK, but what more can he do?’ Warburton attempted to focus his players on their league game against Morton on Friday night immediately after Sunday’s draw, but he is well aware of the importance of the derby. ‘I was at Belfast Airport, I had been to see a player,’ he explained. ‘I heard the draw and turned my phone off to get on a 30-minute flight and I had 27 missed calls by the time I landed. That gives you a clue as to what it is. ‘It’s a fantastic draw and it is a challenge to test ourselves. It’s a game at the national stadium and there will be a 50,000 sell-out and we look forward to it. ‘There is no doubt we will go into the game well prepared and ready for the challenge but, between now and then, we have some very important league games and the week before we have the Petrofac Cup Final.’ Meanwhile, Kris Boyd has predicted significant changes at Celtic this summer — irrespective of the outcome of the semi-final. The Kilmarnock striker believes that the abject
season Celtic fans have endured means the damage cannot be repaired no matter what transpires when the clubs lock horns at Hampden next month. ‘I don’t think a game against Rangers will change much for Celtic,’ said Boyd. ‘There will be an overhaul in the summer. ‘That is glaring to see. It is going to happen because you cannot sustain that number of players for a long time. ‘Whether it is players leaving or there is an overhaul of the management staff… it can’t continue the way it is with the amount of players they have brought in. ‘With the crowds the way they are at Celtic Park, I can’t see one game changing the whole picture there. ‘It might paper over the cracks for a couple of weeks, but the same problems are still going to be there.’ Boyd anticipates a far closer match than the League Cup semi-final of 13 months ago and feels that Rangers’ slim-line squad could prove hugely significant. ‘The Rangers players are turning up knowing who’s going to play because they’ve got the tight-knit unit which can go a long way,’ he said. ‘Celtic must have about 100 players sitting in there. For a long time, it seems like they’ve been saving them up.’ Former Parkhead forward Scott McDonald takes a different stance to Boyd, believing the tie provides a chance for Deila and his players to recapture some standing with a strong finish to the campaign. ‘It gives the manager the chance to be a hero again,’ he said. ‘This game can change opinions but I think Ronny and his players will be concentrating on getting their league form right first — and this tie will help motivate the players and make sure that their heads are right.’