Kent can still strike fear into Celtic hearts
IF you’d asked me just three or four weeks ago, I would have predicted Celtic being far behind Rangers in terms of readiness at this point of the season.
Steven Gerrard added a couple of players in the summer and didn’t lose anyone of real significance. There wasn’t any doubt about his own future. Things were settled.
Across the city, the Celtic board faced huge criticism for how long it took to get a new manager over the line. Then, when Ange Postecoglou was finally appointed, they were quite late into the transfer market. You looked at the situation overall and thought everything was in Rangers’ favour.
Now, though, there are clear signs of Celtic getting to grips with how Postecoglou wants them to play. Some of their signings have clicked almost instantly.
While better going forward against Ross County on Sunday, Rangers are still not firing on all cylinders. Important players are searching for past form. Their defensive foundations have wobbled a little.
If you look at it from the outside — not as a fan of either club — you would say Celtic definitely look the more prepared side ahead of Sunday’s first Old Firm game. Not the better side in terms of overall quality, that’s a different issue altogether, but a more settled one in terms of knowing exactly how they want to play and being able to achieve that.
Postecoglou has implemented his ideas very quickly. Another six goals were scored on Saturday. Yes, it was against a St Mirren team reduced to ten men but it again showed how positive they want to be. I think it must be of some concern at Ibrox.
This is a different challenge for Rangers as the reigning champions. And one they have to rise to. So far this term, the balance of their team is not quite what it was.
Last season, they were incredibly well engineered defensively. This week would be the perfect time to rediscover that kind of form.
There are a lot of different little things that can affect that balance. The personnel in defence has often changed in recent weeks as Gerrard has sought a reaction, although I think the introduction of Calvin Bassey has largely been a positive at left-back.
Collectively, there have been too many silly fouls and mistakes which have made the team not as solid as we saw before.
Then there is the situation with Ryan Kent. Anyone who has read this column will know I’m a huge fan. When fully firing, he adds a totally different dimension to Rangers.
That’s not been the case yet, with Gerrard pledging to support him through this dip in form.
Kent is an all-or-nothing player. I can remember from my own career how it feels if you start a game well. You ghost past a couple of challenges and think you have the world at your feet.
If you start a match slowly, you can try to almost force the quality through your play. But if you are not 100 per cent in form — mentally as much as anything — that becomes a problem because in the next game you force it even more.
At times we have seen that with Kent, because confidence seems such a huge part of his game. His decision-making has suffered.
I think the best answer is to go back to basics. I’m sure that’s what the management team will have emphasised. Kent was better against Ross County if still not at his peak. It’s about building back to one good performance.
Freshness will influence selection decisions on Sunday, given that both teams play Europa League play-off second legs on Thursday night. Celtic are facing a stronger opponent but Rangers have to cope with a 5,000-mile round trip.
Some big calls might have to be made. In my view, though, just seeing Kent’s name on the team-sheet will cause Celtic some concern.
Despite his recent issues, they will know what Kent has done against them in the past. He’s got a strong track record in this fixture.
We’ll discover in time if the same will be said of Kyogo Furuhashi. But the signs are hugely encouraging from a Celtic perspective. In fact, I’d go as far as saying it’s great for Scottish football to have someone of his quality in the game.
Furuhashi can finish off with his right and left foot but it’s his exceptional awareness that sets him apart. His runs in behind a defence are almost perfect. Plus, he has such a sure first touch.
I think he epitomises the way Postecoglou wants to play. He is constantly on the move and is the first point of the press. He can create and score chances. If he can keep away from injuries and improve further through this experience, he could easily play in any of the major leagues in Europe.
Limiting his influence will be essential for the Ibrox defence on Sunday. It’s a massive week for both clubs but especially so for Rangers, I feel, as they look to settle themselves back into a positive rhythm.
I’m convinced Gerrard will, in time, find those little missing pieces to restore his side to peak performance. The question is whether it can happen over the coming six days.