The Old Firm rivalry between Celtic and Rangers is the greatest derby in world football.
That’s according to SPL legend Kenny Miller who, speaking exclusively to BoyleSports, revealed what makes the Old Firm so special.
With the season reaching its climax, and us being treated to 2 Old Firms in 2 weeks including a potential league decider plus the Scottish Cup Final, there promises to be fireworks in the latest instalments of Glasgow’s great derby.
Miller, who played for both Rangers and Celtic in his career, has previewed the big clashes and weighed in on where he expects the games to be won and lost.
The Old Firm Is The Greatest Derby In The World
There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that the Old Firm is the best derby game in the world.
When you hear the likes of Steven Gerrard, who has done everything in the game, speak about it then you get a sense. I spoke to Kolo Toure as well, who has done North London, Manchester and Liverpool - he said it just didn’t compare.
When I look at those guys, who have done it all, say it’s the greatest you get an idea. The fact that it’s the two most successful teams in the country, just miles apart and fighting for everything - you will see in the next few weeks just what it means.
We have a potential league decider and a cup final in the next couple of weeks, for me there is nothing like it.
*Celtic are 1/7 favourites to win the Scottish Premier League per the latest SPL odds at BoyleSports.
Celtic v Rangers – Old Firm Preview
The one thing you get at this time of season is that the situation you find yourself in is really clear and Rangers will need to go there and win, it’s as simple as that.
Then, it’s about the manager doing his preparation and following that it’s about picking the right team, then, it’s about the guys actually performing on the day.
That’s important because over the previous three games, Celtic have won two and drawn one - the last being that 3-3 at Ibrox.
In the last two since Phillippe Clement has been in the opposite dugout, they have gone 2-0 up in both and actually looked really comfortable in both of those games. Firstly, at Celtic Park, which finished 2-1 and then the 3-3.
When you take that into account, you will be thinking that Rangers will need to start well and get going like they finished the last two Old Firm games.
It’s a lot easier said than done, but going in there from a Rangers perspective they will need to win. They know they can’t afford to be giving Celtic another two-goal lead like they have done recently.
If they have any hope of winning the league, they now have to win at Celtic Park.
Looking Ahead To Old Firm Scottish Cup Final
Celtic definitely have the edge mentally, Brendan Rodgers’ record in this fixture is sensational. They’ve been over the course and distance before and he’s got the trophies to back it up.
For Phillippe Clement, he’s been successful in his own right as a manager but not yet in this particular fixture against Celtic. He’s made a great start to the job in the past seven months, but there has been a recent drop off.
He has barely put a foot wrong until the past month, where we’ve seen a real drop-off in performances as a team but also from the individuals within that team as well.
Whoever does go on to win the league, next week’s Old Firm will have a massive bearing. Celtic need to win at home to secure the title, but in three games against Clement, Rodgers has failed to get his team over the line.
Whoever wins next week will think that they have the edge going into the Scottish Cup final, but I imagine Celtic will be in a better place.
Brendan Rogers Old Firm Record
Brendan’s record in the Old Firm is incredible, and he’s got the trophies to back it up, but he will still be really eager to get that first trophy since being back in the next couple of weeks.
There is so much that feeds into those final five games, but at the moment there is no doubt that Celtic have gained the edge with Rangers’ dropped points - they have a huge advantage. They will also have home advantage with the added bonus of no away fans.
For Rangers to go to Celtic Park, where they have a poor record in recent years to play an Old Firm Derby where they also have a poor record will be a real ask.
This is particularly true when not having any of their own fans in the stadium, who would give them energy to go the extra mile.
*Celtic are the 8/11 favourites ahead of the Scottish Cup Final while Rangers are Evens to lift the cup according to the latest football odds at BoyleSports.
Fabio Silva’s Struggles In Front of Goal
When you look at Fabio Silva, there’s been moments where he’s shown quality but the consistency has not been there. With him, the thing that everyone points to is the £35 million Wolves paid.
That price tag is not decided by the player, so for people to use it against him to heap pressure on is probably unfair.
He’s found it tough in his first few months at the club. When he came in, Phillippe Clement said he would be going up against Cyriel Dessers to be the main centre forward, but it has become quickly evident that he’s not a traditional number nine.
When he played off the left against Benfica in Europe, people were saying he had found his position and he could have a big say until the end of the season. He’s not really kicked on from that performance.
Silva's Best Position Still Up In The Air
He’s only 21, and doesn’t have a great deal of games under his belt. Firstly, he’s still trying to find out his best position, whether that’s off the left or through the middle as a striker.
He could also be a number 10, or second striker and play that role. There’s still a lot of work to do in terms of what kind of player he is, as he’s still finding his feet as a footballer.
Sometimes, certain roles at clubs are not the right fit and it can be for a number of reasons. This could be positionally, or a club element where the pressure of playing for Rangers is so high compared to other clubs.
For a young player it might not be for him, consistency has been a real problem and he has been played in a number of positions so far. Initially he looked very happy, enjoying life, but in the past few games he has cut a frustrated figure.
When he’s getting substituted, you can see that there’s a real frustration and disappointment in him.
But now, we’re getting to the point where there’s five games to go with a Scottish Cup on the horizon and four key league games to go.
Pressure is mounting and there’s no place like it - two teams in one city and it’s all culminating into one final run of games. It’ll be a really exciting end to the season, still, with five games left including two Old Firm games.
It’ll be interesting to see at the end of the season what happens with Fabio Silva, but at the moment I wouldn’t expect him to be a Rangers player next year.
Adam Idah’s Impact At Celtic
I think Norwich will still go on and make the play-offs, and if they end up in the Premier League you would have to say that there’s been no mistake there. However, if they fall short, it will be seen as a mistake.
He’s come in behind Kyogo, who has not been firing to his maximum level, and what he’s managed to do is score a goal every other game.
I think he has added something, bringing pace and power up top. You can go back to that last Old Firm game at Ibrox, where Rangers changed to high-line to chase the game, then Idah came on for Kyogo to be a more physical presence.
There’s no doubt that a player who plays the way he does, with the attributes he has, is always going to be a handful and he has displayed that since arriving at Celtic.
He may not have been first choice, but he has had to compete with Kyogo, who is without a doubt first-choice after the impact he’s made in two years at Celtic. On the big occasions, he has been the go-to guy, be it Old Firm games, Cup finals etc.
Any time Idah has started ahead of him, he’s always been under more pressure to perform because of the fact he is replacing Kyogo.
I think he has done pretty well since coming in, and I think Celtic would look to retain him if the price was right. However, I think it may end up being just too much money for them - especially if he’s still viewed as second-choice behind Kyogo.
Pressure of Old Firm On Young Players Like Fabio Silva
Everyone has their own process, their own way of preparing themselves for a big game. First, you have to work through the team prep, but individually it can take time to get used to how to get ready.
My best time in this game was when I returned to Rangers in 2008, at the age of 28 - I was a more experienced player. I knew exactly what I was, I knew my role and I knew what I needed to do to have an impact on the game.
That doesn’t mean to say you can’t have that as a younger player, but you have to be fully focussed and concentrated on what you actually want, then go to carry out your role.
That’s partly down to the manager, giving you information about what he expects from you, but also other players. For me, that’s something which Phillippe Clement has been really clear on so far since he’s come through the door.
There’s been a clear way in which Rangers have wanted to play, there’s been a clear message and that’s been constantly driven home. For a young player like Fabio Silva, I think he’ll just be hoping that he’s in the team.
Rangers Poor Form
Over the past five or six games, Rangers, not just Fabio, have not been playing particularly well.
Phillippe has got a job on his hands to actually work out what is the strongest team, and what players are going to be best suited to start the game. Also, what has he got on his bench to make an impact, there’s no doubt that will be needed.
Fabio’s first job will just be hoping that he’s in the team, once he gets in he’ll be looking at the last Old Firm game. There was lots of play-acting, rolling around and I know lots of Rangers fans weren’t too happy with that behaviour.
You’ve got to stand up and be counted, show mental toughness as well as physical to make a difference in this game. None of the play-acting, trying to get players booked - there’s going to be blood and thunder, it’ll be hectic and you have to show you can deal with that.
Maybe he doesn’t understand this fixture, his own fans were saying that they don’t want to be seeing that. Even for the penalty, there was an element of a dive, it was clear contact but you could see that there was an element of him angling for it.
That said, him winning that penalty was the turning point of the game, making an impact and bothering the Celtic defence. Fans want to see that, and less rolling about in the middle of the pitch.
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