Brian Laudrup knows a thing or two about what it takes to win a league title, the man whose goal secured 9-in-a-row collected more than his fair share of silverware in a long and successful career.
The great Dane has had his say on the current Scottish Premiership title race with this weekend’s Old Firm derby likely to be a decisive factor in where the trophy ends up and despite the last meeting between the two teams being a one sided affair, Laudrup has identified why it will be a different story at Ibrox as written in his Daily Mail column, via Football Scotland:
“Alfredo Morelos, Ryan Jack and Leon Balogun. None of those players started the 3-0 loss at Celtic Park on February 2.
“With varying degrees of importance, having them back could make a world of difference to how Rangers deal with this derby. And to their prospects of retaining the Premiership title.
“The pressure is well and truly on now. Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side have to win. If they lose, and go six points behind with six games to play, it’s pretty much game over in my view.
“But Rangers have what it takes to turn the tide. I firmly believe that. And they will ask Celtic a whole other set of questions if they can call upon that aforementioned trio of players at the end of this international break.”
Laudrup is right. Not only did the players that Giovanni van Bronckhorst send out at Parkhead underperform but he has since made changes to his team on the back of that game, that we have lost just once since – unluckily against Red Star Belgrade – suggests that we are on the right tracks.
Unfortunately, he is also right about the importance of the result for Rangers, Celtic’s superior goal difference means that, if we lose, we need them to drop points in three of their last six games and we would have to win all of ours including the last derby at Parkhead, not impossible but a big ask nonetheless.
It’s one of the biggest derbies in years but in the big games, you need your big players and Rangers will have theirs back, let’s hope they get the job done.