Rangers have one win in last 12 meetings with Celtic
Saturday 1 September 2018 12:19, UK
Celtic host Rangers live on Sky Sports Football on Sunday. Our reporter Charles Paterson previews the match - and explains why both sides are in real need of an Old Firm victory...
The last time Rangers faced Celtic, on April 29 this year, Steven Gerrard was still contemplating taking over as manager at Ibrox. That he accepted the challenge and was not put off by the result that day - a comprehensive 5-0 win for Celtic, their biggest ever league victory in this fixture - speaks volumes for his self-belief in changing the dynamic in Glasgow.
On Sunday, Gerrard will get his first indication as to whether his Rangers team can match the Scottish champions. The subplot of him going up against his former Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers is intriguing enough; the bigger question is whether the first Old Firm game of the 2018-19 campaign will set the tone for a fascinating title race.
In recent seasons, this fixture has been a rivalry in name only. For Rangers, the stats make grim reading - just one win in the last twelve meetings, and that on penalties at Hampden Park; twelve goals conceded in the last three games, with only two scored; just two goals scored at Celtic Park in seven years; no league win over Celtic since 2012.
Since Brendan Rodgers' arrival, Celtic have won by a four-goal margin on three occasions, as well as that five-goal demolition in April. Their dominance has been overwhelming, and for Rangers, utterly chastening.
However, the mood at Ibrox has changed, along with the personnel. Of those Rangers players who experienced humiliation in the spring, only captain James Tavernier and Alfredo Morelos are likely to start on Sunday.
Gerrard has conducted a full-scale overhaul, removing those scarred by past failures. He's added youth in Ovie Ejaria, Ryan Kent and Nikola Katic, solidity in Connor Goldson, Ryan Jack and Scott Arfield, and, perhaps crucially, experience in Allan McGregor and Kyle Lafferty.
Among those who will feature in blue on Sunday, McGregor and Lafferty are perhaps the most vital to Gerrard. The goalkeeper and striker give Rangers a winning mentality and edge that's largely been missing since Walter Smith was at the helm. They are alone in having been to Celtic Park and emerged victorious. Those making their debut in the fixture have two battle-scarred team-mates to whom they can turn for advice.
An 11-match unbeaten run has created positive momentum, as Rangers have established an identity in the style of their manager. Six clean sheets point to a team that's become stingy, and don't look like being bullied in a battle. Gerrard would perhaps look at Sunday's 3-3 draw with Motherwell as an aberration rather than a sign of weaknesses at the back, though it is clear improvement is still required. In every department, Rangers look stronger than last season.
Another reason for Rangers to be optimistic is the sluggishness of Celtic. The champions have won two of their opening three league games, but they've been nowhere near their best. A lack of fluency was clear to see in Sunday's win over Hamilton, and Rodgers rightly pointed out his team haven't yet reached their peak.
As much as injuries have been a disruption, the Champions League exit to AEK Athens, defensive frailties and off-field rumblings of discontent between Rodgers and the board over recruitment have created an air of disquiet. Celtic appear to be regressing; cracks are appearing in a previously unblemished environment.
The uncertainty over Dedryck Boyata's future has added to Rodgers' frustrations. Arguably Celtic's best central defender - which in itself suggests a lack of forward thinking - his refusal to play in Athens has alienated some supporters, and there was a protest at his inclusion on Sunday against Hamilton.
That he scored the winner was perhaps inevitable; if he does so again against Rangers, his redemption will surely be complete, but doubts remain as to whether Boyata will still even be at the club on Sunday.
What Celtic can draw on is the sense of invincibility they've experienced in recent Old Firm games. Rodgers has talked repeatedly about the big-game mentality that drove his squad to two successive trebles.
While Rangers have just two or three players with happy memories of this fixture, Celtic's entire team knows what it's like to win on derby day. With a Europa League play-off followed by an Old Firm showdown in the space of four days, now is the time for Celtic's big players to start producing the goods.
Last week Gerrard suggested Rangers could lose all four league meetings with Celtic and still win the title. Realistically, this appears virtually impossible, due to competitiveness elsewhere in the league.
Hearts, Aberdeen and Motherwell have already taken points from the Old Firm. Neil Lennon's vibrant Hibernian haven't faced either side yet. An Old Firm defeat would leave Rangers trailing Celtic by four points, a deficit that even this early would be awkward to deal with.
Despite him suggesting otherwise, a long trip home from Russia on Thursday night won't help Gerrard's preparations. Europa League qualification is a priority, but creates a complication he could do without.
His Rangers rebuild is still a work in progress; beating Celtic would inject belief in a credible title challenge, but a loss would be his first managerial setback.
The pressure and problems in the first months of the season have been with Rodgers, but his team carry precious experience and know-how into Sunday's clash. Victory would see the storm clouds around Celtic Park dissipate - for now.
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