Scottish Cup: Kilmarnock boss Allan Johnston fears Rangers' Kris Boyd
Wednesday 3 December 2014 19:07, UK
Kilmarnock boss Allan Johnston insists Kris Boyd remains Rangers' danger man, despite his below-par start to the season.
Boyd has netted eight goals since leaving Killie in the summer to return to Ibrox for the second time.
But just two of those strikes have come in the Championship, a far cry from the 22 goals he scored for Kilmarnock last season.
The Premiership's record scorer was dropped for last week's 2-0 defeat to Hearts but Johnston is worried he will be back for Sunday's William Hill Scottish Cup fourth-round clash.
He said: "We will have to pay close attention to Kris. I was at a game he was playing in a couple of weeks ago and he was still making those great runs.
"His movement off the ball is great but he was unfortunate not to score.
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"We know the qualities he has and we need to make sure we are switched on to that at all times.
"Maybe he is getting a lot of criticism but at the end of the day, his job is to put the ball in the back of the net and he has done that.
"I reckon a lot of the criticism he has been getting is unfair.”
Johnston’s big break in management came when he masterminded Queen of the South's Challenge Cup quarter-final win over the Light Blues two years ago.
Like Sunday's encounter, Queens were a division higher than the then Third Division Ibrox side.
And the Rugby Park boss does not believe there is much between his top-flight side and their Championship opponents.
He said: "I don't think there is a favourite going into the game.
“It's Scottish Cup tie and both teams have got to go and try to win it.
"Rangers have got a massive playing squad and bigger budget compared to us but I don't think there is much between the teams.
"Man for man, we are just as good as them. But only if we play to our potential.”
