How the pundits think Celtic vs Rangers will pan out as confidence in the blue corner goes into overdrive
Philippe Clement couldn't have done much more in turning the fortunes of Rangers around since replacing Michael Beale but the Belgian has been warned he now faces the true acid test ahead of his first experience of the unique Old Firm derby.
The Light Blues trailed their rivals and last season's Treble winners Celtic by seven points after losing at Ibrox in the first clash of the Glasgow titans earlier this season. Now they are five points behind but with two games in hand ahead of Saturday's showdown in the east end of Glasgow. The Scottish Premiership title race is very much back on but Brendan Rodgers' side are still the odds-on favourites with the bookies, despite a wobble which saw them lose back to back league games in December.
Rangers have built up momentum, however, their clash with Ross County on Wednesday was postponed. Is that an advantage or a disadvantage? Will Rodgers' experience of the fixture see him edge Clement in the first meeting between the pair? There are so many questions to be answered and here Record Sport looks at what some of those who know it best have had to say.
Kenny Miller
The former striker played for both sides of the Old Firm and spoke to talkSPORT ahead of the big one
"Rangers' performances haven’t been particularly scintillating but there’s a real determination about them and they’re getting the job done. They go into it with good form but for me Celtic are still favourites, they’ve got 60,000 at their back, and they’re still clear at the top of the league.m Philippe Clement is getting more out the group. He seems to be connecting better with the players which is strange considering Michael Beale signed a lot of the players. But there’s a real togetherness. What he needed to do when he came in was get more out of the group and he's done that. He’s given the player a better feeling. Even when they fall behind - as they did against Hearts, Aberdeen and Dundee - there wasn't a panic, there was a good kind of belief they were going to get back into it and they done it. That’s why they’re on this long unbeaten run under Philippe Clement and have managed to drag themselves back into this title race because when he came in it was looking tough. Brendan Rodgers was a strong point for Celtic. You’re getting one of the best British managers - if not THE best - out there to come up to Scotland. It was a good appointment. There was always going to be opposition to him coming back given the way he left. But you’ve got a top manager and I never seen much of his fingerprints over that summer recruitment so that’s still a big thing of Celtic in January. It will be a tough day for Rangers. They’re going into it with real momentum. It’s a tough one to call. Celtic are a better team at the moment with the players they’ve got but it’s a blockbuster game and we’ve got a real title challenge on in Scotland."
Neil McCann
The ex Light Blues winger spent five years at Ibrox and shared his thoughts on BBC Sportscene
"Rangers, up until their game against Ross County was postponed on Wednesday, had brilliant momentum going into the game. They will look at it and think they’ve clawed back that huge gap that existed.
Celtic winning against Dundee on Boxing Day and Rangers not playing has allowed Celtic to get a little cushion and that might just free them up a little bit going into a Celtic Park with all home fans. And that should make Celtic favourites but this is the acid test. It’s okay going on great runs with Rangers - and Philippe Clement has been a breath of fresh air and it’s been exceptional - but this is where it really matters and this will be a powderkeg fixture for them."
Chris Sutton
"Kyogo Furuhashi was once doubted against Rangers. Those came about, of course, because Kyogo didn’t score in any of his first four Old Firm outings. Despite the fact those figures were skewed by the fact he played wide in one, came off injured after about five minutes in another and came on a sub in a third, it was hardly enough evidence for reasoned judgement. As we know, the attacker had all the answers anyway to anyone who held those doubts. The Japanese subsequently crushed such chat by providing a constant stream of high-profile responses. Now I have no doubts that Kyogo can do it again. It’s a massive match which could be played to suit him perfectly. But it’s down to Celtic to find a way to give their top gun the chance to add to his collection of memorable Old Firm moments."
Mark Hateley
The Englishman and former Ibrox marksman spoke to NewBettingSites.uk
"Now is the best time of the season to play Celtic. Rangers are coming off the back of three games, conceding no goals, and winning all three – including winning a league cup off the back of qualifying for the Europa League last 16. The fortune of Ross County being cancelled, and giving players a rest over this festive period, is a big advantage for us. Philippe Clement may be frustrated that Rangers weren’t able to play but on the flip side of it, he’s got players with niggles who have had that extra break. Players would have had recuperation time over Christmas. A lot of key Rangers players carrying knocks can fully recharge before what will be a festive classic – and it’ll be a game that Rangers will walk into with great belief."
Martin O'Neill
The Irishman and former Parkhead boss spoke to PLZ Soccer
“My concern about Celtic, which has been proven in the Champions League, is that they need a bit more physicality. I am not just saying you need big brutes playing in the game. Celtic can play some beautiful football, there is no question about it, and they have done so for the last number of seasons. But they just need a wee bit of physicality. Rangers have got a couple of players who look strong. It helps, there is no doubt about it, if you have been there before so that's an advantage for Brendan in that sense. That was a big win for Celtic at Ibrox (in September). Rangers didn’t lay a glove on the young players who came in – and Celtic go and take the spoils in the game."
Barry Ferguson
The legendary former Light Blues captain wrote in his latest Record Sport column
"The Ibrox support, watching in the pubs or at home on their TVs, will be confident and with some justification because of how they’ve handled every challenge thrown at them. This might be the biggest one yet. Have they got the mentality to handle it? I think they do. Rangers go into it fresher than they would have been if the Ross County game had been played on Wednesday. But that’s a double-edged sword. Yes, the likes of Connor Goldson , who came off against Motherwell late on, will have had more recovery time, but from a player’s perspective, I always wanted to play when the team is going well. So, I’d rather have played the Ross County game and kept the momentum going, because that’s certainly what Rangers have got at the moment. When you’re winning games, you want to play as many as you can. Right now, Rangers are flying and the manner in which they coped with the conditions at Fir Park on Christmas Eve told me everything about the mentality Clement has instilled in his men very quickly."
Neil Lennon
The Irishman and Parkhead legend told Ladbrokes Fanzone
"I think Celtic will win on Saturday; they'll see a lot of the ball, they'll dominate possession. They'll have to worry about Rangers on the counter-attack, and defend pretty well whenever certain players push on. Free-kicks, and corners, all of those areas, they'll need to be sharp in their defending. But I think Celtic will win the game 2-1. I just think that, at home, and with the magnitude of the game... I'm expecting all of the big players to turn up to the occasion. I respect Rangers; Philippe Clement has done a tremendous job. But he hasn't faced a derby at Celtic Park yet, and that is a little bit different to anything else he would've experienced."
