Lee McCulloch has offered some advice to the Rangers squad ahead of Sunday’s Old Firm, via his Evening Times column.
The Gers head into the game on the back of a five-match winning streak. Confidence is up, as is the quality of football.
The Old Firm is a different prospect to your average league game, though. It’s about which set of players can do a job on the day, blocking out aspects of the scrutiny and the atmosphere.
It’s something Gerrard’s squad managed in December, and McCulloch thinks there’s no reason that can’t happen again.
“For the players, it is all about going out and winning their individual battle and doing their bit to help the team win the game,” he wrote in
“There is a lot of talk about tactics and formations around these fixtures, but it does just come down to who plays better on the day and sometimes just who wants it more.
“If you can’t take the ball under pressure, if you don’t have that will to win, then you won’t be successful in this game. Rangers, at home, should see this as a winnable one.
“At Parkhead last time out, Rangers were maybe a bit naive and you saw the incidents with Alfredo Morelos and Ryan Kent. Maybe those reactions were natural, but you can’t have them whatever team you are playing for. You need to keep a cool head and keep composed. That isn’t just when you are on the ball, that is when the fans are giving you stick or someone is trying to wind you up.”
Verdict
McCulloch knows what it takes to deliver on Derby day, so he’s well placed to offer this advice.
Clearly, there’s a fine line here. There’s a need for intensity and aggression. At the same time, though, a calm head is required.
You need players who will lay down a marker in the tackle, but if no one is prepared to get hold of the ball and play, you can’t create any sustained pressure.
Gerrard’s side combined those things successfully at Ibrox in December. Last month, at Parkhead, the Gers put in a valiant effort but failed to strike the right balance.
Let’s hope we see the former performance replicated, this weekend.
Here’s our predicted XI for Sunday’s fixture.
