Celtic has been handed a blunt rant ahead of the two upcoming derbies against their archrivals Rangers.
The Hoops have two derbies scheduled during September, starting on Sunday, Sept. 13, in the Scottish League Cup quarterfinals. A week later, on Sept. 20, they will host their biggest rivals at Celtic Park on Matchday 7 of the Scottish Premiership.
Ahead of these matches, former Rangers player and now pundit Kris Boyd launched a blunt rant against Celtic, discussing the club’s transfer business and, of course, backing his former team to win these two encounters.
For starters, Boyd said another potential defeat for Celtic would bring back all the frustration and negativity surrounding the club for fans.
He said, “If Martin was to lose it as well, then Celtic fans will be, you know, because you’re back to a Champions League game and, yes, an unbelievable start in the league, but you’re knocked out of a cup, then all of a sudden, you know, the negativity starts there again.”
Kris Boyd Fires Blunt Rant at Celtic’s Transfer Business
Then, while discussing the transfer fee for Nico Raskin, Boyd did not miss the opportunity to criticize the prices The Hoops usually pay for their players. “You always put another 10 million,” he said, via CeltsAreHere. “To be fair, you put another 10 million atop it, then seem to get 10 million when you move them on.”
The former player added that eliminating Celtic from the League Cup could also improve the current perception of Rangers manager Derek McInnes.
“They (Rangers) are definitely in a far better place than what they were after that European game,” he said. “If Derek (McInnes) can go and, you know, knock Celtic out of the cup, then all of a sudden Rangers would be favorites to win, you know, a trophy. I’m going to say 2-1 Rangers.”
So far this season, Celtic is the outright leader of the Premiership with five wins in their first five matches, accumulating 15 points. Rangers, for their part, sit fourth with three wins, one draw and one loss in their first five league matches, accumulating 10 points, the same number as third-place St. Mirren and two points behind second-place Hearts.
In their most recent match, Rangers defeated Motherwell 1-0, while they began September with a 2-1 victory over Falkirk. Celtic, for its part, is also coming off a two-game winning streak, having defeated St. Mirren 2-1 on Sept. 5 and Aberdeen 3-0 on Sept. 2.
Currently, the scoring charts are not led by a Celtic or Rangers player, with St. Johnstone’s Josh Fowler leading the way with four goals. Meanwhile, the top assist providers are tied: Celtic players Camilo Durán and Benjamin Nygren, along with Hearts’ Joshua McPake, have each recorded three assists.
Celtic Hit With Blunt Rant Before Rangers Derbies