Rob Kiernan: ‘Improved’ Rangers ready for Celtic

Rob Kiernan is confident. Picture: SNS Group

In their only previous meeting with Premiership opponents this season, Rangers lost 3-1 at home to St Johnstone in the third round of the League Cup in September.

But Kiernan insists the Championship leaders have improved since then and are prepared to face a top-flight side. “I’m open to anything, I’m excited about the draw,” said the former Watford and Wigan player. “We have improved since the St Johnstone game and it would be a good test to get a Premiership team.

“Of course I would welcome it (facing Celtic). It’s going to happen eventually at some point and whenever it does come, we will be ready and will give it a real go.”

The old Glasgow rivals have not met in the Scottish Cup since the infamous fifth-round replay at Celtic Park in March 2011 when Rangers had three players sent off in a 1-0 defeat in which Ally McCoist and Neil Lennon squared up to each  other at the final whistle.

The only Old Firm clash since Rangers’ financial collapse in 2012 came in last season’s League Cup semi-final in which Celtic cruised to a comfortable 2-0 win at Hampden.

Rangers manager Mark Warburton shares Kiernan’s confidence that the current squad are equipped to compete with whoever they are bracketed with when the Scottish Cup draw takes place at 2pm this afternoon.

“Everyone mentions the St Johnstone game but we have analysed it to death and it was just one of those games,” said Warburton. “We were prepared then, we were on a good run of form before that tie. We had a lot of the football and didn’t put our chances away. We made a couple of individual errors and got punished on the evening. It is the random nature of football.

“People can hark back to it all they want. We just get on with the game. We have had a good season to date, we are in good shape, we are confident and whoever we draw we will look forward to it. I wouldn’t mind who we get. We would enjoy a tie against a Premiership team, absolutely.”