Rangers set ambitious target to pip Celtic to Premiership title as Kris Boyd pinpoints the key player

Ex-Rangers striker Kris Boyd believes the vast majority of the team who fell to derby defeat at Celtic “should be hanging their heads in shame” as he raised question marks about Giovanni van Bronckhorst.

Celtic took a one-point lead in the Premiership title race thanks to a dominant 3-0 win on Wednesday night at Parkhead. The home side highlighted a disparity between the two sides with their exhilarating first-half performance.

Boyd pinpointed just two of the starting line-up who were good enough on the night, while giving the team an ambitious target if they are to win back-to-back titles after losing a six-point lead at the top.

“From the team that started, Allan McGregor and Scott Arfield are the only two men who earned pass marks,” he wrote in his Scottish Sun column. “The rest should be hanging their heads in shame after that performance.

Rangers manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst. (Photo by Rob Casey / SNS Group)

“The question now is whether Rangers’ title chances went with it? That may sound like a big thing to say given Rangers were top of the league going into the derby and are only one point behind Celtic. But Ange Postecoglou has a team with its tail up.

“There is energy there and a tremendous will to win and it’s hard to see that group of players letting their standards drop now.

“For me, Rangers will probably need to win 13 of their remaining 14 league matches between now and the end of the season. And at least draw the other one with Celtic back at Parkhead.

“Are they capable of that? If you’d asked me two days ago I wouldn’t have doubted it for a second, and it’s still possible. But there are question marks over the manager now and the team after that abysmal Old Firm performance and result.”

Boyd reckons one player is capable of firing Rangers to the league title.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this given the criticism I’ve hit him with down the years but the way things are right now, Rangers’ title defence is all down to one man…

“Alfredo Morelos needs to get himself back to Scotland from Colombia and get firing again.

“The signs have been good this season and I hope for Rangers’ sake he returns in good shape and raring to go.”

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