Rangers have drifted away in the title race as they currently sit 10 points behind Celtic, but they will be looking to make things interesting by winning the upcoming Old Firm derby. Even if they don’t win the title, having the bragging rights over their local rivals can be something which the Bears can savour at the end of this campaign. They already broke the juggernaut by defeating Celtic in December last year but winning at Parkhead will require something special.
A loss for Gerrard can turn out to be disastrous as Celtic will go 13 points clear at the top of the table. Celtic finished 12 points clear of Rangers last season, and the notion of Gerrard improving under Rangers would take a massive hit if the Bears fall short of Celtic by more than 12 points. Therefore the away side have a lot to play for and here are three tactical moves which Gerrard can make to ensure victory for his team.
Starting with McCrorie
Ross McCrorie has surprisingly fallen out of favor since the emergence of Glen Kamara. Even Steven Davis has made more appearances in the last few games as a substitute, and the veteran midfielder has struggled more often than not. Rangers’ record with McCrorie on the pitch is impressive as they haven’t lost a single game in the Premiership and domestic cup competitions when he has started.
His performance in the last derby was precisely what the doctor ordered as he didn’t allow Celtic players time on the ball and the Scotsman pressed and harassed them like a maniac. So much so that even quality players like Brown and Ntcham were unable to make simple passes. In games of this nature, a combative midfielder is a necessity. McCrorie will be a little dynamite in the defensive midfield position if he gets a start.
Throwing in Lafferty from the bench
With Celtic 10 points ahead, Rangers will have to go for a win to make a contest out of the title race. If they are trailing or the game is level around the hour mark, Gerrard should look to bring in Lafferty ahead of someone like Defoe.
His physical presence can make a lot of difference in the attacking third, and someone like Morelos can feed off him. Defoe is often a bit too similar to Morelos and we feel that Lafferty has more of a chance to affect the game. Moreover, the Northern Irish star is known to score some big goals. Maybe he could turn out to be the match winner at Celtic Park.
Targeting Lustig/Toljan
Right back is one of the weak areas of Celtic and Lustig and Toljan have both looked defensively vulnerable. Even in the last derby, Ryan Kent got the better of Lustig to create the goal. Rangers can again look to exploit that area by getting Kent in a one on one situation with the Hoops’ right back. Borna Barisic or Andy Halliday can pile more pressure on that side by providing overlapping runs.
