What a Christmas period it has been for Celtic fans, contrasting sharply with the misery for those supporting Rangers.

While Celtic cruised to a 4-0 victory over St Johnstone on Sunday—albeit without Sky Sports coverage—Rangers were dropping points in a 2-2 draw at Motherwell, much to the dismay of their fans.

Adding to the drama, former Rangers striker Kris Boyd was present at Fir Park to witness the chaos unfold, including Rangers being 2-0 down by halftime.

Meanwhile, Celtic’s goals from Nicolas Kuhn, a Kyogo Furuhashi brace, and Daizen Maeda secured another comfortable win. On the touchline, Philippe Clement was visibly frustrated, pacing up and down like a man searching for answers.

The results set the stage for Celtic’s showdown with Rangers at Ibrox on Thursday, where the league leaders could extend their advantage to 17 points.

Kris Boyd’s Reaction to Rangers Falling Further Behind

Kris Boyd, never shy about sharing his opinions, didn’t hold back when discussing Rangers’ continued struggles.

Speaking on Sky Sports Football (29/12/24 at 5:05 pm), Boyd criticized the team’s performance and suggested that the upcoming Glasgow derby against Celtic looks like a foregone conclusion.

“It’s not good enough,” Boyd said of Rangers’ draw at Motherwell. “As I said at half-time, there will be people saying ‘at least they showed some fight in the second half.’

“But for a Rangers team to come here and perform the way that they did in that first half—it’s not the first time it’s happened.

“100% (agree with Rangers fans booing their own players post-match). I have never understood it (players going over to applaud away fans). For cup finals, if you win things and go celebrate with your fans. After a league game, just get yourself down the tunnel and dust yourself down.

“You were 12 points behind Celtic coming into the game. You are now 14 points behind. You have a Glasgow derby on Thursday. I think, right now, if you are a betting man, there is only one way that is going to go. When you look at Rangers right now, there are a lot of issues on the field – the first half was a shambles, again!”

Boyd Predicts Clement’s Fate at Rangers

Boyd also directed his frustration toward Philippe Clement’s decision-making, specifically his reliance on sports science and rotation policies. Boyd suggested that Clement’s approach could cost him his job if performances don’t improve.

“I have got an issue with sports science,” Boyd said, criticizing Clement for resting key players. “I think they run too many football clubs.

“When I hear ‘he comes on fresh.’ Cerny and Igamane. 45 minutes. 45 minutes is doing absolutely nothing for you. They came on because you needed a result. Sports science won’t get sacked. The manager will get sacked. The fans will be asking questions of the manager as to ‘why he is relying on them.’

“They will be looking towards this new leadership team at Rangers for decisions because it’s not enough.

“As a manager, you will lose your job off the back of it. These guys don’t care, as long as they are alright. See if the new manager comes in. They will change whatever their thoughts on sports science is to suit the new manager that comes in. They are only interested in themselves, so Clement is going to lose his job off the back of sports science and that is running Rangers football club, at this moment in time, then that’s his issue.”

Celtic Eye Further Dominance

Celtic fans, meanwhile, are relishing the chance to see their side pull even further ahead in the title race.

Brendan Rodgers has already seen off numerous Rangers managers during his tenure, and Thursday’s clash presents an opportunity to put even more pressure on Clement, who is fighting to save his position amidst growing criticism.

As both teams prepare for the crucial Glasgow derby, the spotlight will be firmly on Rangers to respond and prove their critics wrong.