KRIS BOYD ADDRESSES MAJOR RANGERS WEAKNESS AND CALLS OUT ONE PLAYER FOLLOWING DEFEAT TO CELTIC

Following a bruising Old Firm defeat that has left the blue half of Glasgow reeling, Kris Boyd has delivered a scathing assessment of Rangers’ current tactical setup, identifying a “gaping hole” in the squad’s mental and physical transition. Speaking on Sky Sports, the former Ibrox goal-machine did not hold back, branding the performance as “passive” and “lacking the basic aggression” required to compete with a relentless Celtic side.
​Boyd’s primary frustration centered on what he termed a “fundamental weakness” in the Rangers midfield—an inability to track runners or provide a screen for a back four that looked increasingly exposed. While the collective was criticized, Boyd took the rare step of singling out one player for a particularly “unacceptable” contribution: Mohamed Diomande. Despite his high ceiling, Boyd argued that the midfielder was “anonymous” when the game transitioned into a scrap, accusing him of “hiding” during Celtic’s periods of dominance.
​”You can have all the technical ability in the world,” Boyd remarked, his frustration visible. “But in an Old Firm, if you aren’t prepared to put your foot in and demand the ball when the pressure is on, you shouldn’t be on the pitch. To see a Rangers midfielder dominated like that in the center of the park is a shambles.” He further noted that the gap between the two sides wasn’t just in quality, but in the “sheer will to win,” a trait he believes is currently missing from key areas of the Rangers starting XI.
​The “carnage” in the post-match phone-ins mirrored Boyd’s sentiment, with fans questioning the recruitment and the tactical rigidity that allowed Celtic to bypass the midfield with ease. Boyd concluded that unless Philippe Clement addresses this “soft center” and demands more accountability from his senior stars, the gap at the top of the Scottish Premiership will only continue to widen. For Boyd, this wasn’t just a loss of three points; it was a “reality check” that exposed a lack of leadership in the heat of Glasgow’s most intense battle.