Rangers legend Graeme Souness has warned his former club not to get caught up in mind games ahead of their crucial clash with Celtic.
Souness believes Rangers’ motivation should come from within, not from comments made by Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers.
“Listen, if you need motivation to play in an Old Firm game then there’s something wrong with you,” Souness said. “It’s the biggest derby I’ve ever played in. You have the huge football rivalry between the two biggest clubs in the country.”
Souness downplayed the effectiveness of pre-match barbs, stating, “The mind games, it’s not a road I went down… We do our job, we turn up and do it to the best of our ability and hopefully get a bit of work on the day.”
He expressed confidence in current Rangers manager Philippe Clement’s ability to handle the pressure. “Clement has handled himself brilliantly in his short time at Rangers,” Souness said. “He’s been to Parkhead already so he knows the challenges in front of him.”
Rangers currently sit three points behind Celtic in the Premiership title race. With only three games remaining, the upcoming match at Celtic Park is a must-win for the Gers.
Souness acknowledged Celtic’s recent dominance, but believes Rangers can still emerge victorious. “Celtic have been the dominant team in the last couple of years… They have the bit between their teeth and you have to say Rangers are underdogs. They have to deal with that and get on with it. They need to focus, not get sidetracked by anything that goes on, and turn up and play on the day,” he concluded.