Kris Boyd expects Rangers to turn on what disappears domestically (2025)

Boyd sees two sides of Rangers and the one that shows up on Premiership duty is why they keep losing at home

Kris Boyd has no worries over Rangers functioning as a team against Athletic Bilbao.

But he sees that all for one spirit disappear when it comes to playing domestically at Ibrox.

The Light Blues have come alive in the Europa League this season and the Basque outfit are the latest visitors to Ibrox as the teams go head to head for a place in the semi-finals.

The big nights under the lights at Ibrox have taken care of themselves. But Boyd has seen it turn into every man for himself all too often on league duty, none more so than in the weekend defeat to Hibs, that had Ibrox emptying long before the full-time whistle.

“Rangers as a team, collectively, against a better opposition, they know that everybody has to perform. What I mean by that is, the teammate, whoever it may be, will go and cover the one next to them. They’ll make sure they go that extra yard. Whereas in the league, especially at home recently, it seems to be the opposite, where it’s just a case of ‘you’re on your own, I’m not coming to help you’.

“Rangers shouldn’t be getting beat at home to Hibs, especially in the way that they did off the back of losing their previous four games. I just look at them right now and it seems to be individuals are performing at home, its not a collective team effort. Whereas in European and Celtic games, everyone was fighting together for the same cause.”

Barry Ferguson has hinted at some big calls being made ahead of taking on Ernesto Valverde's men.

Speculation is rife that Jack Butland could be dropped after another high profile error against the Hibees.

Either way, Boyd has warned fans it's not going to be pretty between now and the end of the season.

He added: “There are going to be a few disappointed players because he has said that he’s going to make changes. The goalkeeping scenario... I don’t know what Barry decides to do. There’s no doubt that Jack Butland is Rangers’ No.1 but he’s made far too many mistakes.

“Liam Kelly has come in for 5-6 games and people will point to his so-called mistake at Hibs but you need to look at his performances against Celtic and Aberdeen as well. He’ll be sitting and thinking to himself, ‘I just need this opportunity, I want to get back in’.

“So, Barry’s got a lot of decisions to make. He said it’s not going to be pretty between now and the end of the season. That for me suggests that it’s going to be a defensive unit that will look to try and hit the counter-attack. That’s the way Rangers have played in Europe and against Celtic and it’s worked but I don’t think that’ll work against the rest.

“Barry will need to come up with another formula to get results domestically. But in terms of in Europe, that midfield five with a box in the middle and the one striker in Cyriel Dessers, it has worked and he’ll be hoping that it works again against Athletic Bilbao.”