Gordon Smith: Don’t expect Rangers to park the bus when Celtic come calling

DON’T expect Rangers to take a leaf out of their Premier League rivals’ books when Celtic come calling on Hogmanay.

Hamilton Accies, Dundee and Partick Thistle all held the Hoops to single-goal defeats in successive matches through the tactic of packing men behind the ball.

Given the fact Celtic thrashed Mark Warburton’s side 5-1 when they last met in the league, those looking in from the outside might imagine he would be tempted by a safety-first policy.

It is a view, though, which does not take into account the nature and the history of the fixture.

Rangers can’t go into an Old Firm derby playing as if they are beaten before they start – their fans won’t allow it.

And, with next Saturday’s game at Ibrox, those fans WILL be a factor.

However, I am not sure they will intimidate the visitors.

In recent games, Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has made a point of promoting youth.

Eighteen-year-old Calvin Miller made his debut against Partick Thistle last Tuesday night and Rodgers also gave a start to his fellow youth development products, Liam Henderson and Callum McGregor.

Make no mistake, though, come the derby, Celtic will field the very strongest side they can.

They will do so because they want to maintain the momentum which saw them make it a dozen league wins with the victory over Thistle.

That’s fantastic form and it sees them going into today’s game against Hamilton Accies at New Douglas Park still chasing an undefeated campaign.

Rangers, however, have some significant form of their own, and will take heart from the fact they beat Celtic in the Scottish Cup semi-final last season.

It took a Herculean effort on their part, and I was interested to read David Weir’s recent comments about how it was also the starting point of their end-of-season slump.

One of the keys for Rangers that day was the performance of Andy Halliday.

Up against an admittedly off-form Scott Brown, he dominated the midfield and enjoyed arguably his best afternoon in the jersey.

Similar heroics will be required again next Saturday because it is the area in which Celtic are strongest.

Brown makes them tick, with his performance in the League Cup Final win over Aberdeen a masterclass in dominance.

Nir Bitton is solid, while Tom Rogic, another star of the Cup Final, offers a real attacking threat.

It has been the performances of the young Scottish midfielders which has been probably the most encouraging of all.

James Forrest, Callum McGregor and, particularly, Stuart Armstrong, have all come on really well this term.

They have embraced the new manager’s high-energy, pressing philosophy and are reaping the rewards of their hard work.

But Celtic Park is not the only place progress has been made.

Rangers fans will go into the derby heartened by the strides made by their team in recent weeks.

Since, in fact, the dispiriting loss to Hearts at Tynecastle at the end of November.

That was, I believe, a very significant result because it convinced Warburton changes were absolutely needed in terms of style of play and personnel.

He sorted it out, too, because there has been a real turnaround in the last three matches. The defeat in the capital was followed by wins over Aberdeen and Hearts at Ibrox plus Hamilton at New Douglas Park.

Wins that have included some very decent football.

The supporters have adopted Joe Garner, at £1.5 million the most-expensive of Warburton’s signings, as a cult hero for his all-action style of play and he, like Halliday, will have an important role to play.

To beat Celtic, Rangers will need to knock them off their stride and disrupt a defence that can look vulnerable.

It won’t be easy. On paper, an away win is the most likely outcome. But Rangers need to show they are in the division on merit and can compete even with the best.

Don’t rule out them giving their fans the start to 2017 they crave.