Brian Laudrup has warned Rangers to learn lessons from their Hampden defeat and show Celtic less respect.
Michael Beale was criticised for his team selection after the Viaplay Cup final, which the Hoops won thanks to a Kyogo double that rendered Alfredo Morelos’ strike a consolation. The pair go head-to-head on Premiership duty at Celtic Park this weekend. A win for the hosts and the title is theirs. If Rangers get a result, then that sows some doubt.
But that will be easier said than done. Ange Postecoglou is targeting a record Premiership points haul after challenging his side to win every remaining game this season. Rangers, realistically, only have the Scottish Cup left to play for. Their rivals stand between them and a place in the final against either Inverness CT or Falkirk. But Laudrup reckons a win across town would give them a massive boost ahead of the last four encounter at the end of the month.
He wrote in his Daily Mail column: “Celtic have history in their sights. With Ange Postecoglou targeting a flawless end to the season, the Parkhead club are pushing for a record Premiership points total as part of their bid to win a Treble.
“The question, then, is whether Rangers can trip them up on Saturday. I believe they can, but Michael Beale needs to strike a perfect balance between bravery and discipline when he takes charge of his third Old Firm game. In particular, all the lessons of February's hugely disappointing League Cup final loss must be learned if my old club is to have a chance of upsetting the odds.
“For Beale, the challenge ahead is huge. But the rewards for getting it right could be even more substantial in terms of generating belief about the next steps in his Rangers tenure. It will be fascinating to see how he goes about it. Bluntly, it's now or never in terms of the title race.
“With Celtic sitting nine points clear, this is surely the last chance for Rangers to inject a little doubt about the destination of the main prize. Almost as important, though, is the opportunity to strike a psychological blow ahead of the Scottish Cup semi-final at the end of this month.
“Another Celtic win will only add to the sizeable momentum already present within Postecoglou's squad and generate more questions for Beale about Rangers' ability to prevent them from completing a clean sweep.
“My former team-mate Mark Hateley has spoken about a 'tsunami of pressure' potentially confronting the Ibrox manager in the final three derbies of this season. I don't think proper judgments on Beale should be made until after the summer when he's been able to reshape the squad to his own preferences and had a full pre-season to implement his ideas.
“That's fair. And, let's remember, Premiership results since he took charge have been excellent.
“Even so, I get what Mark was saying. There is still immense importance attached to each meeting with Celtic. And Rangers badly need to show more - much more than they did at Hampden.
“There was a lot of criticism from supporters about Beale's team selection and the approach of certain players as the first trophy of the season slipped away. That's life at a club of this size. There's no hiding place.
“In my eyes, they sat back too much and showed Celtic too much respect. They neither applied pressure nor were compact enough to deny their opponents space.
“This time, I believe Beale will go very high in phases of the game to try and unsettle Celtic. You can't do it for 90 minutes but, as we've seen in European games, there is a chance to knock this team out of its stride by picking the right moments to press hard.
“As I said, it all comes down to a tactical balance. It's like walking a tightrope. Everything has to be perfect to stay upright.
“Firstly, it's about keeping the game alive. Celtic will put Rangers under incredible pressure at times. That's a given. In February and September last year, it was all done and dusted inside 45 minutes as Giovanni van Bronckhorst's team completely wilted.
“While you need to ride the storm, there also must be scope to enjoy moments of control. That never really happened at Hampden. In midfield, for sure, Beale (right) can't do the same again.
“Playing Malik Tillman as part of a three alongside John Lundstram and Glen Kamara, neither of whom did the business was a failure. It doesn't work against a team with Celtic's energy and tempo. In a game like this, I think Tillman needs to be more advanced, with two defensive midfielders behind him.
“I get there might be questions about whether he can be used against Celtic away because of how he has floated in and out of matches in the past.
“In my view, though, you need to play a player who scores goals with his calmness. Tillman's numbers have been outstanding recently. It's more about exactly how and where you use him that's the puzzle for Beale to solve within the bigger tactical framework. He might need a Plan B and C as the game goes on.
“Tillman and Lundstram were both just coming back from injury ahead of the League Cup final. Rangers look better prepared now.
“Nicolas Raskin seems to be the main fitness worry and I think given what happened previously with returning players he would have to be absolutely flying in training to get a start. Let's see.
“Certainly, I hope Todd Cantwell is picked this time. When he came on at Hampden, it was too late to make any impact. I felt Beale got that wrong. I like the tenacity I've seen from Cantwell, as well as his technique. He's a clever player.
“With his level of talent, I'd like to see him raise his stats over time. One goal and two assists from eight league games is an okay start. But I believe he's got the capability to continually be a creative influence the further he gets into his Rangers career.
“There aren't arguments any more about Cantwell being new to Scottish football. That's gone. He's ready. Trust him to show what he can do against Celtic, then we can make judgments about his performance afterwards.
“Beale also has much to consider up front. Too often, Alfredo Morelos hasn't provided enough quality. He got a goal in the League Cup final but his general play wasn't good.
“For me, with the space available on the counter at Celtic Park, it's all about pace. At his best, we've seen Morelos act as a real fulcrum to help release the quick players. Can he still do that?
“In terms of being perfect for this fixture, I don't think either Morelos or Antonio Colak quite have the complete package. You could say the same about Fashion Sakala but he does have pace.
“While I'm not sure if Beale will consider looking for a surprise there, he might need to find one somewhere to tip the balance. In domestic football, Celtic have shown almost flawless consistency over a very long period.
“As if it wasn't already tough enough for Rangers, playing without their supporters makes things even more difficult.”
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