Kris Boyd thinks Rangers' trip to face Aberdeen at Pittodrie this weekend is far from meaningless.
The Ibrox club are currently 13 points behind city rivals Celtic at the Scottish Premiership's summit, with the clear priority now on the European front.
Read more:
-
I'm a Rangers-mad X-Factor winner - here's how I got on at training with Ally McCoist
-
Watch: Europa League recognise 'elusive Igamane' after brilliant moment vs Bilbao
Boyd, though, doesn't think Sunday's match should be viewed as a dead rubber, with it, in his eyes, providing the perfect opportunity for Rangers to build momentum: "Clearly, the Europa League is the current priority for Gers, and the first-leg draw gives them a fighting chance in Spain," he said [SunSport].
"Yet I can’t get my head around the view that what happens against Aberdeen doesn’t matter.
"The ‘meaningless game’ mentality will never be accepted at Ibrox. This is a huge fixture for Barry Ferguson and his players at Aberdeen. They have a chance to build on the feel-good factor brought about by Thursday’s display against Bilbao.
"Yes, the title has gone. Yes, the Europa League is now dominating everyone’s thoughts. If they go and lose at Pittodrie, nobody will say, ‘It’s OK, they have a huge game coming up on Thursday night’. Do you think the Rangers fans spending cash to travel north will accept that kind of attitude?
"Any kind of defeat will change the narrative around this team yet again.
"Anyone labelling Sunday’s Pittodrie trip as meaningless needs a reality check."
Rangers lost 2-1 on their last visit to Pittodrie, as goals from Nicky Devlin and Shayden Morris condemned a side managed by Philippe Clement to defeat.
Ferguson will look to avoid a repeat scenario on Sunday at lunchtime.
