Kris Boyd believes Rangers will be 'absolutely delighted' that the Champions League is over as he highlighted a key difference in Celtic's favour in the race for the title.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst's men endured a campaign to forget at Europe's top table and earned the unwanted tag as the group stage 'worst ever' side after losing six games from six with just two goals for and 22 conceded. That left them with a whopping -20 goal difference from just six matches against Liverpool, Napoli and Ajax.
The former Light Blues striker and Sky Sports pundit believes the heavy defeats have dented the confidence of the Ibrox men in the past number of weeks with the Champions League campaign producing a lot of 'negativity'. But all focus now returns to domestic matters and trying to get back into the competition next season by winning the league crown from Celtic. To do that, Boyd believes Rangers need to start off by gaining maximum points between now and the World Cup shutdown next weekend.
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Speaking to Online Betting Guide OLBG , he said: "I think Rangers Football Club will be absolutely delighted that the Champions League campaign is over. It's produced a lot of negativity and the players have had a dent to their confidence because that's what happens when you lose games heavily.
"Rangers have got three massive games now before the World Cup that they're going to have to take nine points from. The disappointing thing for Rangers will be that the European campaign, albeit the Europa League, carried so much positivity to the football club but it's been the opposite this year.
"They had all the plaudits last year and so now they have to deal with people being critical this year - that's part and parcel of being at a big football club if things don't go right.
"If you're in charge of a big football club then you're always going to be under pressure to get results and there's no hiding place from the fact that the performances haven't been up to the standard that fans expect - that's where the frustration is coming from.
"The next phase of Giovanni van Bronckhorst's Rangers career is crucial because there are no distractions now in terms of Europe. Domestic results are all that matter so Rangers are going to have to start winning games of football and playing in a manner that the fans are happy with. "
Boyd believes a key issue for Rangers is the over-reliance on one player on the creativity front whereas Celtic have numerous sources in their side.
Tom Lawrence made a bright start following his free transfer to the club before getting injured and has a been a 'big miss' reckons Boyd - who believes the Hoops hold the upper-hand in this area of the two squads.
He added: "There's no doubt that every result Rangers have picked up, bar the recent win against Aberdeen, has been a grind to get the three points but they've managed to do it. You have to give credit for finding a way to win games of football as well.
"Rangers are lacking that creativity and the level of goalscoring but when you look at Rangers' attacking players there are probably a good few that will put their hands up and say that they can do a lot better and if they can find that going forward then things should be ok.
"Tom Lawrence has been a big miss but one player shouldn't be the be-all and end-all for a big football club and that's where, at this moment in time, Celtic hold the upper hand."
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