Kris Boyd believes Rangers may not return to Ibrox until October, and he is concerned that Celtic will continue to distance themselves from their city rivals as a result.
After a delay in construction work on the Copland Road stand, Philippe Clement’s side will be forced to play away from their home stadium for some time.
The club has stated that the venue will not be ready in time for the start of the new season, and suspicion is growing that they may be playing away from Glasgow for months, with Murrayfield in Edinburgh being suggested as a possible temporary ‘home’ site.
Boyd is concerned about all of the possible outcomes of the scenario. In the context of Rangers’ rivalry with Celtic, this means that the reigning champions have opened up an even wider margin following last season’s achievement.
Is all of this stadium uncertainty going to jeopardise their 2024/25 campaign before it even begins?
Kris Boyd already sounds concerned about title race
The former Ibrox striker said [Scottish Sun]: “Surely, Rangers should only have started work on the Copland Road stand with a guarantee it would be finished in time for August?
“Right now, I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s touching October before Ibrox is available. My old club have dropped the ball big-time on this and you wonder just how damaging it might be for them. In terms of the title race, Rangers are already behind the eight ball before a game has even been played.
“Murrayfield is the only other viable option in terms of capacity, but the SRU will know how desperate Rangers are. I’m pretty sure the home of Scottish rugby could accommodate them but, again, at what cost? Rangers have shown their hand and those running Murrayfield could charge whatever price they want.
“If it’s one or two games elsewhere, then the support will galvanise themselves and get on with it. But the novelty would quickly wear off, especially if Rangers do end up making regular trips to Edinburgh. This is a massive season for the club, domestically and in Europe. Celtic have a financial advantage and the last thing Rangers need is for them to pull further away.”
Celtic won’t be paying much attention to what’s going on in the city. There’s a lot of work to be done internally that might have a significant impact on how the following season plays out.
Signings are needed, and unwanted marginal players must be moved on. That is the top priority at Lennoxtown right now.
However, Celtic supporters find it funny to see their rivals go from crisis to crisis before a summer friendly is even played.
If they genuinely are experiencing severe delays with their stadium construction, the first few months of the season could be a huge opportunity for Brendan Rodgers to increase home advantage.
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