Has Boyd blown it?

[Muff 245]

KRIS BOYD has worked long and hard to convince Walter Smith that he can be relied upon to start Old Firm games, but it only took an instant for him to return to square one.

The 18 goals beside Boyd's name, and a renewed flair for the less glamorous aspects of the striker's role, had prompted Rangers to reverse their previous policy on the player, which had limited him to just 242 of a possible 990 minutes in this fixture, and seen the last five Glasgow derbies come and go without him even getting on the park, twice not making the match squad and the other three times being left on the bench.

But after 46 minutes, Barry Ferguson's pass presented Boyd with his personal Old Firm epiphany. It was the kind of chance, running through on goal, that he usually swats away with disdain. The Ibrox crowd rose to its feet in anticipation.

But this was Artur Boruc and Celtic we were talking about. The Pole stayed big, getting his torso in the way, leaving Boyd so startled that he couldn't regain his composure in time to prevent the ball ricocheting back off him and going out for a goal kick.

When the dust had settled, Boyd still had one Old Firm goal to his name in his four starts to date, in a 2-0 win at this venue in May 2007. It is still one more goal than he achieved against Celtic as a Kilmarnock player.

And quite apart from anything else, the moment proved the turning point in this particular game, and who knows possibly even the SPL title race itself. Play raged to the other end and before long Scott McDonald, his perennial rival in the SPL top scorers' stakes, was turning away from Broadfoot and dispatching a searing volley into Allan McGregor's top corner.

It was a half chance compared to Boyd's, but that will not enter into the history books. They will merely find room for the fact that it was McDonald's eighth of the season and his 39th as a Celtic player in less than 18 months at the club. Regardless of the Boyd debate, it is McDonald who had been the most accomplished striker on show. "Goals win you games and they managed to get the goal," said Rangers midfielder Charlie Adam afterwards, a player who seems to have the opposite of Boyd's problems, in that he seems to start Old Firm games but miss out on the more routine fixtures.

"It has been like that over the last few years - the first goal probably changes the game," he said.

Even more galling for the home side was that this was their first home league defeat in 2008, despite the fact they had been the dominant side for much of the first 45 minutes. "We had a lot of possession in the first half, and maybe we had the opportunities, and if we had taken one of the chances we would have got the first goal," Adam said. "But we never did that and Celtic managed to make the breakthrough. It is tough for us to take it with the unbeaten run that we have had at home, but we will take it, battle back, and there is still a long way to go."

McDonald, who managed to score more goals against Celtic in two minutes in May as a Motherwell player than Boyd has managed in his entire career, also issued a reminder of the unwritten law of missed opportunities.

"If you get a chance you've really got to take it because in these games and European games you are playing against good-quality of players and if you don't take it you might get punished," McDonald added. "In recent games I think we have had a couple of chances, and not really been able to take them, especially the last time here when we lost 1-0. Artur has kept us in it, we came out a bit cold in the second half, and put a little bit of pressure on it, but it was a great save and kept us in the game."

The biggest conundrum facing McDonald afterwards was whether this goal was better than the one he scored against Manchester United in the Champions League earlier in the season, or whether Georgios Samaras or the fit-again Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink would partner him at home against Dundee United next week.

"It is up there among the best of my career although I don't know if it beats my Manchester United one, that was a bit special," he said. "But I couldn't have hit it any sweeter and it is always nice when your fans are behind the goal.

"I have managed to roll the defender with my chest, it seemed like it was bouncing for ages, and I had to wait for it to come down but I couldn't have hit it better. Sammy Samaras has been injured for a long time, and it has taken a time for us to click but I think you are starting to see that now - although big Jan is back now so it is going to be a fight for all three of us to play."

Whether Boyd is still in possession when the next Old Firm match comes around also remains to be seen.

http://www.sundayherald.com/sport/shfootba...yd_blown_it.php

In my eyes, Boyd should never have started. Yesterday proved that we'd be better off leaving him out of tough, tight matches!

The begging from Boyd to play him in this match started to get embarrassing and I think Smith eventually gave in.

And another thing, give me McDonald over Boyd every day of the week. We missed out there(in which I now await the, Boyd scores more goals than him pish - look at the bigger picture!)

[bearsrus 12]

i cant argue with anything you've said there Muff, especially the '

The begging from Boyd to play him in this match started to get embarrassing and I think Smith eventually gave in.' part,

Boyd will do us a turn against the lesser teams as he's a wee moochin bastard, but when it comes to all round play, he's a journeyman, nothing more, a journeyman, and i just wish our support could see that.

[simplythebest 11,453]

Today was about Rangers, not Kris Boyd. The whole team had to peform well today and none of them did, Boyd was one of 11 failures. He wasn't the worst, he wasn't the best, hes had worse games, hes had better games. Kris Boyd's peformance today was not really related to the result for me so i wouldn't suddenly never play him in these matches again, hopefully the next time we play Celtic the first 11 will be more up for it and want it more.

My personal feelings for McDonald are that hes like Boyd, just a differing opinion Muff. When he wasn't scoring this season he was getting it in the neck from Celtic fans, like Boyd does from us if he ever has a bit of a dry spell. Don't think we'd have been any better off with him but in the end its all about opinions.

[FlippinEck 3,708]

Today was about Rangers, not Kris Boyd. The whole team had to peform well today and none of them did, Boyd was one of 11 failures. He wasn't the worst, he wasn't the best, hes had worse games, hes had better games. Kris Boyd's peformance today was not really related to the result for me so i wouldn't suddenly never play him in these matches again, hopefully the next time we play Celtic the first 11 will be more up for it and want it more.

My personal feelings for McDonald are that hes like Boyd, just a differing opinion Muff. When he wasn't scoring this season he was getting it in the neck from Celtic fans, like Boyd does from us if he ever has a bit of a dry spell. Don't think we'd have been any better off with him but in the end its all about opinions.

Dont you understand, kris boyd has just lost us the SPL

[Muff 245]

To me this game was more about whether Boyd would start or not and not what was best for the team.

The game at Tynecastle and 55 minutes at Tannadice proved to me that Boyd should not have started this one. That's just my opinion tho.

[Muff 245]

Today was about Rangers, not Kris Boyd. The whole team had to peform well today and none of them did, Boyd was one of 11 failures. He wasn't the worst, he wasn't the best, hes had worse games, hes had better games. Kris Boyd's peformance today was not really related to the result for me so i wouldn't suddenly never play him in these matches again, hopefully the next time we play Celtic the first 11 will be more up for it and want it more.

My personal feelings for McDonald are that hes like Boyd, just a differing opinion Muff. When he wasn't scoring this season he was getting it in the neck from Celtic fans, like Boyd does from us if he ever has a bit of a dry spell. Don't think we'd have been any better off with him but in the end its all about opinions.

Dont you understand, kris boyd has just lost us the SPL

Don't know where it said that?

[robbie11 1]

kris boys just lost the SPL for rangers?

elaborate please

[simplythebest 11,453]

Again in those games i just didn't see him as individually to blame, there are same games like the one at Pittodrie where his bad peformance really stood out and seemed to greatly cost the team. At Tyncastle and Tannadice like today i felt the team were not good enough and that he wasn't one the worst peformers, the first half at Tannadice was fine and i thought Boyd played well in it as well as scoring.

[Danny 9]

I think the title is meant to mean blown it as in his own chance.

Not lost the league.

[FlippinEck 3,708]

And quite apart from anything else, the moment proved the turning point in this particular game, and who knows possibly even the SPL title race itself.

Boyd deserved the chance to play in this game, and he certainly didnt embarass himself, and like STB said, he was certainly not the worst player on the park

[TMWWBK 0]

Darcheville has his critics, but feck me, he knows how to mix his play up.

I said after 60 minutes that it was pretty much pointless leaving Boyd on. His focus play was exclusively central and McManus and Caldwell were totally comfortable with him.

[rfc_no1fan 13]

Today was about Rangers, not Kris Boyd. The whole team had to peform well today and none of them did, Boyd was one of 11 failures. He wasn't the worst, he wasn't the best, hes had worse games, hes had better games. Kris Boyd's peformance today was not really related to the result for me so i wouldn't suddenly never play him in these matches again, hopefully the next time we play Celtic the first 11 will be more up for it and want it more.

My personal feelings for McDonald are that hes like Boyd, just a differing opinion Muff. When he wasn't scoring this season he was getting it in the neck from Celtic fans, like Boyd does from us if he ever has a bit of a dry spell. Don't think we'd have been any better off with him but in the end its all about opinions.

Dont you understand, kris boyd has just lost us the SPL

I think you are being too harsh of Krissy Boyd.

Its not all his fault

[simplythebest 11,453]

Darcheville has his critics, but feck me, he knows how to mix his play up.

I said after 60 minutes that it was pretty much pointless leaving Boyd on. His focus play was exclusively central and McManus and Caldwell were totally comfortable with him.

Darcheville was shocking when he was tried up front with Miller, certainly no better than Boyd with Miller.

[FlippinEck 3,708]

Darcheville has his critics, but feck me, he knows how to mix his play up.

I said after 60 minutes that it was pretty much pointless leaving Boyd on. His focus play was exclusively central and McManus and Caldwell were totally comfortable with him.

I would have brought niguez on for boyd and put lafferty up top and give him at least another small chance to prove his worth instead of letting him fail on the left but that was too risky for walter

[Muff 245]

Darcheville has his critics, but feck me, he knows how to mix his play up.

I said after 60 minutes that it was pretty much pointless leaving Boyd on. His focus play was exclusively central and McManus and Caldwell were totally comfortable with him.

Which goes back to the Cousin type player or Boyd debate we had the other day - I know who McManus and Caldwell would rather face. Boyd doesn't have anything to hurt them, especially when we just lamp the ball up to them.

[Craigy 0]

We miss the presence that someone like Cousin brought in the last game. He tore McManus and Caldwell apart and they just couldn't get near him.

Any half decent defender can handle Boyd and that's why he should be on the bench for games like these.

[Tommy WATP 86]

Boyd as i have said before was given no service and the good runs he made were wrongly flagged offside

After 60mins of being a lone striker because of Miller dropping deep things got very tough for him and his head dropped

He wasnt the worst or the best and had an off game like many others

[disgruntled_bear 157]

I don't blame Boyd, I blame Walter he bottled it on to many big decisions today.

[simplythebest 11,453]

Darcheville has his critics, but feck me, he knows how to mix his play up.

I said after 60 minutes that it was pretty much pointless leaving Boyd on. His focus play was exclusively central and McManus and Caldwell were totally comfortable with him.

Which goes back to the Cousin type player or Boyd debate we had the other day - I know who McManus and Caldwell would rather face. Boyd doesn't have anything to hurt them, especially when we just lamp the ball up to them.

I'd gladly have a Cousin type player ahead of Boyd (or Miller for that matter after his display today). Sadly we no longer have Cousin or anyone like him so i would still play Boyd.

[FlippinEck 3,708]

Boyd as i have said before was given no service and the good runs he made were wrongly flagged offside

After 60mins of being a lone striker because of Miller dropping deep things got very tough for him and his head dropped

He wasnt the worst or the best and had an off game like many others

he was given some service, and im sure he set miller up a couple of times

[JimmyCR1 1,505]

Its not boyds fault for the result today. Kris Boyd needs service and today there was no width to provide this. We just throw balls into the box that get dealt with time after time. It was the same against hibs last weekend we just cannot break down teams without natural width and charlie feckin adam does not provide ths for us

[TMWWBK 0]

Let's not beat about the bush, both Boyd and Miller were poor today despite the fact they had decent enough service in the first half.

I've been one of Miller's biggest defenders, but i thought the tarriers in the Broomloan really got to him today.

[Adam 0]

Mcmanus and Caldwell were great in the air but shite when the ball was played in to Boyd or Millers feet. With some of the one touch passing we were ripping Celtic wide open at times. But if we continue to play Davis on the right (we should he is effective) then we need a runner on the left. we need balance in the midfield and Adam didnt bring it today even though he had a good opening 15 mins he didnt do much more after he was booked.

I thought Boyd did well today, but the players and management team should of noticed that he was more effective with miller when the ball was played to his feet. I think if he would of scored tht 1on 1 against boruc we'd be be having a different convo, the midfield needs to contribute to scoring we cant place all our goals coming from 1 man.

I thought we taught them a passing lesson at times, i didnt realise they had a midfield when Barry, Mendes, Davis were linking up with one touch with Miller and Boyd.

They had one shot at goal, Broadfoot should of never allowed that fat Australian bastard to turn...great finish though.

its not all doom and gloom, I see teams beating Celtic after todays game. IMO

But then again we should of won today, we had the ball, the possession and the chances

[Muff 245]

But surely our manager knew that if it became tight(which was an almost certainty)that we'd just resort to long balls - now was Boyd ever going to out pace McManus or Caldwell, was he ever going to out muscle them, was he ever going to win balls in the air and flick it on - not a chance. I knew that, I could see that before the game kicked off. That is not a dig at Boyd, that is pointing out his weaknesses - which guys like McManus and Caldwell thrive on.

Now could Smith not realise and see that or was he hoping that at some stage Boyd would get a break and burry it? Now if the latter was his thinking, he should be shot.

[bearsrus 12]

i wholeheartedly agree that we miss a Cousin type player, but Boyd is being paid enough to adapt his style to whats required of him, especially with all the furore regards his Scotland national position,

he can bump his gums all he wants about not being picked for this game and that game, but cometo fuck wee man, PROVE yersel on the big stage and stop the journeyman displays when we need you most.