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Daily Record
Daily Record
Sport
Gavin Berry

Kris Boyd predicts Rangers axe to fall on Gio as gutted Ibrox hero adamant title race is OVER

Kris Boyd declared the Scottish Premiership title race OVER and reckons Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s time as Rangers manager is also up. The former Ibrox strike hero called the league after just 15 games following a drab 1-1 draw for his old club at St Mirren which saw them drop more points - 10 in total surrendered on the road this season - in the Premiership.

James Tavernier netted a penalty to rescue a point after Jonah Ayunga’s opener for St Mirren but they couldn’t find the winner and Boyd, on Sky Sports duty, believes it would only have papered over the cracks as he predicted Van Bronckhorst could be heading for the exit before he’s even reached the first anniversary of his appointment.

Boyd said: “When you go on this run - they’ve been to St Johnstone and lost, limped over the line against Hearts and drop more points here - the title is over and I’ve got a funny feeling now so is Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s time as Rangers manager. If Rangers had scored a winning goal there it would have papered over the cracks. There’s trouble, there’s no doubt about it. There’s problems in that Rangers dressing room, whatever they may be.

“I listen to people who say the players aren’t trying but I don’t think that’s the case. But they just look devoid of ideas and confidence. There’s no doubt there’s something not right. It’s more dropped points on the road. Will this be the last we see of Giovanni van Bronckhorst? I wouldn’t be surprised.

“It can’t keep going on. When the fans turn it’s very difficult to get them back. And that’s the case right now.They’re over clapping the fans - they don’t want that. They want performances. I keep hearing people say ‘just get to the break’ but Rangers have been a disaster after the break in the last few seasons. It hasn’t been good enough after the break.”

Fellow pundit James McFadden said: “It’s early in the season but with the Rangers performance levels you don’t see them getting anywhere near Celtic, never mind catch them.

“So there is a lot of work that has to be done with this break. There’s big decisions that have to be made because the way Rangers are going they would have to win every single game because Celtic only lost three in the league last season.”

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