Former Rangers captain Craig Moore has urged his old club to head to Celtic Park with one objective in mind on Sunday.
Win the Old Firm derby and bounce back after a damaging week.
Rangers arrive in the east end of Glasgow wounded following Monday night’s defeat to Hearts at Tynecastle, a result that effectively ended their own Scottish Premiership title ambitions.
Craig Moore calls for Old Firm win
However, the Australian insists there is still everything to play for, not only in terms of pride but also the wider title race.
Speaking to Sky Sports, the former defender made it clear that Rangers cannot afford to approach the fixture with caution.
“You’ve got to go and win, you’ve got to try and go out and win,” Moore said.
“Losing is going to be a disaster.
“Rangers still have a role to play in the title.”
His former side can still leapfrog their Glasgow rivals’ for the second UEFA Champions League qualifying spot available for the Premiership runners-up.
The title race, and Rangers role in it
The stakes surrounding this latest Old Firm meeting remain enormous.
Celtic sit just one point behind league leaders Hearts, managed by Derek McInnes, while Rangers remain four points further back in third place.
Should Hearts defeat Motherwell this weekend and Rangers then take all three points at Celtic Park, the title race would tilt overwhelmingly in the Edinburgh side’s favour.
It is a scenario few predicted earlier in the campaign, but one that ensures Rangers still carry significant influence despite their own frustrations.
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Attention will also fall heavily on Danny Rohl and his players following criticism of their inconsistency in recent weeks.
Rangers have shown flashes of quality this season but have too often failed to deliver in key games for the full ninety minutes, something that has left supporters questioning the mentality within the squad.
With major summer changes anticipated at Ibrox, Sunday’s derby could represent a final audition for several members of the current group.
A number of players are expected to move on as Rangers look to reshape the squad ahead of next season, making this one of the last opportunities for individuals to prove they possess both the character and resilience required to thrive at the club.
For Rangers supporters, defeat at Celtic Park would deepen the disappointment of an already difficult campaign.
Victory, however, would not only restore some pride but potentially hand their fiercest rivals a devastating blow in the championship race.
