Rangers goalkeeper Jack Butland and six Celtic players have been named in Kris Boyd’s SPFL Team of the Week following the latest round of fixtures.
Butland’s standout moment came with a crucial penalty save and a clean sheet in Rangers’ 1-0 victory over Hibernian on Sunday, 29 September at Ibrox.
Meanwhile, Celtic stormed to a 6-0 demolition of St Johnstone, resulting in Boyd selecting six of their players in his eleven. Auston Trusty, Liam Scales, Paulo Bernardo, Callum McGregor, Nicolas-Gerrit Kuhn, and Kyogo Furuhashi all made the cut.
The balance of Boyd’s selections highlights a growing gap in individual performances between the Old Firm rivals.
Despite his allegiance to Rangers, Boyd’s decision to include only Butland from his former club, compared to six from Celtic, speaks volumes about the current state of play.
Butland’s inclusion is richly deserved after his heroic display against Hibs, but the absence of other Rangers players signals a worrying trend.
While the goalkeeper shines, the rest of the squad appears to be falling short, which raises concerns about Rangers’ ability to challenge Celtic’s dominance this season.
Philippe Clement’s side may have squeezed past Hibs, but unless their overall consistency improves, tougher opposition could prove a serious test for their credentials.
The challenge now is for Rangers to elevate their performance levels if they hope to mount a serious challenge against their Glasgow rivals.