Is Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers taking a risk by talking up Rangers pressure ahead of Old Firm clash?

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Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers is clearly fired up for the Old Firm derby.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has continued the fighting talk ahead of Sunday’s Old Firm derby, as the club prepares for a game which could see them take a giant step towards securing the Scottish Premier League title.

Rodgers’ men are six points clear with one game in hand, and if they manage to overcome Rangers at the weekend, then many would consider the race to be all but over. Despite their substantial lead and the pressures involved with the game, though, Rodgers is not afraid to take a few shots at their bitter rivals.

“There’s huge pressure on Rangers in the game but we’ll have a good working week and go into that game and work as well as we can,” Rodgers told the Express.

“They’ve got a bit more spirit, from what I see, and they’ve probably found a consistency, but they’ve played without pressure for most of my time up here so they’ll feel this little bit of pressure in the game because it’s a game they have to win.”

Rodgers’ remarks are interesting in more ways than one, as he simultaneously seems to try and take the pressure off of his side while also subverting the potential impact of what Rangers can do. There is no doubt that he knew this kind of statement would rile up the Ibrox faithful, and in a way, that seems like a risky move.

While Rodgers insists that the pressure is indeed on Rangers, it feels like the exact opposite from an outsider’s standpoint. Graeme Murty’s men are not expected to come away with all three points and they are not really expected to mount a serious title challenge, and they should be heading into this clash with a ‘nothing to lose’ mentality.

With their European hopes gone, Celtic’s primary focus should be retaining their title – and anything but a victory in this game would do some serious damage to their credibility. Even if they went on to become champions, it would plant a seed of doubt in their minds ahead of the 2018/19 campaign.