Graeme Souness: Anything can happen in Old Firm game as form book 'goes out window' for Celtic v Rangers

Graeme Souness insists “anything can happen” in an Old Firm game because the form book “goes out the window” in the fixture.

The ex-Rangers manager concedes that Celtic are favourites for the game, particularly at their own stadium with only home fans present, but believes he saw enough last season to give his former side a fighting chance this weekend.

Philippe Clement’s men travel to the east-end of Glasgow on Sunday on the back of a five game winless win against their biggest rivals.

The Hoops won four derbies last season, with the other ending in a draw, and Souness knows that is a record Rangers will need to improve on that record to have any chance of winning the league.

Speaking at a promotional event alongside former Celtic boss Martin O’Neill, Souness said: “It’s an Old Firm game, and anything can happen. Celtic obviously start as favourites but when you try to attach logic to football matches you can sometimes come away scratching your head.

“It’s at Parkhead with no away supporters, they are the champions at the moment.

“I witnessed two Old Firm games last season, the cup final and the 2-1 game at Parkhead and I don’t think there was a great deal between the sides.

“So I am hoping Rangers enjoy a good day, but obviously Celtic do start as favourites.

“On matchday it’s eleven men against eleven, I think Celtic are ahead because they have had Champions League football for a number of years and obviously have money in the bank, and they’ve just sold O’Riley for another £25m.

“Whether they spend some of that, or all of that, between now and the transfer window closing on Friday we will have to see.

“Celtic have the stronger squad, but names on team-sheets don’t win you football matches, it’s about who turns up on the day, and the history of the Old Firm game is littered with the form-book being thrown out the window on any particular day.”

Souness has been impressed by what he has seen from Clement so far and has faith that the Belgian can bring the glory days back to Ibrox if he can start beating Celtic.

With only two days left of the transfer window the 71-year-old former Liverpool captain doesn’t expect too much more action.

He said: “I assume that they don’t have a lot of money to spend, but like any manager out there Philippe will be wanting the club to spend money to sign better players and bring in more quality, but they’ve not done that so far so I don’t expect a splurge between now and the weekend.

“So he’ll have to work with the players he’s got, and I’m sure that certain guarantees have been made to him – because he took the job in the first place and he’s just signed a new contract.

“I think he’s a very good manager, I think he’s working at that football club under very different circumstances to when I was there and I think he has done a great job so far.

“But you have to start winning the Old Firm games if you want to win the league.

“Celtic have been the dominant team in recent years and Celtic have had more money in recent years, and as great as any manager might be, the most important thing at any football club is to have a good group of players.

“The Rangers players will look back on last season and think they were in a position to go and win the league but they slipped up in games that would’ve been a major disappointment to them.

“So they have to get back on the horse, dust themselves down and go again.

“Playing in Old Firm games is not easy, when I came here and tried to play in them, when I was trying to do two jobs, I found them very difficult.

“Going to Parkhead is as tough as it gets, but if you’re going to win the league then these are games you have to turn up in.”