Source: Team_Talk
Boyd: Title pressure not what it was
In season 1997-98 under manager Wim Jansen, Boyd skippered the Celtic side which entered into Parkhead folklore when they prevented their arch-rivals creating a Scottish record.[LNB]The Glasgow giants have swapped league flags since but for the first time since the days of legendary Hoops manager Jock Stein, the Parkhead club have collected three league championships in succession.[LNB]Amid an increasingly tense Clydesdale Bank Premier League title race this season, Gordon Strachan's side have surrendered a seven-point lead to trail Rangers on goal difference.[LNB]However, Boyd put the tensions which have affected both Old Firm teams at various times into context.[LNB]"The only situation I remember as close as this was when we stopped 10 in a row," said Boyd, speaking at Celtic Park to help launch the club's new online gaming and betting partnership with Coral.[LNB]"It was neck and neck all the way. There wasn't much in it and the goal difference was very close.[LNB]"But it was totally different from the scenario you are getting now.[LNB]"I know Rangers haven't won it for a few years but it's not nine.[LNB]"Rangers have still got six to go before they start to feel the kind of pressure we were under.[LNB]"You want to stop it as soon as possible, so, from a Rangers point of view, they will want to stop that monopoly that Celtic have at the moment, while Celtic want to win a fourth championship.[LNB]"But the pressure was magnified away back then when I was playing and you saw that in some of the results for both teams that season.[LNB]"At that time, Rangers were going for their 10th title and it was only in the previous couple of seasons that we had started to compete.[LNB]"For a club like Celtic not to have won a championship for so long, there was a desire not to fail and we could have wrapped it up a little bit earlier than we did."[LNB]Boyd admits to being partisan in his view Celtic will overcome their current difficulties to capture title number four.[LNB]He said: "Both teams are level pegging with Rangers ahead on goal difference but I side towards Celtic.[LNB]"Maybe I'm a wee bit biased in saying that but they have been over the course before.[LNB]"Last season's exploits will stand them in good stead.[LNB]"I don't whether a bit of spark has been lost.[LNB]"They played better against Motherwell last Sunday but previously, against Rangers and Inverness, they only had a couple of shots in total and weren't creating enough for the forwards.[LNB]"I think there is a confidence problem at this moment.[LNB]"It will be a concern but they are not seven points behind, they are level pegging, and that is something to be optimistic about."[LNB][LNB]
