ian1964 10,720 Posted May 3, 2009 Share Posted May 3, 2009 KENNY MILLER has backed Rangers strike partner Kris Boyd to exorcise his top-six demons and blast the Ibrox side to the SPL title. Hitman Boyd has smashed in 29 goals this season and clocked up a sensational century of strikes in 112 starts since he arrived from Kilmarnock in 2006. Yet his critics point to the fact that only four of his goals this season have come against teams in the top six and claim Boyd is only deadly against dud defences. But Miller believes his buddy is ready to blast that myth into oblivion by continuing this season's scoring spree against Rangers' rivals - with defending champions Celtic top of his hitlist at Ibrox on Saturday. Speaking exclusively to Sport of the World, Miller said: "It's the one thing Kris' critics throw in his face all the time, that he only scores against teams in the lower half of the league. "Well the last time I looked at the table, Hearts, Hibs, Aberdeen and Dundee United were in the top six and Kris has scored against all of them this season. He polarises opinion. You either love him or hate him "Celtic remain the one team he hasn't scored against this season, but the way he is playing at the moment, I'd back him to put that right when it matters most - at Ibrox. "To be honest I don't care who scores for us in that game, as long as it's a winner. "Neil Alexander or Allan McGregor can come up for a corner in injury time and nod one home and you won't hear any complaints from the strikers. "But to be honest, Kris could bang in a hat-trick in the Old Firm game and some people would still say: 'He doesn't do that very often'. "He's just that type of player. He polarises opinion. You either love him or hate him. There aren't too many who sit on the fence when it comes to giving an opinion on him. The thing is the criticism doesn't get to him. He really doesn't care what anyone else thinks. He just gets on with the job of scoring goals and lets his tally at the end of the season do the talking for him. "And remember, he's still only 25 and improving all the time. "At the start of the season people were harping on about his work-rate and saying he could put himself about more and get involved in the build-up play more. "Not even his harshest critic could claim he hasn't improved that side of his game this season. "He took what the manager and Ally McCoist said on board and he did something about it. Kenny Miller and Kris Boyd "That's why I believe he could be in for a very special end to the season because he's in form going into the home straight. "Can you imagine the boost it would give him if he could score against Hearts and then follow it up with a crucial goal in the Old Firm game? "That's the kind of impact goal which could turn the title race in our favour and Kris, fresh from scoring his 100th Rangers goal last week, is in the mood to get it." Miller knows better than anyone what it feels like to score for Gers in an Old Firm game, having helped himself to a precious double against the Hoops on his return to Celtic Park in August. He also appreciates how hard it is to score any SPL goals and has nothing but admiration for the way Boyd knocks them in week after week. Miller has bagged a dozen goals of his own this season, 17 less than goal-machine Boyd. He added: "People go on about this top-six, bottom-six split as though there is a massive difference in standard. "Obviously the best defenders tend to play for the teams at the top of the table, but when you play the teams at the other end of the league they are fighting for their lives. They pack their defences and try desperately to give nothing away, so it's always tough. God help any defender who gives him an inch in there "With the possible exception of Celtic, everyone defends in numbers against us. It's our job to find a way through that, though, and no one in the SPL is better at that than Kris Boyd. "So to suggest that he won't score in our last five SPL matches is just crazy. I doubt Kris has gone five games in his entire life without scoring! "He's bang on form and his game is always the same. He comes alive in the box like no other striker I know. "That's his domain and God help any defender who gives him an inch in there. "The most frustrating game we've played this season was at home to Hibs just before Christmas. "They packed their defence and set themselves out to make it virtually impossible to find a way through. It was like coming up against a brick wall. "They played two centre-halves in the middle of the park, then had a back four behind them and their two wide players in midfield also doubled back to help out their full-backs. "It was as tight a defence as we've been up against. It was like a European tie and no one could find any space. Then Boydy popped up after an hour to score the only goal of the game. "That's all he needs - just one chance and he can bury you. "Even at international level he scored seven goals in 15 appearances for Scotland, and you certainly don't play against any dud defenders at international level. But Kris knows he is always going to be knocked for the way he plays. "I just get the impression he knows he has a huge part to play in this title run-in and he knows he can really stuff a lot of words back down people's throats by coming up with the goods in our final five SPL games. "Can you imagine the lift he would give himself and the whole team if he does score against Celtic next week, with just three league games to go? It might not make Kris Boyd's season - but it could break Celtic's. "That's the kind of momentum he could then carry all the way to the Scottish Cup Final and I suspect there really would be no stopping him then. "It would be the biggest two fingers up to his critics ever, but we'd better not go there." http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/scottish/scottish_sport/287687/Kris-is-a-ghostbuster-Kenny-Miller-Kris-Boyd-Rangers.html 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super_Ally 0 Posted May 3, 2009 Share Posted May 3, 2009 I'll be happy if he scores today and next week as there would be a very good chance we'd be walking away with 6 points. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gribz 846 Posted May 3, 2009 Share Posted May 3, 2009 Big game for Boyd today. I'm happy to admit his last few games have shown us a different player and now he has the chance to prove he can perform well against the other teams in the top 6. A good performance today could be the determining factor whether WS plays him from the start against Celtic next week. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super_Ally 0 Posted May 3, 2009 Share Posted May 3, 2009 Big game for Boyd today. I'm happy to admit his last few games have shown us a different player and now he has the chance to prove he can perform well against the other teams in the top 6. A good performance today could be the determining factor whether WS plays him from the start against Celtic next week. Interesting times for Smith ahead of that one. Boyd currently has 5 goals in 5 games, Velicka 3 in his last 3. Their partnership has 6 in the last 3. I think they'll both retain their palces today with Miller and/or Lafferty coming on second half depending on the score. Ahead of the OF though, would Walter stick with his static but goal rich frontline or re-introduce the pace and movement of Lafferty/Miller. Don't envy Smith that decision. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gribz 846 Posted May 3, 2009 Share Posted May 3, 2009 Interesting times for Smith ahead of that one. Boyd currently has 5 goals in 5 games, Velicka 3 in his last 3. Their partnership has 6 in the last 3. I think they'll both retain their palces today with Miller and/or Lafferty coming on second half depending on the score. Ahead of the OF though, would Walter stick with his static but goal rich frontline or re-introduce the pace and movement of Lafferty/Miller. Don't envy Smith that decision. Whilst Velicka and Boyd have done well recently Id put Lafferty or Miller in the side for both games. Lafferty was our best player until he got injured (was that against Hearts also? were we 2 up when he went off??). Through the middle he was looking a different player. Miller has pace, good movement and is direct which defenders hate. As you say, tough tough decision to make. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gisabeer 409 Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 Whilst Velicka and Boyd have done well recently Id put Lafferty or Miller in the side for both games. Lafferty was our best player until he got injured (was that against Hearts also? were we 2 up when he went off??). Through the middle he was looking a different player. Miller has pace, good movement and is direct which defenders hate. As you say, tough tough decision to make. It would be sheer and utter folly to drop Boyd and Velichka given their goal scoring record. We have excellent back up for the two in Lafferty and Miller though and I fully expect them to feature against Celtic at some stage. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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