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BOYD: RANGERS MUST WIN TROPHIES
Kris Boyd wants to score even more goals next season
By Scott Burns
KRIS BOYD has made it his own personal mission to beat his top goal tally and to get Rangers back on track for silverware.
The Scottish international has finished the SPL’s top scorer over the last two seasons, with more than 37 goals, but he has been left disappointed as the Light Blues have been left empty-handed.
Boyd has still to win something as a Rangers player and is determined to try and ensure that Walter Smith’s class of 2007 put an end to what has been a long a frustrating wait for the success-starved Ibrox support.
The Govan outfit have had to take a back seat again as champions Celtic have gone out and trumped them to star names like Scott Brown and Scott McDonald but Boyd believes that his own side’s additions, like Jean-Claude Darcheville, Alan Gow, Kirk Broadfoot and DaMarcus Beasley, have strengthened their squad.
Boyd also reckons his team can take confidence from the way they cut into Celtic’s lead when Smith returned at Christmas and reckons the new season will be the start of a bright new era.
He said: “I always look to beat what I got last season or the season before (goals-wise). If I do that I view that as an achievement. “It is more important, though, we win something as a team. That is the most important thing.
“We have brought in some quality players and we are ready to challenge. “We’ve had three managers over the last couple of years but we are a lot more settled now and hopefully we can challenge Celtic even more this season.
“You saw the difference from Christmas to the end of the season, apart from the last two games, there was a big difference.
“Hopefully we can start the way we finished, apart from the last two results before we clinched the second spot. Hopefully we can continue that.”
The arrival of Gow and Darcheville will give Rangers’ even more firepower but Boyd reckons they will have three new strikers - with the return of the new-look Filip Sebo.
The much criticised Slovakian was a figure of fun for long spells last season but has returned in prime condition determined to prove his worth.
“I think we needed competition for the striking position, Boyd revealed. “Last season we only had two or three strikers and so if one or two were injured we were struggling.
“I think we needed to strengthen that part of the team we have done and hopefully that can bring out the best in the strikers who are already at the club. Filip has come back in good shape and looks good in training.
“I think he is now settled in Scotland and he will prove he is a talented player. He was in and out last season and that does dent your confidence but if he can get a run in the team then he can show he is a talented footballer.
“He has caps for his country and he can’t be as bad as everybody is making him out to be. He must have something and hopefully he can show he is a player.”
Boyd believes the new-look squad is already starting to gel and the former Kilmarnock star knows the importance of getting off the ground running.
Last season they stumbled coming out of the starting blocks under Paul Le Guen and the prolific frontman knows that can’t happen this season with a Champions League qualifier coming up against Kaunas and MTK Ripo.
“That is why we have the two tough friendlies we have got against Ajax and Chelsea to get us ready for the Champions League qualifier, he claimed.
“We are looking forward to those games.”
Before then Rangers expect to have further new faces on board Carlos Cuellar, Lee McCulloch and Boyd’s old Kilmarnock team mate Stevie Naismith. Rangers have been in prolonged talks for all three and Boyd has every sympathy for Naismith, in particular.
He was in the same boat before he finally got his move as on-going talks between Killie and Rangers seemed to hit a brick wall.
“It is starting to get dragged out now and Stevie is back in at Kilmarnock, Boyd admitted. “He is eager to know what is happening.
“Hopefully we can get everything tied up over the next couple of days and he can become a Rangers player. We know it is not as easy as that and there are still negotiations to happen and I’m sure something will happen."
