Rangers boss thinks 'it's easy' - why they can't afford to contemplate big changes against Celtic

There is no such thing as a free pass for a Rangers manager going into an Old Firm match, even when it isn’t the most important fixture on his immediate schedule.

If Giovanni van Bronckhorst had the luxury of being able to consider the bigger picture when selecting his team for Sunday’s trip to Celtic Park, he would clearly be tempted to rest a clutch of key players ahead of next Thursday’s momentous Europa League semi-final, second leg showdown with RB Leipzig at Ibrox.

But given the consequences of the result against Ange Postecoglou’s side, that really isn’t an option for van Bronckhorst. If Rangers lose on Sunday, the Premiership title would be clinched in all but name for Celtic who would stretch their lead at the top of the table to nine points with three games remaining and increase their already unassailable goal difference advantage.

That’s an unpalatable prospect for those connected with the Ibrox club and one which places the onus on van Bronckhorst to try and ensure Celtic’s widely anticipated coronation is at least delayed a little longer. For so long as a glimmer of hope remains in the title race for Rangers, they are duty bound to pursue a victory this weekend which may just place a seed of doubt in the minds of their great rivals.

Back in 2007-08, the last time Rangers reached a European final, Walter Smith faced a similar scenario when the last Old Firm game of the season at Celtic Park took place in between the two legs of the semi-final against Fiorentina. Smith kept his changes to a minimum but Rangers still lost 3-2 as Celtic seized the initiative in a title race in which they would ultimately triumph.

But would the Rangers supporters that year have swapped the rare experience of seeing their team