According to the most recent information from the Met Office, Rangers and Celtic’s Old Firm matchup at Ibrox does not seem in danger of being postponed

In several parts of the UK, adverse weather conditions, including heavy rain and potentially hazardous winds [Met Office, 1 January], have been predicted for Wednesday [1 January] and Thursday [2 January].

Following the cancellation of several games in the UK during the New Year fixture schedule, the highly anticipated derby match at Ibrox on Thursday appears to be in very little danger.

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for ice, but because of the stadium’s subsurface heating system, the playing field should not be significantly impacted.

In terms of the outcome of the game itself, sunny spells above Glasgow should cancel out the cold temperatures, which are unlikely to soar beyond two degrees Celsius by Thursday’s 3pm kickoff.

Following unrest during the recent Scottish League Cup final [December 15], steps will also be taken to police fans in the surrounding regions.

At Ibrox, Rangers cannot lose against Old Firm.

It makes sense that Rangers supporters would be nervous before the first game of 2025, a home Old Firm derby against a dominant Celtic team.

But it’s a great opportunity to both exact revenge for the recent loss in the League Cup final and establish a reputation as a Scottish powerhouse capable of defeating the old foe at home.

After going two months without losing in the Premiership and passing Aberdeen to recover second place, Philippe Clement’s team had looked to be turning the corner until their recent slump over the holiday season.

But after the performances against Motherwell and St. Mirren to end 2024, supporters are now wailing for blood. In the latter game, Clement’s bold team choice raised many eyebrows; his halftime substitutes, Vaclav Cerny and Hamza Igamane, effectively saved a draw at Fir Park.

The Old Firm is more frequent than many other world derbies, and the Gers have felt older since their last victory over Celtic. Regardless, they must win to escape the bitter fury of Ibrox.

Rangers’ move for a £3.3 million player who is similar to De Bruyne could eventually allow Clement to fire Dowell.

Now that the January transfer window is formally open, Glasgow Rangers will have the opportunity to make transfers in the upcoming weeks to bolster their roster.

The Gers are presently 14 points behind in the Scottish Premiership, but they still have the Europa League and the SFA Cup to contend with, so Philippe Clement and Nils Koppen may try to add players to the team.

The fact that Oscar Cortes, Mohamed Diomande, and Fabio Silva were all acquired for Ibrox during the January transfer window in 2024 indicates that the Gers’ management is ready to be active during the winter transfer window.

However, Kieran Dowell is a jerk, and Rangers may need to let go of certain players to make room in the roster for new recruits.

The reasons for moving on from Kieran Dowell
The English offensive midfielder, who was signed by Norwich City on a free transfer in the summer of 2023, hasn’t impressed at Ibrox in the last 18 months.

In the Premiership last season, the former Everton academy graduate made just 12 appearances, starting five of them, and provided two goals and two assists.

Dowell missed a staggering 26 games due to two different ailments that kept him out for more than 50 days each, severely disrupting his campaign.

In 11 Premiership appearances so far this season, the 27-year-old dude has scored zero goals and provided zero assists, demonstrating how little the midfielder has done for Clement.

The Belgian manager should thus fire the midfield failure, who has only managed two league goals in his 18 months at Ibrox, and use the January transfer window to acquire a replacement. Darius Olaru, a reported target, may be a great choice.

Reasons for Rangers to sign Olaru Darius
According to reports, Rangers are interested in signing the Romanian international, who has a £3.3 million release clause in his FCSB contract. By doing so, they would be able to remove Dowell from the team in that role.

If Olaru, an offensive midfielder, can adapt his performances from the Romanian first division since the beginning of the previous season, he would be a significant improvement over the Englishman in Scottish football.

Since the start of the 2021/22 season, the 26-year-old star has only missed six games due to injury. FCSB chief Mihai Stoica compared him to Manchester City star Kevin de Bruyne for his ability to score and create goals.

Since the beginning of the previous season, Olaru has consistently contributed goals, assists, and “big chances” produced in the league, as the table above illustrates. Dowell has not been able to accomplish this during his tenure at Ibrox.

These figures imply that the De Bruyne-like player has the ability to replace the former Norwich player in the squad and provide Clement with higher-quality top-end players than he has been receiving from the former Norwich player.

Olaru can be a considerably more useful asset to the team than Dowell because of his availability, as demonstrated by his remarkable fitness record, and his skill, as demonstrated by his form in Romania.