Kris Boyd: Done? Kenny Miller deserves at least another year at Rangers

My old team-mate Kenny Miller has come in for some criticism of late but if I was in charge at Rangers I’d be doing all I could to keep him at the club.

After a run of 10 games without a goal one blogger said Kenny was “done” and that Mark Warburton should make signing new a newstriker a priority in January.

Warburton has openly admitted that he wants players to add value to the squad and make the club better but for me Kenny still does just that.

OK he’s not scored many goals of late but he’s still performing well and adding something to their games. Regardless of his age it’s clear to see that he creates opportunities for others.

I know Kenny well and I know the way he trains and he will still be the hardest worker there and leading by example.

If Rangers have a chance to extend his contract they should definitely take it up. People tend to get hung up purely on goals and performances on the pitch but having Kenny in that dressing room is vital.

He’ll demand 100 per cent from the younger players and ensure they are putting in as much effort as he is. Kenny has been there and done it and knows what it takes at the highest levels and I’ll be very surprised if they don’t give him at least another year.

Top flight return for Rangers will be good for Scottish football as a whole

After a perfect start to the season it looks as though Rangers will be back in the top flight next year and that is great news for Scottish football.

You want to see the country’s big clubs performing well and having Rangers back will be good for Scottish football in general.

If they come back up there will be a bit more money in the game. There was a clear knock-on effect when Rangers left the league so there should be a positive impact of the same magnitude when they come back up.

Hopefully Rangers will use the extra money to invest in young Scottish talent or if they buy players from other clubs those clubs can invest in youth. The knock-on effect of Gers being back in the top flight can only be positive for the league as a whole and the international set up long term.

Hibs can provide Rangers with a stern test this weekend

Rangers may be cruising to the title on current form but their credentials will be given a stiff test this weekend with an in-form Hibs side hosting them.

Mark Warburton said the St Mirren result last week showed his side can cope with different challenges but without being disrespectful to the other clubs in the Championship, Hibs away are likely to be their hardest games.

Both clubs like to play an attacking style with the full-backs running running forward so it should be an exciting match.

Rangers were not happy with the number of chances Hibs created last time the sides met and the fact that it took a late free kick to decide the game means we could be in line for another close encounter.

There’s not much between them and Rangers will know they will need to be better than they were against St Mirren at the weekend to get the win.

All eyes on the top six at Killie

We’ve turned a corner in recent weeks at Kilmarnock and the focus is once again on the top six. From the first day of pre-season we always thought we could challenge for a top six place and it’s no different now.

Our performances at the start of the season were not good enough. We let ourselves down and we let the fans down but the last couple of months or so we have managed to get ourselves back together and were starting to look like the team we all thought we would be at the start of the season.

As a club the top six was always the aim given the money that has been invested. We know we’ve not been there for a few years but we really feel there’s an opportunity this season. It took longer to gel than we first thought but it’s all coming together now and the credit has to go to the manager and his staff for the way they have turned it around.

Next up for us is a tough game against Motherwell. Apart from Celtic and Rangers you always feel as though you can win your home games and after the last game against Inverness we have set a standard now.

We know can win games in this league and if we go about the Well game as we did against Caley we’ll have a chance. They’ll be thinking they have a good chance too though. They played well against Aberdeen without getting their reward and will fancy themselves so it could be a tight game.

Josh Magennis ticks a lot of boxes for a lot of teams but he should stay put

A lot of our success of late is thanks to the goals that keep coming from Josh Magennis. A big criticism last year, even from himself, was a lack of goals but this year he is banging them in. He’ll be happy with his contribution and we’re happy as a team, even if it means I’m on the bench.

That is a result of my own performances earlier in the season and that’s the punishment you get.

Josh has a lot of the attributes needed to be a great striker. He’s big, he’s strong, he’s powerful, he’s an athlete and he’s fast and when you add confidence and belief to the mix he takes some stopping.

That might mean there is some interest in him once the transfer window opens again but if I was him I would look to stay put.

He’s playing every week and that is really important. As a striker if you don’t play you lose your sharpness and with the European Championships coming up in the summer the last thing he will want to do is move and potentially not be in the side every week.

If was him I would stay put, continue scoring goals like he is and make sure he gets on that plane to France in fine form.

That would be good for Kilmarnock as a club too. It’s no secret that we’re a selling club and if he is to move the fee would undoubtedly be higher if he had a strong European Championship under his belt.

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