FOR David Weir, actions have always spoken louder than words. It is a policy the veteran Rangers defender believes Celtic striker Georgios Samaras would have been wise to follow ahead of this afternoon's Old Firm showdown at Ibrox.
The Greek international striker, who has scored four goals for the Scottish Premier League champions since joining them on loan from Manchester City in January, has been in bullish mood ahead of the potentially pivotal game, claiming he can be Celti
c's matchwinner if handed a starting place by Gordon Strachan.
While it may not be a comment Rangers choose to pin up on their dressing room wall today, it is clearly one which Weir has taken note of as he seeks to maintain his 100 per cent winning record in Old Firm games since moving to Ibrox 15 months ago.
"Talk is cheap," said Weir. "We can all sit down and say 'that could happen' or 'this will happen' in the game, but it's not the ones who speak about it beforehand who win the game, it's the ones who do it on the pitch.
"Samaras is a very good player. It wasn't working out for him at Manchester City, but sometimes clubs just don't suit certain players. He has done well since joining Celtic and he should be confident. If he is not confident, then something is wrong. But as I say, it's about putting the ball in the net on the day, not talking about it."
On a weekend which also sees the Merseyside derby taking place, former Everton captain Weir is relishing his latest instalment of a fixture he now appreciates is far more intense than anything he experienced in his appearances for the Goodison club against Liverpool.
"I honestly can't properly explain in words what the Old Firm games are like," said the 37-year-old. "I had watched loads of them before I came here, but you really don't understand it fully until you have played in one.
"It is faster and more intense than any other game. Liverpool is a football city like Glasgow and the derby down there is a massive game, but it is special here. There are so many connotations if you win or lose and you are aware of your responsibilities. All 22 players will be nervous before the game and there is an undercurrent of fear about it. It is different to anything else I've experienced."
While Rangers would take a big step towards winning the title if they took all three points this afternoon, Weir insists the game is not make-or-break for either side. "People try to build up Old Firm games and say 'it's the most important' or 'it's make or break', but it's not," the defender added. "Obviously if we can win tomorrow it gives us a healthy gap but, with eight or nine games to go, there is still a whole lot of work to do."
The full article contains 500 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
