Today in the Herald, Mr Matthew Lindsay is surprisingly cogent about the state of play between the current iteration of Rangers and their richer rival at Parkhead.
Of course, his analysis of the resource landscape between the two Glasgow clubs will not surprise regular readers here.
Quite simply, Celtic are operating at a higher level.
Indeed the Herald chap asserts precisely that point.
Regardless of the result at Hampden next week, what happens in the summer transfer window is vital.
That reality may have contributed to Mr Ross Wilson’s decision-making processes.
Weighing up those pros and cons, he ultimately decided that working at the City Ground would be preferable to remaining at the stadium John Brown played for.
Much has been made recently that Mr Beale requires five quality signings to close the gap with Celtic.
Such Churnalism isn’t fully acquainted with logic.
It assumes that Celtic will fail to strengthen in the next window.
Players might level and be sold on for a profit.
However, the excellent scouting system will already have identified a replacement.
Moreover, the new acquisition might well be an upgrade on the player who is sold.
Alistair Johnston Exhibit A.
Although he was a valued player, very few Hoops fans are pining for Josip Juranović to return to the Celtic back four.
The acquisition of the young combative Canadian was Moneyball in action.
All of that comes down to resources.
Celtic have more money than their eleven-year-old rivals across the Clyde.
Moreover, the Parkhead outfit can maintain financial supremacy on a sustainable basis in the future.
That is why, just like last season, the semi-final result at Hampden will not alter the trajectory of both clubs.
Top of the class Mr Lindsay.
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If the Rangers players have been feeling the heat as the season draws to a close with 2 trophies heading to Parkhead, what’s the chances of them turning up at the weekend with the weight of the world on their backs and getting the result they desperately need ?
I think we will see, and require, a much different Celtic performance to that against Motherwell.
Surprise, surprise. Despite Celtic’s poor showing on Saturday Rangers defeat today leaves Celtic 13 points in front with 5 games to go.
Given the huge goal difference advantage that Celtic enjoy one win from the 5 post split fixtures will bring the league title back to Parkhead again.
A much improved performance is needed next Sunday to progress to the Scottish Cup final and another possible treble to the Celts. No disrespect to whoever wins the other semi.
Come on Ange bring it home and finish the season on a huge high.
At last!! A Scottish journalist capable of stating the bloody obvious!!
phil – unrelated. I wonder if its possible to ask the SPL about transparancy on how the post split fixtures are determined as this year something interesting has cropped up…
the rules state that all SPLteams at end of season have to play equal numbers of home away fixtures…
in a ‘normal’ league celtic would have left to play St Mirren H, Aberdeen A, The Rangers A, Hearts A, Hibernian A -so to enable the equal rule to stand Celtic will have one of their away fixtures changed to a home fixture
The rangers have left to play Celtic H, Aberdeen H, Hearts H, Hibernian, H St Mirren A – so the rangers have to give up a home fixture. It is then possible for the final Rangers V Celtic match to be switched to CP….but we all know that would never happen….or could it? Who determines this switch – I can guess it is not done by a draw – but by some ‘committee’?
The fixtures of the other clubs also have to be taken into account. This is not an unusual situation and there’s usually a straightforward solution. There has been in previous years.
Going back to the very early days of the split, the first team I recall having to suffer from such a situation was Dundee. They had to play a third game at Parkhead to give both teams an equal number of home and away fixtures.
It’s a double whammy for any team having to play an extra game at either Parkhead or Ibrox. As well as giving up home advantage, they lose out on a bumper gate.
Sevco could win the cup….. after all they have highest number of penalties for in league, and lowest number of penalties against…. And yet still 10pt gap to celtic……
Celtic are poor in last few games, even against sevco…… ange demands never stopping… but thats tiring (liverpool stunning last year, but also rans this year….) …. And a 1-0 lead can become 1-1 as motherwell showed in heartbeat……
Celtic not invincible, close but st mirren had two breaks and scored 2 goals on the day celtic misfired….. vs motherwell a second “tired???” Misfire…..?
But usually celtic win by 2 or more goals , so 1 penalty goal or sending off does not stop them… mostly…. But could ….
But sevco cup final… expect sevco penalty, and celtic sending off at the least……
Celtic must turn up (jota/kyogo/mooy to deliver) and score 2-3 in first half, or else…….
Time will tell…… will be close….
The team was so far off it at the weekend it got me thinking that Ange wasn’t giving Beale any ideas as to how Celtic will set up on Sunday.
It also wouldn’t be a surprise if Abada and Hatate are both pronounced fit for the tie after their few weeks off with both raring to go at the Rangers defence.
The first casualty in war is the truth they say so I understand the dissing of the club playing out Ibrox but not sure how grounded in reality it is. They continue to win every week, albeit with the help of the officials but that is the reality in Scotland. They were beating by Hibs in the Scottish Cup Final simply because there were only minutes/ seconds to go and therefore reduced the options for the officials to help.
Despite Celtic’s financial superiority there isn’t a great difference between the sides. The real Celtic have failed to turn up against Sevco a few times now and maybe because they were not allowed to by the opposition.
I would put it to anyone believing we are miles ahead football wise, would you actually put your mortgage on beating them next week? I mean take that risk.
Your answer will tell the real story.
Until we beat them, including the officials, 5 nil or better I will “hae ma doots”.
Charlie Green, I couldn’t disagree with a single word of your post. Sevco are a lot closer on the park than a lot of people think, or wish to believe.
Difficult to argue with your observations…They’re well made and justified….Shame that your 5-0 won’t happen anytime soon…lol.
Charlie – very relieved to see I’m not the only one who thinks this way! The “not turning up” against ‘the rangers’ is surely an indicator that the opposition are somehow influencing events is it not? Much as I can’t stand Mick Beale I think he is studying our Ange closely and attempting to replicate his methods on & off park. He seems to have learned how to counter our,usually, very effective midfield. Given that their whole season hinges on next week (as well as ST sales!) I am not taken it for granted we will win though, of course, I’m still hopeful 😀
I think your right but also the trouble with Ange-ball is when clever teams’ midfield, such as the European opposition, get the the ball they just pap it into the empty spaces created by the our backs coming inside and have their winger chase it. It works every time and I think Sevco are doing this with the number of crosses Tavernier gets in. If we have to to play “Ange-Ball” I would have Maeda just mark Tavernier out the game and they would be lost.
Time has proved that there is in fact, no sugar daddy out there,
who is Ibrox daft and willing to chuck huge amounts of cash into a bottomless pit.
In fact the opposite is happening: Park is getting the bus out of there, ASAP.
Which leaves the only option left for the Ibrox club to try to compete with Celtic – in the medium-term:
they [with help from the SFA/SPFL?] have to – somehow – drag Celtic down to their level.
That might seem incredibly unlikely today, with Celtic sitting on a cashpile and looking to get stronger on and off
the pitch,
…whilst sevco continues to lurch from one crisis to another, both on and off the pitch.
But the senior game has been on the go for about 150 years: in the long-term, ‘an’ Ibrox club might be able to
incrementally improve its lot.
The ‘best’ option for the bears would be Admin. for sevco – and to manage The The Rangers FC on a more
sustainable, financial basis.
I’m sure we will lose cups over the next few years, but Celtic ‘should’ be a stick on for the SPL title for the next 6 or
7 years anyway?
Meantime, Aberdeen, Hearts or Hibs could emerge as our closest challengers?
However, the entitled bears certainly wouldn’t like that: they simply don’t do patience! 🙂