The narrative that Rangers are on par with Celtic in Scottish football has been debunked once again, this time by Michael Stewart. The pundit has laid bare the reality that Celtic are the dominant force in Scottish football, both on and off the pitch.
Rangers are in a state of disarray, searching for their fourth manager in just two years after Michael Beale’s recent sacking.
Their fans are understandably frustrated, witnessing a lacklustre start to the season that sees them trailing Celtic at least by seven points and already out of the Champions League. Stewart told BBC Sportsound, “Ultimately, so many of the Rangers supporters, whether they would admit it or not, they use Celtic as a barometer in Scottish football.”
The Ibrox side’s woes are compounded by their poor transfer decisions. Big-money signings like Cyriel Dessers and Sam Lammers have failed to make an impact. In stark contrast, Celtic have been the epitome of success, clinching five Trebles and 11 of the last 12 Premiership titles.
Stewart also highlighted Celtic’s financial prowess, stating that the club recently revealed they have a staggering £72 million in the bank. “And the thing that is very difficult for them to accept is that Celtic are a bigger club than them at the moment; they have a bigger turnover, they’ve got more money in the bank, it means that they can go and waste some money to be perfectly honest. They don’t need every signing to hit the mark.”
He went on to say that for Rangers to even compete, they need all their signings to be successful and their club structure to be impeccable. “For Rangers to go and compete, they need all their signings and they need the structure of the club, as Willie [Miller] is talking about there, to be in place and on-point. And unfortunately for Rangers, it’s not at the moment and the other big problem for them is Celtic’s house is in order.”
Stewart also pointed out that Rangers’ solitary league win in recent years was more a result of Celtic’s implosion rather than their own merit. “Now had Celtic had Ange Postecoglou in charge that season or if Brendan Rodgers was still there. We will never know whether that would have been enough for Rangers to win the league or not, but the point I’m trying to make is it’s very difficult for Rangers to go and compete with a Celtic who are as strong as they are.”
So, when you hear pundits talking up Rangers and the supposed standards they maintain, remember that they’re clinging to a bygone era. The facts speak for themselves: Celtic are the biggest club in Scotland, and it’s high time everyone accepted it.
