A new season ahead brings fresh optimism for every supporter base of every club. Only two teams can win the league but all teams go into the new season believing that they can, at least, win a cup of some sort.
Well, that’s if Celtic stop hoovering them all up at the rate of knots like they have been over the last decade but you get my point.
Last season, we cleaned up another domestic treble. Rangers, ultimately tried their best, but when it mattered, Ange Postecoglou’s team where just too strong for them. Especially in the games that mattered.
And former Celtic manager Neil Lennon has told Rangers manager, Michael Beale that if he wants to see any form of silverware next season, his team need to turn up in the games that matter.
Lennon said [The Go Radio Football Show], “He has to beat Celtic. He did everything else bar that and that’s the most important thing.
“In Glasgow, it is the psychology of it, the fallout from it, the scrutiny from it and Michael will know that.
“His results were good, his stats were good. I don’t know about the style of play because I haven’t seen enough of Rangers to have an opinion on that.
“But 92 points will win you the league in a few other years, but it didn’t. So he has to start beating Celtic in the big games that matter.”
And that is where Beale failed time and again last season. In the New Year Derby at Ibrox Rangers failed to hold onto a 2-1 lead which would have closed the gap at the top of the table.
Visiting Celtic in the final home league derby game of the season where a win was crucial to keep their title hopes alive, despite the Hoops being under par, Rangers still couldn’t manage to take anything away from Celtic Park.
And then there was the two domestic cup games. In the League Cup Final, Rangers failed to assert any kind of real pressure as Celtic lifted the trophy and the same could be said for the Scottish Cup semi-final.
The only time the Ibrox club managed to get the upper hand was at Ibrox in the 3-0 win when the league was over and there was no real pressure on the club to get a result.
And now, with Ange away, Beale has Brendan Rodgers to contend with. Rodgers’ record in the Glasgow Derby is impressive. During his first stint as the Celtic manager, he never lost a game.
And if you look at the squad he has at his disposal now compared to then, you would say Beale’s task to overthrow us as the Champions looks all the more difficult considering the new Celtic manager is yet to properly delve into the transfer market to strengthen the team.
Although not impossible, Beale’s task at toppling Celtic took a huge hit when Brendan Rodgers came back on board and I don’t fancy his chances of succeeding.
In other news, Darren O’Dea credits backroom man for Celtic B progress despite defeat to Sligo Rovers
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