The latest comments made by Michael Beale show how the tables have turned between Celtic and Rangers in Glasgow.
Ange Postecoglou‘s Hoops have won three of the four derbies this season, drawing the other, and look good for another Premiership title.
With the League Cup already in the trophy room, next weekend’s Scottish Cup semi-final is likely to decide whether we take home a treble or not.
In the lead-up to the game, Rangers boss Beale has today been on talkSPORT Breakfast with Laura Woods & Ally McCoist. (9:36am onwards)
“They’re always huge these games,” he said of the upcoming derby. “We’ve had rough luck a little bit in the games so far.
“The one at Ibrox when I first came in, we should’ve held on in that game.
“We know that they’re a good side and they’re dangerous, but we’ve been in and had opportunities in all three of the games so far.”
On summer signings at Ibrox, he said: “I think, in terms of right now, this group has given me what they can. I think we’re probably four or five players away from being where I want us to be.
“That’s nothing against the players who are playing now, it’ll just make us stronger.”
That latter portion was in reference to a question from Woods about how Rangers can try to close the gap on us.
Beale’s assertion that his side need “four or five players” is enjoyable reading from a Celtic point of view, and also goes to highlight how the tables have turned in a short period of time in Glasgow.
Speaking on BT Sport’s Currie Club in just November of last year, Beale was in no doubt that the Ibrox side would have won the league had he and Steven Gerrard remained in place.
He said: “Do I think we could have taken it forward? I definitely think we would have won the league. When we left, we were still four points in front. There is no way they would have come past us.
“The games [derbies] weren’t particularly close. They might have been in the scoreline but when you were in the stadium, we were very much in control of every game.”
Nowadays, it’s Celtic who control the derbies and win the titles. It’s Rangers who need to sign half a team just to keep up.
Funny that.
In other news, Celtic’s Japanese influence hit new heights at Kilmarnock on Sunday
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