How far behind are they?

We would be stupid to fall into the trap of arrogance and complacency that has been part of the beggars’ difficulties this season.

with half a dozen reasonable signings, and a decent coach at the helm they’d have enough to take similar points as we will against the rest of the SPFL dross next season.

as in most seasons - who wins the league next year comes down to the 4 games against the Filth and the potential for occasional surprise lost points against the cannon fodder
 
If the last few years have taught us anything, it's that neither half of the Old Firm will ever be far behind, no matter how bad things look.

In 2018 we finished third place, behind Aberdeen ffs. It took just 2 years to build a team that would coast the league and do it unbeaten.

In 02/03 we won the treble, 97 points, and although Celtic were also strong, things looked incredibly positive for us going into the next season. 03/04, we have an absolute nightmare, Celtic steamroller everyone in the league and end up winning it by 17 points,

A year or two is a lifetime in football. There is no room for complacency.
 
It was that belief and complacency that partly contributed to their downfall. we must not allow ourselves to fall into the same trap. In terms of how far behind are they, it really depends on who they get as a manager and how much money he has got to spend, it's a hell of a rebuilding job. We must just focus on improving each season.
 
temperance said:
If they get decent money for the players that want away, they will have to spend it all and s lot more to build a squad, the only half decent players they will have left might be McGregor, Forest, Turnbull, if they think they can build a team around those three, then they have a long way to go as the rest are dreadful.
Click to expand...

this is something that always interests me ..... for example Dembele was sold for £19.5 million and since they spent £9 million Edouard £5.5 on ajeti £3 million on klimala ( seemingly got it back but i have my doubts ) Ellyanoosi probably an expensive loan are they better off ? i'd suggest not
 
Impossible to say.

Hopefully miles and years. Football can change in a blink of an eye

We go about our business professionally and don't sell too many key assets and we should be ok.
 
It's a dangerous outlook to think we are miles better than them, players will come and go from both sides .Thankfully SG wont We start from afresh next season and I sincerely doubt we will run away with the league again.
 
On paper they should be a fair bit behind, a lot of rebuilding to do, but football isn't played on paper so we have to keep our standards high.

Let the others come after us. We welcome the chase.
 
Not as far as people would make you think. I don’t buy this “Celtic need 8 or 9 players”. Let’s say they sell two players this summer for whatever reason some don’t go - no bids received, low value bids received, player can’t agree wages or whatever.
Then let’s say they bring in a few players and two of them are good - a GK and a CB. Already they are not that far behind.
What happened this year is they lost confidence and the mentality took a dip
 
They are nowhere near as bad as we were when Gerrard took over. The fact he’s overtaken them in 3 years is remarkable but should be a reminder that it can be done

Time for us to invest in 3 or 4 absolute first team players and try and keep them at arms length
 
We just need to focus on ourselves. Get into the the CL group stage (finish 3rd at least and go on a EL run) and we can add a few good pieces for competition and cover. I really hope it's a long and successful season next year.
 
It clear that since TLB left , apart from games against us , they are still second best team . They are adequate , np more.

We have proved that the best recruitment you make is the manager , and for him , it his backroom staff. Get that right , then the rest will follow. We have made one or two dodgy player acquisitions, Barker and that flute guy whose name escapes me .

Have confidence in the team , the club and the fans.

One happy Bear here !
 
It was one shitty transfer window for them that saw us overtake them. If we sell a few and don't find good replacements and they have a good window, then bang, the gaps gone.
 
A new spine to their team rather than a full rebuild in my opinion would see them challenge again. The gap is never as big as people make out as provided they can take care of the other 10 teams in the league it will be back to the results in the old firm games.
 
There's countless examples of large gaps between the 2 teams being overturned in the space of 1 season in Scotland.

I think if we have a strong window and get in some of the names we've been linked with they wont be able to catch us next season. They are quite far behind us right now but that could easily change in a window or 2 if we don't continue to improve.
 
If we keep our best players and continue to improve the squad then we should be able to retain the title.

Getting a fit Ryan Jack back next season will be a massive boost for us as well.

Their priority has to be to fix that defence which we have ripped a new arsehole.

I also feel they will benefit from not having Lennon there, he was finished, Gerrard ended him.
 
Having now lived through a few cycles of ups and downs as an Old Firm fan it’s good to remember when you are on top, you are never as far ahead as you might think you are, but when your behind the other team isn’t either.
Things change quickly. Advocaat’s team being perfect example.

BUT - I really like what Gerrard is saying. Fix your roof while the sun is shining.
 
The extent of the damage will be magnified if we qualify for the CL. If we do, we can clear out the deadwood from our squad, keep most if not all the big names and add a few who could improve the starting squad (don't like to limit that to11). If that wins us the league, I think we'd go straight into the CL the following season. Then we really can separate.

But right now, the big wheel is the CL Qualifiers. Get through those, and with a bit of luck with injuries it's likely we win the league.

But right now, a decent manager, some money and lots of good recruitment, brings them back to a coin toss, if there is no CL money for the Rangers.
 
There as far ahead as many on here like to think but there also not as close as many of them like to think. We no doubt have a head start on them for the first time in 10 plus years we have to press home that advantage. A lot will depend on how late they leave it to bring a new manager in and sell and replace players in there squad. The longer it goes on the more we benefit.
 
gersandproud said:
They've obviously got to improve their defence- but just how difficult is it to make an upgrade on Duffer and Laxative?

As for the rest of their team - IMO they'll be able to make improvements that will be capable of taking on the majority of the SPL - fairly easily

Where they'll have difficulties is building a decent squad with any sort of strength in depth
Basically if they are lucky enough to avoid many injuries & suspensions - they could cobble together a side who would more than likely hold their own against the majority of the SPL - for the majority of the season

So I'm not sure they're going to be 'also-rans' for years to come - the way many seem to be suggesting

Of course they're still a basket case of a club - & they're a long way off giving us much competition at the moment -
I just don't see this gap staying quite as wide as it looks right now - for too long

Not that I'm too bothered - bring it on -
We Welcome the Chase
Click to expand...
Not one person has said they will be also rans for years to come. Its tiresome having the ridiculously negative guys coming on, glass half empty, glass blown up by a Palestinian rocket, milk spilled all over the floor and representing this as the sensible view.

If we were in their shoes what would the absurdly negative crowd be saying? They'd be screaming armageddon. Ragnarok. So why are they in such an easy place to catch up?
 
Trueblueal said:
Football isn't so complicated to think any team is X amount of years ahead. Football isn't measured that way, players make teams. If they go and find a Larsson and a Moravcik they will challenge. If they pick up a few Laxalt/Duffy types they won't. A team can be assembled in a summer and likewise a team can be picked apart. We should focus on us. Thankfully it looks like we are
Click to expand...


Examples of teams being assembled in a season in recent times are very rare and they don't swim in those financial markets any more.

Gerrard did it in 3 years and they will arguably be in a worse position player wise when the key 1 year contract men leave
 
the bridge said:
It was one shitty transfer window for them that saw us overtake them. If we sell a few and don't find good replacements and they have a good window, then bang, the gaps gone.
Click to expand...
Exactly. This is a realistic outlook. We also don’t know that we won’t lose four or five of our first team if bids are good enough. And not every signing settles quickly.
 
Border City Bear said:
Disagree mate, you don't need to spend millions to add quality, look at Davis, McGregor, Aribo, Jack, Arfield, Kamara etc all signed for nothing or next to nothing and all very much vital members of our squad. I don't think they are as far behind us as some posters on here would have us believe however i reckon they need their recruitment to be bang on in the next transfer window, get that wrong and they could be years behind us especially with next seasons champions gaining direct entry to the group stage the season after
Click to expand...
They are 100% further behind us than the killjoys and head in the clouds loyal are asserting
 
Stevo84 said:
Regardless of how far behind they are we just have to look at ourselves to see how quickly they could catch up if we allowed arrogance or complacency to creep in.

Having said that I don’t think for one second the gaffer and the back room staff would allow that.
Click to expand...

3 years?
 
Corkinator said:
Bear in mind, that team they have now will be decimated. It will take more than 1 or 2 transfer windows to rebuild that squad.
Click to expand...
Seems like some on here believe McKay is bringing Aladdin's lamp with him. 3 rubs, 3 wishes, a new manager, a director of football and a competitive squad. Its that easy
 
Given their implosion ,loss of players both loans/ sales (less than previously inflated prices),loss of management team,refunds on season tickets,huge drop in new season ticket sales,loss of champions league/europa money,potential compo claims for sex abuse case,the huge rebuilding job required....i reckon,they are approx 3-4 seasons behind us now.

It's up to us to kerp the foot on their throats and stay ahead of them.
 
I can see us selling a couple of our better players, we will have to. But if we can deal as successfully in the market as we have done in the past three years, we can stay ahead of them.
 
EC54 said:
It's a dangerous outlook to think we are miles better than them, players will come and go from both sides .Thankfully SG wont We start from afresh next season and I sincerely doubt we will run away with the league again.
Click to expand...

I see all the forumers who can't distinguish between fans on a messageboard and players/coaching staff have found themselves a new cause to rally behind

Makes me wonder if you all have a telegram group where you meet up and decide which threads you're gonna enter en masse to post essentially the same message that isn't really reflective of the world as it is.

Of course the players and coaches must respect all opposition and there is very little evidence that they don't.

Whether fans are a bit bullish (based on tangible factual evidence) or absurdly and inexplicably defeatist (based on nothing other than being a group of wet lettuces) has f.a. to do with how big the gap is (there is a sizable gap despite some determined to make out it doesn't exist) and how professionally the club employees approach the situation.

I bet all the "one game at a time"/"ehr ma gawd, won't somebody think of the goal difference" crowd that we win the league again next season. And win it well.
 
Last edited:
Beckhambear2 said:
Not as far as people would make you think. I don’t buy this “Celtic need 8 or 9 players”. Let’s say they sell two players this summer for whatever reason some don’t go - no bids received, low value bids received, player can’t agree wages or whatever.
Then let’s say they bring in a few players and two of them are good - a GK and a CB. Already they are not that far behind.
What happened this year is they lost confidence and the mentality took a dip
Click to expand...
You might not buy it

But its a fact.

Some people believe the earth is flat and covid is a hoax.

Their present squad wasn't good enough. They will lose 4 loanees and most likely Ajer, Edouard, Ntcham and maybe Christie

Thats 7 or 8 already. Want me to talk to you about keepers, fullbacks, CBs, midfield and striker depth?
 
PMB1872 said:
Exactly. This is a realistic outlook. We also don’t know that we won’t lose four or five of our first team if bids are good enough. And not every signing settles quickly.
Click to expand...
Its not realistic. Its wrong. It was 3 years. 4 or 5 transfer windows
 
Border City Bear said:
Disagree mate, you don't need to spend millions to add quality, look at Davis, McGregor, Aribo, Jack, Arfield, Kamara etc all signed for nothing or next to nothing and all very much vital members of our squad. I don't think they are as far behind us as some posters on here would have us believe however i reckon they need their recruitment to be bang on in the next transfer window, get that wrong and they could be years behind us especially with next seasons champions gaining direct entry to the group stage the season after
Click to expand...
Davis and Shagger are special cases. Guys who have been there and done it all with the club before and were in a place in their career where they could be had for fcuk all but still tear it up in Scotland.

It isn't easy to find these Aribo's and Kamara's with no manager DoF or any other staff in place.

We were also fortunate to pick up Jack and Arfield for f.a. Good timing.

Finding such gems isn't as easy as you suggest
 
We know how to build and keep building at the moment. Celtic don't and never have had that mentality. They don't have the mentality to spend a lot of time rebuilding and catch up. If we keep going the way we are it'll be very difficult for them to keep up.

Added to the fact they're going to be struggling for cash and they won't have anyone to plough in the big bucks. They're going to need to start selling and selling rapidly and I doubt they'll get anywhere near the cash they want for any of them either (although I am sure there will be a lot of made up figures thrown about).
 
Tailwind said:
You might not buy it

But its a fact.

Some people believe the earth is flat and covid is a hoax.

Their present squad wasn't good enough. They will lose 4 loanees and most likely Ajer, Edouard, Ntcham and maybe Christie

Thats 7 or 8 already. Want me to talk to you about keepers, fullbacks, CBs, midfield and striker depth?
Click to expand...
But that’s my point. How does anyone know if Christie, Ajer, Edouard, Ntcham will leave?Ntcham has hardly featured this year, the others obviously have contributed.
We have received bids for Morelos, Kent, Tav and squad players that are still here. Gerrard came in and made Halliday contribute to us.
The point I was trying to make about their signings was that some will work out and some won’t. So if they sign a decent GK and CB they aren’t as far away as we think.
People were laughing on here about how people were saying we were £30m behind them and look how that turned out
 
The thing is, you can be far behind but actually it doesn’t take much to rectify that domestically. A few draws against Livingston, Kilmarnock, etc being turned into wins can be the difference of one or two players (either defence or attack) and last season we had those bad runs, this season it was them, but even then, the OF team tends to dominate possession and are clearly better than those smaller teams.
That has its positive and negative impact on confidence which has a major impact on the performances in the bigger, harder games and can come and go quickly.
I think the major differences this season have been: team shape (we have one, they don’t) - fixable with a good manager; fitness - fixable with a good management team; and attitude - that’s often the hardest thing to sort.
So, currently there is a big gap, but it isn’t necessarily years of a difference.
 
Tailwind said:
Its not realistic. Its wrong. It was 3 years. 4 or 5 transfer windows
Click to expand...
Let’s not kid ourselves. They still have some decent players. Until we filled out the squad this season we were miles away. If we were to lose say Goldson, Kamara and Morelos and not adequately replace and they signed 4 decent players it could swing again. We can’t be complacent.
 
If they get a decent manager and recruit well then it will depend how quickly they gel

If we recruit well and perform as we have been then I hope we dominate them again next season

What will be interesting is what effect fans inside stadiums has
 
We are a far better team than them and clearly we deserved to win the league.

The only other thing I would say about them is they were appallingly coached / managed by lennon and I can't see his replacement being as poor in that sense.
 
Pretty obvious by the time they are taking to appoint a new manager and DOF that they don't have any magical pot of money to spend this summer which means any rebuild will be funded mostly by selling French diddy & Ajer.

With the effects of Covid-19 and both players going into the final year of thier contracts they won't get anything like the stupid money they've quoted in the past.

Might also be that these players sit tight hoping for a Bosman move next January and they have very little to rebuild with in the summer.

I suspect it's going to take them 3 or 4 windows to get back into contention again and that's even with the right manager if they get that wrong it could be a number of years.
 
Tailwind said:
Not one person has said they will be also rans for years to come. Its tiresome having the ridiculously negative guys coming on, glass half empty, glass blown up by a Palestinian rocket, milk spilled all over the floor and representing this as the sensible view.

If we were in their shoes what would the absurdly negative crowd be saying? They'd be screaming armageddon. Ragnarok. So why are they in such an easy place to catch up?
Click to expand...

I know what you mean TW
I'm not for a minute saying they are in an easy place to catch up

My point (& I probably didn't make it very clear) is that immediate improvement for them is relatively easy - part of that is because they're in such a dire spot to begin with

Like I said - any manager with half a brain cell & more than two bob to spend - could improve their defence

I was also trying to make the point that for many opponents in the SPL - an improved timmy defence - will be all that's needed to make a difference to the number of dropped points timmy suffered last season

Neither of these factors will necessarily come true of course - especially if their recruitment doesn't shape up

I'm not sure their illogical obsession with the Palestinian cause will be affected whatever happens though
 
We simply cannot take our eyes, ears, feet & arms off the ball. We are in their faces, minds and under their skin. We must maintain our drive and commitment to turn the screw tighter as we have ever done before.
They will have a chance to comeback like we have done, but I feel that they have a bit of a rebuilding job and I hope that it takes forever or longer...we simply can’t take their plight for granted.
Next season is another massive one as the Scottish champions go into the group stages for the following season. If the money, prestige and our longevity in the CL goes on for a number of seasons, then and only then & as long as they are in our slipstream- then we will grow and prosper.
We are Glasgow Rangers....
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Latest posts

Back
Top