Celtic and Rangers – Life in the Glasgow Goldfish Bowl

Ask anyone in Glasgow who they support and 99% of the time you will get one of two answers – Celtic or Rangers. Everything separates the pair. Their foundations, with Rangers formed in 1872 by a group of Scottish teenagers and named after an English rugby club, and Celtic in 1888 to raise funds for Brother Walfrid’s Charity whom fed the poor Irish Catholic section of Glasgow.

Religion, with Rangers’ support predominantly Protestant and Celtic’s support Catholic. Also on-field matters, with Celtic being the more multi-national side while Rangers possess a more Scottish based team. For all their differences though, they have one thing in common. They both have to win at all costs.

Things couldn’t be any more different financially for both clubs over the last twenty years. In the 90s, Rangers could go out and spend millions on players such as Paul Gascoigne and Richard Gough, whereas Celtic were minutes from extinction before Fergus McCann came in and saved the club. The financial state of affairs showed clearly on the field, as Rangers won nine league titles in a row between 1988 and 1997. But times have changed.

Celtic are now able to spend millions each transfer window, whilst Rangers have to sell before even thinking about buying players. (Rangers’ last paid signing was Maurice Edu for £2m in 2008.) Despite this though, Rangers have won the last two league titles in extraordinary circumstances, Walter Smith performing miracles with the little he has to work with.

The first was a fantastic fightback, with Celtic seven points clear at Christmas under Strachan before Rangers clawed back and won the title on the last day of the season with a 3-0 win at Dundee United. The second was a masterclass in consistency over the season, especially during the Christmas period where Rangers crushed everything before them including a 7-1 win over Dundee United. Celtic meanwhile crumbled under the management team of Tony Mowbray, Mark Venus and Peter Grant, where their record was worse than John Barnes’ short period at the club.

Mowbray was given the chop after a 4-0 defeat to St. Mirren and Neil Lennon, who had been cast out by Mowbray (and forced to make his own way to away games, not allowed to train with the first team) took charge as interim manager. Lennon won the last eight SPL games including a 2-1 Old Firm win over Rangers to give Celtic some pride back. Unfortunately Lennon’s only defeat was a big one – 2-0 to First Division Ross Country in the Scottish Cup.

Ahead of 2010/2011

This summer’s transfer activity could also hardly be more contrasting. Rangers have had to sell six first team players including Kris Boyd and Kevin Thompson to Middlesbrough for free and £2 million respectively. Talented young defender Danny Wilson also left Ibrox for Anfield for, for a £2m fee potentially rising to £5m.

Celtic have also had to sell with club captain Stephen McManus heading to Middlesbrough for £1.5m and fan favourite Artur Boruc leaving for Fiorentina. Robbie Keane, Diomansy Kamara, Edson Braafheid and Landry N’Guemo all returned to their clubs post-loan deal expiries.

More are expected to leave. However, Celtic have been able to boost their squad numbers for the season with the signings of Joe Ledley, Cha Du-Ri and Charlie Mulgrew on frees. Also coming through the door at Parkhead is Mexican international Efrain Juarez for an undisclosed fee and Daryl Murphy for £1.5m. With David James also linked with moves to Celtic Park, Lennon clearly wants a mix of youth and experience.

Champions Rangers will no doubt have to bring youngsters into the first team this season (Rangers only took 13 first team players to their pre-season tour of Australia), probably right from the starting game at home to Kilmarnock. Rangers chief executive Martin Bain has promised the Ibrox faithful three signings before the season’s start. Most needed are some wingers. Last season on numerous occasions they lacked width in their play, usually playing strikers such as Kyle Lafferty at left midfield and Steve Davis, a natural centre midfielder, on the right wing.

Whether Bain’s promise was merely a piece of marketing to sell more season tickets is not yet known, but time will tell whether Rangers fans have had enough of the club’s problems. Celtic, potentially still having to play two rounds of Champions League qualifiers, need to start the season running which may prove difficult with a lot of new players at Parkhead. Even many players from the Mowbray era (Hooiveld, Fortuné, Rasmussen, Rogne) have still to gel with the squad.

Everyone is unsure as to what formation Lennon will play. During pre-season it has been the 4-4-2 that Strachan and Mowbray favoured, but the players Lennon has been signing suggest he is heading towards Martin O’Neill’s blueprint for the SPL and possibly preparing a 3-5-2 with three big, strong and intimidating centre halves, a strong packed midfield and pace on the wings.

Whatever formation and tactics Lennon chooses to play, many fans are sure Lennon is the man to lead the club to glory and wrestle back the title from Ibrox. If Celtic play like they did near the end of last season, the chances are they will win the title in Walter Smith’s final season and deny Rangers the Champions League money that they badly need to survive.

(pic via cumbo on Flickr)
(pic #2 via celticfc.net)

(Note – this article has been edited post publishing).

Glasgow Celtic, Glasgow Rangers, Scotland, Scottish Premier League