Graeme Macpherson
Looks ahead to an intriguing season
La Cold War arms race, Celtic have responded to the heightened threat to their domestic security by bolstering their own artillery, too. If Ronny Deila was deemed good enough to lead them to the last two titles – if not the Champions League – then, as they push for a sixth successive championship, a decision has been taken to upgrade their firepower for what should be a greater sustained challenge ahead with the return of Rangers.
Brendan Rodgers’ appointment ranks as one of the most impressive coups of recent times, one in the eye for those who thought the days of Celtic going for an experienced, venerable manager were in the past.
There had been an element of risk in plumping for Deila two years ago but landing Rodgers was a sign that the time for experimentation is now over. He finds himself in the curious position of having too many players in his squad rather than too few, with the promised cull still to fully materialise. He has also signed only two players, Moussa Dembele and Kolo Toure joining Kristoffer Ajer, who had been secured on a pre-contract agreement by Deila.
Making it through to the Champions League group stage for the first time in three years remains Celtic’s most important – and a very early – objective, although the re-emergence of Rangers will ensure Rodgers cannot afford to take his eye off the ball domestically either.
Four years without their biggest rivals there to challenge them should have allowed Celtic to move streets ahead – both financially and in terms of squad quality – but the gap, as demonstrated in last season’s Scottish Cup semi-final, is not as wide as it ought to be. Celtic will now need to demonstrate that such prudence over the past few years was the right approach.
They enjoyed a great deal of good fortune last season with Leigh Griffiths remaining both injury-free and in red-hot scoring form given he was for long spells the only reliable centre-forward on the books. In contrast, Deila stockpiled attacking-midfielder/ forward types Arsene Wenger.
Defensive frailties, in Europe in particular, should be eased with the arrival of Toure and the expected departure of Efe Ambrose, an overall solid defender who sullied his reputation with repeat bouts of temporary on-field insanity. How Scott Brown fares after his injury problems of last season will bea nother issue, as will Rodgers’ tactical style after two years of Celtic being wedded to Deila’s preferred 4-2-3-1 formation.
Rangers’ presence adds another fascinating dynamic to the mix. There will, of course, be the predictable comments that, having completed their meander through the lower leagues as a result of their financial meltdown in 2012, this represents their first season in the top flight. Four years on and the old club/new club debate still pops up with the same frequency and appeal as a Michael McIntyre as if he were TV special. Like some kind of 10th circle of hell, it’s an argument forever destined to be contested by two entrenched, opposing factions. Many Celtic fans and some supporters from other clubs will insist ad nauseam that Rangers died in 2012. Rangers fans will retort that they did not. And so on until the end of time.
What can be stated unequivocally is that a team called Rangers will be playing in the top division for the first time in four years and that the campaign ahead will be more intriguing and exciting for that.
THERE has been no sign of Armageddon, meltdown, civil unrest or the game “withering on the vine” in their absence, however, as was warned would happen in 2012 if the newco Rangers was not allowed into the second tier of the league set-up.