Time for the Oldfirmtostep up to the plate
The next four months are going to be relentless for the Old Firm.
I think that might suit Steven Gerrard more than it does Ange Postecoglou.
They kick-off their Europa League group campaigns this week, with Rangers at home to Lyon and Celtic travelling to Seville to take on Real Betis.
Between club and international commitments, few players will have any rest between now and the New Year.
I’m sure that’s what they want. It’s better to be involved in big games than to be sitting in the house.
The only thing might be that Ange would prefer the schedule to be a little less frantic.
When you have signed 11 or 12 new players in the summer transfer window, you would like to have as much time on the training ground with them as possible.
You want to give the team the best chance of gelling together, and all your squad becoming fully aware of the tactical systems.
But that doesn’t mean Celtic can’t pull it off, and go on a real positive run in the next three or four months.
They have a talented squad, and it’s up to the players to show their worth.
It’s a different situation for Rangers because Steven has had the bulk of his squad together for a year or two, and they know his methods and how he thinks.
The pressure on them to get results, however, is the same as it is across the city.
On paper, both clubs’ opening games in their Europa League groups are attractive, and both clubs will be eager to get their campaign off to a positive start.
Doing well in Europe is always a marker, and is a much-different challenge from the domestic game.
I don’t see why both clubs can’t get points on the board on Thursday night, and really kick-off their European challenge.
Steven has solid and talented players such as Allan Mcgregor, James Tavernier, Steve Davis, Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos, and they’ll relish testing themselves against Lyon, Sparta Prague and Brondby.
It’s the same for Celtic, and their fans will be interested to see how Joe Hart, Kyogo Furuhashi, Jota, Cameron Cartervickers and Georgios Giakoumakis do against Real Betis, Bayer Leverkusen and Ferencvaros.