Scottish football has been laughed at, ridiculed and questioned for its lack of competition as only two teams ever contest the title. If that is the criteria for legitimate condemnation of our league then we should prepare ourselves for even more criticism than normal as this season’s title race is a one horse race with Celtic all set to be miles ahead by Christmas and beyond.
Whether or not you believe Brendan Rodgers redemption was reliant on domestic titles or European progression in his return to Glasgow is up for debate. What cannot be challenged is the fact that he is the best coach in the country with the best players and the best team by some distance. Celtic dominated the first derby of the season and there was an air of inevitability about what was about to unfold inside 15 minutes. Kyogo’s goal was narrowly adjudged to be offside, but the writing was on the wall. A few minutes later Celtic were ahead through Maeda in a goal that had a similar feel to previous goals against Rangers. A dart to the by-line, a cutback, James Tavernier sleeping at the back post and 1-0 to Celtic. The second goal was all about Kyogo’s lethal finishing mixed in with Butland’s poor positioning and the third from McGregor was, with the help of a deflection, a thing of beauty befitting a man who looks revitalised after a summer holiday and a chance to recharge his Duracel batteries!
On the evidence of today’s match, only Vaclav Cerny from Rangers would merit a claim to a place in the Celtic squad from the bench at best. The rest are not good enough to mount a challenge. I completely understand Philippe Clement calling for calm and time to build a young side that has to get better, but Philippe is about to learn that in Glasgow time is in short supply when you are second by more than a few lengths. I watch and listen to flag wavers who come out ahead of these matches trying to court favour with their fans claiming there is not a huge gulf between the two teams. The truth is laid bare in the facts on and off the pitch. Rangers couldn’t buy until they shifted players out, Celtic had £72m in the bank with Champions league money, season tickets, merchandise and player sales set to push their bank balance up to the tune of around £150m and then some.
On the park, Brendan’s stuttering title winners from last season are now looking like a well oiled machine purring away without any sign of the turbo kicking in to take them even further ahead. The forwards are tracking back, the midfield is full of grafters and the back line kept a clean sheet. What more can you ask for? Well, at this point, I offer a note of caution. What looks good domestically doesn’t automatically translate to European competition. Celtic’s back line is still weak for me and will be tested by better players. We will all find out after the International break if the new signings look the part in preparation for the new look Champions League group stages. Only then, will we get a true insight into how good this Celtic side are and if Brendan is able to make an impact in Europe’s premier competition. This, for me, is why Brendan was brought back. Stop the team getting hammered in Europe and see if you can start to make Celtic park a fortress again.
The future looks bright for the green half of the city, but big questions remain for the blue half in the immediate aftermath of yet another old firm defeat for Philippe Clement and his team. Sooner or later, moral victories, pointing out that you almost scored, you played well at the start of a game and numerous other excuses starts to wear thin with the more intelligent supporters of a club like Rangers. The fans demand winners with the desire to fight and play for the jersey. All those qualities were in short supply today. Celtic won the first derby of the season at a canter with the jockey, Brendan able to look back and see their greatest rivals struggling to keep pace long before his side crossed the finish line.
