John Hartson says Rangers ‘lightyears’ behind Celtic and questions if transfers will cope with Ibrox pressure
John Hartson has boldly claimed it could be “lightyears” before Rangers topple Celtic at the top of the Scottish Premiership and questioned whether the club’s summer transfers will be able to deal with the pressure at Ibrox.
Michael Beale’s side fell to a third consecutive Old Firm defeat in the Scottish Cup semi-final last week, as well as sitting a massive 13 points behind Ange Postecoglou’s side in the league before the start of the post-split fixtures.
As reported by Glasgow Live, Hartson admitted that the gap between the two fierce rivals is “really huge” and that even after the likely departures of Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos this summer, incoming transfers may struggle to match the standard required.
“I believe the gap between Celtic and Rangers right now is huge, really huge. For me, Rangers are a long, long way behind,” he said.
“I know some people might disagree with that, but that’s just my honest opinion. I think it could be lightyears before Rangers get back on top. When I say that I’m talking about a good few years.
“I just think Celtic are riding the crest of a wave at the moment and have a style and system that works. Even the next manager who comes in, whenever, that may be in one year, three years or five years, will continue to play the same way.
“Rangers are going to move players on with the likes of [Alfredo] Morelos and [Ryan] Kent leaving in the summer. But there is no guarantee the ones who come in will be up to standard and can cope with the pressure.
“That pressure will only build now Celtic are winning everything. I actually think Celtic might get to 56 titles before Rangers do. All the talk was about the 55 under Steven Gerrard blah blah blah. But right now, when you look at the finances too, Celtic are in a great position.”
Bold
Rangers are a club in transition right now, both on and off the pitch, and it is hard to see the recent changes not helping to close the gap to Celtic.
The four Old Firm defeats from five encounters this season makes for grim reading for everybody associated with the club, and the slightest bit of pressure is starting to build on Beale’s shoulders as a result.
However, before a fair judgment of the Englishman can be held, he must be given free rein during the summer transfer window, with a massive clear-out of the first-team squad expected.
The former QPR manager bluntly stated after the Scottish Cup semi-final that up to a dozen players could be on their way out of Ibrox this summer, and it is hard to disagree with this suggestion.
After a revamp of the squad this summer, it might take a few months for Rangers’s new faces to settle in and get themselves into fifth gear, so fans must be patient as they search for that elusive win over Celtic.
In other Rangers news, the Light Blues were snubbed by a transfer target despite holding a meeting with the club.