Rangers ‘way stronger’ as Brendan Rodgers heads for Celtic return – Tom English
Brendan Rodgers will find a “way stronger” Rangers to contend with if he goes through with a return to Celtic, according to Tom English.
The former Leicester City boss is on his way back to Glasgow “bar a late hitch” in a surprise return to the job he left for the Premier League over four years ago.
The Northern Irishman won two domestic trebles in his previous spell at a time when English notes Rangers were in “shambles”, but with Michael Beale currently implementing a substantial rebuild to react to Ange Postecoglou recording three trophy wins last season the returning Hoops boss has been tipped to find a very different environment than the one he left.
English wrote in his BBC Sport report: “If Rodgers re-joins the hothouse of Scottish football, he’ll find it somewhat different to what he knew before. Domestically, more challenging.
“He’s a terrific manager and you’d expect him to add considerably to the club’s trophy haul, but it won’t be so easy this time. Celtic fans knock great fun out of mocking their city rivals but Rangers are way stronger now than they were.”
Unfamiliar
Postcoglou got the better of Beale last season, particularly in the head-to-head meetings, but the overall record had the Old Firm rivals relatively close from the point the Ibrox boss replaced Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
The Australian can point to the fact that his side took their foot off the accelerator once the title was wrapped up, but there is some anticipation around the Light Blues that a full summer transfer window and preseason is what the manager needs to mount a real response.
Postecoglou’s exit to Tottenham means we will never know how a full season against Beale would have turned out, but Rodgers is sure to not get everything his own way if he reprises his old job.
Rangers have to take advantage of any uncertainty at Parkhead, in the same way Postecoglou ultimately did when Van Bronckhorst replaced Steven Gerrard the season before last.
It is obviously unlikely that Celtic immediately fall apart, but their squad was built in the previous manager’s image so there may well be growing pains.
Similarly, Beale was working with Van Bronckhorst’s, and to an unfortunate degree, Gerrard’s squad until he was at least able to land Todd Cantwell and Nico Raskin in January, but he at last has the opportunity to build the team in his own image.
He has already got four confirmed deals through the doors so if he can take advantage of Rodgers having to start from scratch there could be a proper title race on the cards again.
In other Rangers news, the man who could prove to be the fifth new arrival at Ibrox this summer has been backed to prove a success in the SPFL.