Leon Balogun makes honest Rangers admission in new Celtic message
Leon Balogun has shared what Rangers need to do to compete better with Celtic in the Scottish Premiership.
The Gers have been well below expected standards this term and currently sit second in the table, 13 points behind their arch-rivals.
The Light Blues’ current position has left many questions surrounding Philippe Clement’s future at Ibrox with supporters demanding higher standards to be delivered.
Leon Balogun calls for consistency at Rangers
In what has been a difficult season for the Glasgow outfit, Balogun has made 13 Scottish Premiership appearances, being reliable when not injured.
The defender has previously won the Scottish Premiership with the Gers, back in 2020-21 before lifting the Scottish Cup in the following season.
Therefore, it is clear that he knows what the expected standards are at Ibrox in a season where these are constantly being missed.
Speaking about the problems at Ibrox to Sports Boom, the 36-year-old admitted: “[We are] too inconsistent. I think that’s the most honest review I can give.
“If you look at Europe, we’ve been pretty good. We got direct qualification to the Round of 16, but domestically, too inconsistent. I mean, I don’t want to be short or shy for words, but that’s just the perfect description. We’re too inconsistent. That’s why we are where we are in the league, which is sad.
“I’ve been fortunate to be part of a team that successfully broke Celtic’s dominance in the past, and I’d love to experience that again. However, at this moment, it’s clear that we have a lot of work to do to challenge Celtic for the title.
“As things stand, we’re behind in the race, and this season has highlighted the need for significant improvement. We’re fully aware of the challenge ahead, but we’re determined to put in the hard work necessary to close the gap and compete at the highest level to reclaim the title.”
Rangers need urgent improvement
Although Rangers or Celtic are never guaranteed to be the top Scottish side, the difference between the two in recent years has been ridiculous and shows no sign of any healthy competition.
Balogun’s analysis is spot on though. Throughout the campaign, the Light Blues have been completely inconsistent and struggled to deliver to the same standards regularly.
In fact, this could even be one of the factors that has saved Clement’s job at Ibrox this term with runs rarely consistently bad to trigger a reaction.
That being said, the fact that the Belgian remains in his role is quite a surprise and if he can’t improve things regularly in Glasgow, the hierarchy at Rangers has no excuse but to trigger a response.
Although Balogun has been linked with an exit from Ibrox at the end of the season with his contract expiring, his comments have suggested he is keen to stay put.
As a more experienced player in the side, the defender has certainly sent a signal that he wants to be part of the team that can bring success back to Rangers instead of walking away before that.
With money wasted on new contracts and terrible signings too often, something will need to change for Balogun to prove his worth after another year of injury worries.