There is a new man in the Rangers dugout who is going to try and stop Celtic in their ways.
Whether it’s Brendan Rodgers’ first spell in charge or upon his return during the summer of 2023, the same old story keeps getting written, no matter what road Rangers try to go down.
This time, Rangers have appointed Russell Martin as their new manager, and he has the task of stopping Celtic from trying to make it 15 out of the last 16 titles next season.
Sometimes in failure, you have just got to respect the opponent, and it seems as though the champions of Scotland don’t get that enough.
Instead, the same old excuses are churned out, and it was no different when Danny Murphy was talking about the Celtic and Rangers situation on talkSPORT.
Photo by Athena Pictures/Getty Images
Photo by Athena Pictures/Getty Images
Rangers’ new boss Russell Martin is facing the dominance of Celtic
There has been a lot of nonsense pedalled about how Rangers don’t spend, even though finance experts have shared that the ‘investment in the squad’, and wages are ‘very similar’ between the two clubs.
Nonetheless, Murphy already had the excuses out for Martin following his appointment by suggesting the former defender winning the title depends on ‘how much are the owners going to put in?’
As well as comparing the situation, of the two managers in Glasgow, to Arne Slot, and how Liverpool’s title-winning boss, before the start of the campaign, wasn’t deemed better than Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.
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Even though Martin’s greatest success was winning promotion from the Championship, and Slot’s was being champion of the Eredivisie, Murphy still put forward that claim, as he told talkSPORT.
“It might be underwhelming for some Rangers fans,” said Murphy. “I think that might be fair to say. They were probably expecting someone bigger with a new owner. I think he will do well.
“The other factor is, whoever you bring in there, if they are only going to get minimal funds, how much are the owners going to put in?
“Is Arne Slot a better manager than Pep? You would have said, ‘no’, at the start of the season. There were some people underwhelmed by Arne Slot coming in from Holland, where no manager had won the league, and why are we getting him?
“He hasn’t got a body of work the same as that (on Rodgers and Martin comparisons). I think he can be really competitive if he gets some backing.”
Blessing in disguise for Celtic
Celtic’s Scottish Cup final defeat to Aberdeen was a rare sight of disappointment from the team, but you sense it could be a blessing in disguise.
Hopefully, this will push the powers in the Celtic Park boardroom to really back Rodgers and show Rangers the true financial gap between the two.
Not that the Hoops need it on the domestic stage, but it is needed for Europe’s elite competition, and trying to progress further in the Champions League.