Celtic vs. Rangers: Even Ally McCoist believes Celtic Favorites in Glasgow Derby
Beating Sevco, taking home a sixth SPFL crown in a row and getting out of the “group of death” in the UEFA Champions League — that is the dream of many a Celtic fan for the 2016-17 season.
A close second is watching an ex-Sevco manager have to admit Celtic are better today and for the long-term.
While speaking to BBC Scotland, ex-Sevco manager Ally McCoist was forced to admit the advantage lies with Celtic on Saturday. McCoist sees advantage Celtic for a number of reasons, but the chief of it being the fact that this game is at Paradise.
“…the game being at Celtic Park will be a big difference,” said McCoist. “The home support will be in the vast majority and hopefully the Rangers players will handle that okay.”
The former Sevco boss did try to throw his old club a bone, noting that the last time these two sides met it was the blue side winning in the Scottish League Cup semi-final last season.
"“Celtic will go into the game strong favourites, but they went into the last game strong favourites and didn’t win. Rangers played exceptionally well. I thought Celtic had good chances to score, but I thought Rangers were far and away the better footballing team that day and they must take heart from that because they passed the ball as well as I have seen them pass it in a long time and they will be looking for a similar performance.”"
Celtic and Sevco aren’t playing at Hamden Park this time around though and it isn’t Rangers season on the line either. McCoist is right to believe that home support is going to have a major part to do with what takes place on Saturday at noon.
However, McCoist wasn’t done talking about the two sides. He also let out a truth bomb to the delusional blue half of Glasgow — Sevco isn’t coming back to title contention any time soon.
“The building process is still quietly in operation. I think it is still going to be two or three years, said McCoist. “What we are seeing from Rangers at this moment is what I expected it to be. There will be games where things don’t go their way.
“There has been some good performances, one or two average performances but all in all, Rangers are okay at the moment. I know what Rangers fans and Celtic fans are like. As fanatical as they are in their support of the team, they are not the most patient and some of them perhaps are not the most realistic.”
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Some on the blue side of Glasgow were under the belief that a trip back up to the SPFL meant taking the clubs “rightful” place alongside Celtic at the top of the league. McCoist was never one of those believers though.
“I was never of the opinion that Rangers were going to come in and set the place on fire and win the league by some considerable distance,” said McCoist to BBC Scotland.
It is easy to see that when you compare even the offseason signings the two sides put together. Celtic added pace and strength with the likes of Kolo Toure and Scott Sinclair to name but two of its dealings with former EPL players.
Meanwhile, Rangers signed Joey Barton from newly promoted Burnley and Barton’s former QPR teammate Nico Kranjar.
Two aging players who up the quality of a side that struggled to hold on to its position atop the Championship division last season, but not nearly enough to boost the club right to the top of the Scottish Premiership right away.
The vast difference in the levels of players is noticeable and so is the fact that one club has a massive war chest of money to work with (in Scottish football terms) and the other is still beholden to a tenuous financial situation at best.
Until Sevco stabilize the financial situation and are able to strengthen the squad to compete on the European level, it simply can’t catch up to the depth of players Celtic have on the Scottish footballing level let alone for competition on the other levels.
It is ironic to see the man who led this club through its early stages up the Scottish football ladder admitting that the rivals are likely tops on Saturday and likely tops for some time in the near future as well.
That’s likely not to sit well with Sevco supporters to say the least.