Celtic and the Rangers are the two best teams in Scotland once again this season. That will not come as a surprise to anyone. The Ibrox club’s record since the arrival of Michael Beale as manager might raise the interest of some though. He has been successful in turning things around, and got them back to winning ways, something that they were struggling to do during the last few months of Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s spell in the hot seat.
In terms of a straight win-loss record, both the Glasgow sides have been pretty similar after the World Cup break. When the two sides met at Ibrox, it turned out to be a 2-2 draw.
Yet, when it comes to the performances, one has to put Celtic comfortably ahead. They are winning games convincingly at this point of time, while the Rangers have edged out a number of them. Of course, a win is a win but displays give a good indication of the long-term picture as well.
Interestingly, David Martindale feels that Celtic and Rangers have been pretty much level since the arrival of Beale. As reported by The Scotsman, the Livingston manager said:
"“How do you beat Rangers? You are going to need a little bit of luck on the day. Am I correct in saying Michael’s record is the exact same as Ange’s record since Michael took over? For me, Celtic were the best team in the country before Michael came in to Rangers.“He has come in, he has done a fantastic job and him and Ange are now head-to-head, obviously Celtic have got that head start with the points they picked up previously. But I think it shows the job that Michael has done.”"
Rival manager makes questionable Celtic Rangers comparison
The fact of the matter is that Celtic still remain nine points ahead of the Rangers in the league title race. They also went to their backyard and came out with a 2-2 draw, a pretty positive result considering the circumstances.
Beale’s big test coming up is the Scottish League Cup final against Celtic. At the same time, it is a huge occasion for the Hoops as well. Not only will they be playing for silverware but to also show that they are still the best club in the country.
One also has to point out that Van Bronckhorst had made a great start to his run as the Rangers manager as well. Things can change very quickly in football and thus, it is too early to declare Beale an Ibrox success story.