OLD Firm derbies always matter. The religious, political and societal elements attached to the rivalry between Scotland’s biggest and most successful two football clubs makes this so. Even by the usual standard, though, Celtic and Rangers will meet this weekend with more on the line than is customary.
Three points is all that separates Celtic and Rangers at the top of the Scottish Premiership table with just seven fixtures of the 2021/22 campaign left to play. Not for over a decade has there been such a tightly contested title race at the top of the Scottish top flight and Sunday’s clash is almost certain to have a bearing on the ultimate outcome.
And maybe even a bearing on the Scottish football landscape for the next few years. This season’s Scottish Premiership winners will automatically qualify for next season’s Champions League, a reward that could create a financial gulf at the top of the division. This season’s prize is much more than just a trophy.
Few expected this season to produce a title race in Scotland. Rangers started the campaign as the dominant force having strolled to their first top-tier title since 2011 the season before. What’s more, Celtic were in a state of flux on and off the pitch following the departure of manager Neil Lennon and chairman Peter Lawwell.
Ange Postecoglou was hired after Celtic failed to land Eddie Howe as their first-choice managerial target with the relatively unknown Australian arriving in Glasgow with pre-season already under way. New signings were also slow to arrive with Celtic already out of Champions League qualifying by the time the likes of Kyogo Furuhashi, Filipe Jota and Cameron Carter-Vickers pitched up.
This is what makes Celtic’s turnaround under Postecoglou so remarkable. Many within the club’s own support had accepted this season would be a transitional one for the Hoops with Rangers perceived to be too far ahead to be caught. Instead, Celtic are leading the title race while playing a brand of exciting, modern football.
🗣️”Ange Postecoglou’s got a team really firing, they look dangerous every time they get the ball. Being at Ibrox, Rangers would have to fancy themselves and make themselves favourites…”
Neil McCann and Alex McLeish look ahead to Sunday’s Old Firm clash 👇 pic.twitter.com/A8CJoTu75b
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) March 29, 2022
Of course, it’s not just that Celtic have improved – it’s that Rangers have also allowed their domestic standards to drop. While the Ibrox side have made a run to the Europa League quarter-finals, they have already dropped points this season than they did over the course of their title-winning 2020/21 campaign.
Some might put this down to the departure of Steven Gerrard as manager in November, with the former midfielder joining Aston Villa, but Rangers had already drawn three and lost one in the league by that point. The strong defensive unit Gerrard had built was starting to buckle, as demonstrated by Rangers’ record of just three clean sheets in 13 league fixtures before their manager’s exit.
Since then, Rangers have found momentum and lost it again more than once under new boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst. Nine straight Scottish Premiership wins over Christmas were followed by dropped points against a lowly Aberdeen side and relegation-threatened Ross County. The heavy 3-0 defeat to Celtic on February 2 highlighted many of the issues being suffered by the defending champions.
And yet Rangers have the individual quality and muscle memory to retain their title. Van Bronckhorst’s team are a more attack-minded outfit than Gerrard’s were and this has resulted in improved form from the likes of Joe Aribo, Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos. The structure might not be as solid as it was last season, but Rangers are providing their match-winners with a platform.
Celtic have suffered dips at times too, dropping points at home to Dundee United and Livingston, but Postecoglou’s team plays with an identity that makes it almost impossible for opponents to breathe. Rangers found this last month when a relentless Celtic scored three times in an overwhelmingly one-sided first half.
Rangers surely learned lessons from that match and will have an opportunity to put them into practice this Sunday. If they cannot hurt Celtic this weekend, there might not be many more opportunities to catch them. Old Firm derbies always matter, but this one could set the tone for a long time to come.
