Given the caliber of support around Scotland and where allegiances lie, it is unrealistic to expect to have a four or five big clubs challenging for honours on a yearly basis.
What we should be able to expect and what Scotland badly needs presently is for a strong Rangers side to re-emerge. The Old Firm rivalry has always been there, but it needs to mean something.
Winning two of the derbies 5-1 last season was a delight for Celtic’s fans and one can never take that away from them. However, they weren’t winning 5-1 against a strong Rangers team.
Can Rangers get back their status as potential title contenders as early as next season? Here are three reasons they just might.
No Champions League Football
Europe’s top flight is tough and for the lesser teams it means it being dragged around the park by the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid. A lot of British outfits have not been really impressive on weekends after Champions League games and while that will be the case for Celtic once more, such difficult challenge will not befall Rangers.
Weakened Rivals
Part of the battle is not having to battle! Pedro Caixinha’s side four games against The Celts are tough, but if Rangers are to challenge for the title they need to be back in the position able to sweep all others aside.
Aberdeen are the first team they have to overcome, and the wheels are now falling off at Pittodre. John Hayes could get shipped to Celtic and Rangers have sold third their skipper Ryan Jack. With a few more easy games on the cards next season, statistically, a little more win is slightly more likely.
New Signings
Pedro Caixinha has wasted no time since the end of last season in rebuilding Rangers’ squad completely. It is not guaranteed to work, but there is no doubt that on paper, they are already so much stronger than they were a few months ago.
More signings are on the way and though the jury will be out on their Latino and Ibernian Peninsula newbies until September at least. The prospect of bringing in Steven Naismith and Graham Dorrans is very exciting.
To give a direct comparison with their main rivals; Naismith is arguably better than Scott Sinclair and Dorrans is better than anything in Celtic’s midfield. So signing those two would be a huge, huge move by the club.