Only a few things in football are definite; Cristiano Ronaldo will score a shed load of goals, Balotelli will never be boring, Mourinho will always be a little bit special, Pepe and Sergio Ramos will foul like it’s going out of fashion, Carlo Ancelotti will always be the coolest cat in town, Diego Costa will always resemble the ultimate Bond villain, and Celtic will win the Scottish league for years to come.
Celtic Will Win, But Who Really Cares Anymore?
With two games played, unquestionably, the Glasgow side look like they will run away with the league again this season. The demotion of Rangers for their farcical tax problems was indeed just punishment, but in footballing terms, the SFA made the worst decision imaginable. Possessing one of the most bitter rivalries in the world of football, Rangers and Celtic have been the two dominant Scottish forces for decades, with no other club lifting the league title in close to three decades, a fact that made the matchup often mesmerizing.
Under the guidance of some man called Alex Ferguson, Aberdeen were crowned the champions of Scotland in 1985, but that was in an era of questionable mullets and questionable music, times have changed. While the world is indeed very different, one thing has been a constant for quite some time; the lack of a competitive edge to Scottish football. No matter what they do, every club in the nation’s ‘elite’ league know that they simply do not have the financial capacity to mount an actual title challenge in the manner of Celtic. Now, with Rangers gone, there is literally no obstacle standing in the way of The Hoops.
With many other teams relying on the abilities of ex-Football League players, Celtic have very little to worry about. Yes, in a domestic sense, the Glaswegian outfit have little to fear, however, they hardly possess the players who are going to help put Scottish football back on a platform that actually matters, a European platform. A squad full of deceiving illusions for year, Georgios Samaras sometimes looked like a world beater at Celtic Park, whilst Anthony Stokes, one of their star players, could only bag three goals in three years with Sunderland. Remember the days of classic strikers like Henrik Larsson and John Hartson? It seems like a vague, nostalgia-infused dream, doesn’t it?
In the club’s centenary year, when Celtic lifted the league trophy in a ramshackle, prehistoric looking stadium, many fans had to stand on the trackside because they couldn’t all squeeze into the main stand or terraces. The days of crest kissing, buttock clenching excitement has been replaced with a nonchalant shrug of the shoulders, a ‘who really cares’ type attitude. Honestly, who actually cares about Scottish football?
Indisputably, when Neil Lennon treated fans to an unbelievable run in the Champions League, this was truly inspiring, nevertheless, beating Barcelona at home doesn’t make you a big European power. When Celtic follows up one impressive victory with a string of impressive victories, perhaps we can have a different conversation. Having won promotion last season, Rangers are climbing back up the divisions, and look very likely to win promotion again this season. Under a year away from a return to the big time, Glasgow’s fiercest of rivalries will be a welcome addition to the 2015/2016 SPL season.
Cast your mind back a few years, back to a time when numerous people were discussing the possibility of Scotland’s big two joining English football, but would they have fitted in? (This debate started long before Rangers were demoted.) Imagine Celtic in the EPL today; Chelsea 12 up by half time, followed by a demoralizing 8-1 home defeat to Burnley, even though the Scottish side could very well go to Old Trafford and leave with all three points. But seriously, one look at Celtic’s squad and we can all agree that they would struggle to survive in the Championship, never mind England’s elite.
When Hooper and Wanyama left a few seasons ago for mid-table Premier League clubs, the writing was clearly on the wall. Many players will gladly play for mid table EPL clubs instead of playing for Celtic, while some will gladly play in the Championship any day over Scotland. Who can blame them? Even before Rangers relegation, the SPFL was falling to new depths of despair. Having not qualified for any major competition since 1998, the national team is wholly incompetent. As of now, Scottish football is on its deathbed. Come on; the SPFL actually paid BT Sport in excess of $300,000 to show The Rangers games last season. As their league position elucidates, Rangers are no longer the second best Scottish club. Until the SPFL starts to market other teams like Aberdeen and St Johnstone, Celtic will triumph at a canter for years to come. By the time Rangers and the likes ‘catch up’, a process that could take many years, will it be too late for Scottish club football, will anyone truly care? The SPFL seem to market the league to individual fan bases and scratch their heads in disbelief when it fails to grow.
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