Celtic losing Ange Postecoglu shouldn’t affect Michael Beale or Rangers, there is a job to be done and nothing changes that.
A trophy count that is in danger of being surpassed needs to be rectified and the Gers gaffer won’t be excused for failure.
Writing for The Herald, Michael Beale is still up against it according to Rangers correspondent Chris Jack, with Celtic the standard setters to catch.
When Dick Advocaat strolled to his second league title for Rangers, nobody expected the 30-40 point swing the following season.
Likewise, when Steven Gerrard broke records and left Rangers clear and comfortable at the top of the Premiership did anyone see the second-half slump on the horizon.
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Will Celtic have advantage over Rangers next season?
Football is fickle and it doesn’t take much for momentum to swing, however, Jack is convinced that the Parkhead outfit will still hold the advantage when league action returns on the other side of the summer:
“The loss of Postecoglou must be seen as a significant setback for Celtic.
“The club has been moulded in his image, the squad and the team built in his name over the past two terms, and Celtic would rightly have been favourites to make it three-in-a-row had Tottenham Hotspur not come calling.
“For many, the champions will still be huge favourites to retain their title, and rightly so.
“Celtic are still the ones to beat in the Premiership as it stands.”
Celtic are the ones to beat because they are champions but Rangers beat themselves this season.
Points thrown away against lesser teams and catastrophic individual errors against Celtic basically saw the title given up.
In a two-horse race, the margins are always going to be fine.
Last season, under Giovanni van Bronckhorst, we were one Old Firm win away from retaining our title and completing a double.
This season it was two Old Firm wins.
As Michael Beale proved in the last derby, that gap can be closed, and it can be passed.
The early momentum is with Rangers, but that’s all it is.
Next season every team starts on the same number of points, it’s up to Rangers to become the ones to beat once again and get our noses in front as soon as possible.