Even in such an intense football environment like Glasgow, the transfer of bragging rights leading up to an Old Firm clash felt new. Rangers fans were excited after St Johnstone held Celtic to a goalless draw last week. The return of Brendan Rodgers had already been weakened by a weak League Cup exit at Kilmarnock. The blue side of the city were eagerly anticipating Rodgers bringing his team to Ibrox. The change in attitudes came after the events in Eindhoven during the middle of the week. The way PSV humiliated Rangers 5-1 left Michael Beale struggling to defend his “new team.” It showed old weaknesses. Suddenly, the dynamics of Sunday’s derby changed once again. Both managers are facing intense scrutiny. If Celtic come out on top, the fans’ patience for Beale will disappear. A year ago this weekend, Celtic easily defeated Rangers 4-0. It was a moment that Giovanni van Bronckhorst could never recover from. Reaching the Europa League final a few months prior became irrelevant. Rangers fired the Dutchman in November. Rodgers only needs to look back to 2021 if he wants validation, which he rarely seems to need. Ange Postecoglou’s introduction to the Scottish Premiership included losses to Hearts, Rangers, and Livingston. Celtic even drew against Dundee United in Glasgow. It was not until October that Postecoglou’s team started to improve and eventually claimed the title. “You definitely don’t win the league in August,” says Rodgers. There is a certain level of indifference among a entitled portion of the Celtic fanbase towards Rodgers. However, it does exist. His departure to Leicester in 2019, combined with the embrace of Postecoglou, means that a loss to Rangers would put the Celtic manager in a difficult position only three months into his return. Rodgers denies any attempt to completely change Postecoglou’s tactics. “I’m not here to jeopardize the team’s strategy or force them into something that won’t work,” says Rodgers. “I know how to win. I know what it takes and I will teach the players how to win.” Some aspects of Rodgers’ second coming at Celtic are confusing. He was appointed in mid-June, shortly before Jota was sold to Al-Ittihad for £25m. Champions League qualification was already assured. Rodgers has made several comments about the need for more quality in the Celtic squad, suggesting that it was weaker than last season under Postecoglou. Given Celtic’s financial stability and managerial support, it is reasonable to question why this is the case. The Champions League, where Celtic will face Feyenoord, Atlético Madrid, and Lazio, already seems daunting. By Friday, Rodgers seemed more satisfied. “There was a story written when I first arrived that there would be £10m and £15m players,” he says. “But that’s a story created externally and definitely not by me. The club has a sustainable model and they will work within that model. It has proven to be successful.” In Rodgers’ defense, Celtic were unimpressive for much of the latter stages of last season, even when they were winning trophies. However, the failure to score a single goal in 180 minutes against Kilmarnock and St Johnstone, both clubs with budgets that may just match Rodgers’ salary, was quite damning. Unlike Rodgers, Beale spent the summer rebuilding the starting XI out of necessity. The lesson from Van Bronckhorst’s sacking is that Beale will have this season alone to try to bring Rangers back to the top of Scottish football. Beale has rebuilt the midfield and attack, hoping it will compensate for the defense’s generosity. Celtic will feel confident about scoring at Ibrox. Rangers’ 3-0 victory over Celtic in May brought hope to their fans after a period of dominance from the green side. However, the problem for Beale is that the result hardly mattered. Postecoglou brushed Beale aside when it counted, particularly in league and Scottish Cup matches. Beale needs to make a statement of intent early in this campaign. Rangers should not collapse as they did in the Netherlands. “We know that is not good enough,” says Beale. “As a club of our size, we should never accept results like we had in the middle of the week.” Just last season, Liverpool thrashed them 7-1 at Ibrox. Beale is skilled at speaking confidently. Neither club would say it, but a draw would benefit both at this point. Any other result would put a manager in an unpleasant position, especially in early September.
First appear at Rangers and Celtic look for fire of Old Firm collision to steady early jitters
