Yesterday, I had the day off. I did nothing. I wrote nothing.
Today I am going to write about how last night impacts us, and to clarify a few things that are flying around out there.
Beyond this, I won’t be writing one more word until Saturday, so enjoy the start of your weekend guys.
There are two ways to answer the question of how it affects us.
Small scale and big picture.
Here’s the small scale first, alright?
We will have to share the TV pool money. Our domestic rivals will net extra cash. How much extra cash depends on who you believe when they throw the numbers at you. Remember something that nobody wanted to talk about until this moment; there was never going to be a “£40 million gap” between the two clubs.
This is not £40 million extra.
It’s maybe £15 million and that’s still a lot of money.
Because a good Europa League run can net you a few bucks depending on wins and getting through the Groups.
They have proved adept at that in the past few years, due in no small part to the poverty of talent they’ve come up against.
So in the short term, we’ll certainly lose some money that we would otherwise have had. And yes, our principle rival will be stronger for what they just did. Those are the short term effects and you might well think we’ll feel those.
But only if we screw up badly.
In the long term, this isn’t going to affect us at all.
Try to remember this today; Celtic is no weaker than it was last night, no poorer than it was last night.
They will make money. We will make more. They’ve not even “closed the gap.” If the gap is measured in what the clubs earn, that gap will be less … but it’ll still be a gap and we’ll be on the upside of it.
Celtic is in a place now where the only thing that can do us harm is us.
If we keep our eyes on the prize, if we stay focussed, if we just do what it is that we’ve been doing, taking it one game at a time, then we will be champions at the end of this campaign.
If we keep on investing in this squad and backing this manager, we will continue to be the strongest club in this country well into the future.
I’ve been arguing here for years that what counts most in football are the underlying fundaments and our club has the fundamentals right.
We are financially secure.
We are run on a sustainable basis.
Champions League money allows us to push the boat out a little farther than we otherwise might. But we do not depend on it for our survival. We have a solid structure built on strong foundations.
Their club has spent £100 million above and beyond earnings just to get here.
This isn’t pay-day, it’s filling in the hole.
But here’s the thing; their own fundamentals have not changed one bit.
They are still a club that spends way more than it can afford to.
A couple of player sales and Champions League Group Stage football are moon-shots for this lot … it’s like being a lucky gambler and getting three good hands in a row, on the draw.
That’s what their entire club is built on; gambling.
The last club from Ibrox had three straight years of Champions League football. Three straight years of it, from 2009-2011.
Remember the significance of 2011?
It still amazes me to this day how few people really understand what happened that year.
They tell themselves that Rangers was sunk by the big tax case … that’s not what happened at all. Rangers simply ran out of cash. They were running up debts year after year and that year they ran out of road.
The fundamentals at Ibrox are still a mess.
They are addicted to spending, to behaving recklessly. And all they’ll do here, unless there are suddenly smarter people in charge over there than there have been in years, is over-reach.
None of it affects us unless we slip up. Unless we fail to do the best we can by the manager we’ve got.
And the signs on that front are good.
Sometimes it takes something like this to focus minds on the job we’re still doing … the board knows that complacency and sleeping at the wheel will be harshly punished. So does the boss and he won’t let them.
Already I’ve had to read some utter nonsense about how we’ve let them overtake us.
Say what? Have people not seen the league table?
Have people not noticed that we were already in the Champions League Groups before tonight?
As champions?
Well, we’re top now and we’re defending our crown.
They aren’t in front of us, and only someone totally delusional could look at the situation at the two clubs and think they are.
Remember; we didn’t suddenly fall behind them tonight even by financial metrics.
By every estimate, we will make more from this competition than they will. So they’ve not even caught up far less overtaken us. This will be a bumper turnover year for them … but for us too. And that has to be remembered as well.
Ange is the man who says it best; we focus on the things we can control. It was not in our gift last night to stop them or aid them, and so this other ridiculous suggestion that our board is somehow complicit in this should be parked.
When our board screws up, we give them stick for it.
My last article giving them stick was a mere three days ago, when I flayed them for their Champions League ticket prices.
Some people didn’t think they deserved that. I don’t think they deserve stick for this.
Yes, we could have fought for financial fair play.
We could have fought to stop clubs in Scotland spending more than they earn, and I don’t think we did nearly enough.
But even if we had, that would have involved the rest of Scottish football giving a shit along with us and I think we all know they don’t.
This is a two club country and not one other side in it has the imagination or balls to make it anything else, but they all dream about it.
They all dream about a sudden influx of sugar-daddy wealth one day, upending everything and none of them will vote for any policy which might stop that train in its tracks even if it’s a total fantasy.
Ultimately, we failed to reform the game but we’re not the only club with skin in it … and the rest don’t care.
We had the chairman of Motherwell this week suggesting it would “benefit Scottish football” to allow the second of two massive clubs to further enrich itself … that’s the kind of thinking you are dealing with. Idiotic is not even the word for it. This is turkeys voting for Xmas over and over and over and over again.
There is a recurring view that our club “had the chance to kill them” and didn’t.
Utter nonsense as I’ve said; there was always going to be a club playing out of Ibrox and calling itself Rangers. We could have called out the Survival Lie with greater volume and that’s on us, but the fact that Scottish football wanted it this way was something we were never in any position to change … it’s a fact of life.
Some version of them will always be hanging around, like a bad smell.
Beyond the things we could have done, we appointed Lennon and that let them have a year in the sun.
But the policies of that club, we can’t control. Their directors were prepared to roll the dice in this crazy casino … after a certain point, we couldn’t stop that, only watch and hope that they didn’t hit the jackpot.
They think they have. They are wrong.
All we can do is keep them in their place.
Dominate them. Humiliate them.
Rule this roost and make them suffer through every day that we stand over them.
There will be plenty more days, weeks, months and years of that to come.
This is today, and today is a good day for them. But today passes into tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow is Dundee Utd away, and that’s all we need to focus on.
Get that right, win those points, and all the other good things will follow.
I agree with most of what you say James, but what you miss, in my opinion, is that they have gained a measure of financial security, and thereby been rewarded for their selfish, cheating, bullying behaviour, when they needed to learn a little humility. We can expect them to continue on this trajectory; and have consequences well outside of football.
We’ve got to concentrate on what we do. respect every team we play, be up for every game and make sure our scouting system and academy are up to scratch. The team playing out of Ibrox at this time are probably the best they’ve been since their reincarnation, and Van Bronckhorst is probably their best manager in that time.
I thought PSV were a very ordinary team and I’m of the opinion that the lack of respect for Scottish Football in Europe could work in our favour. I’m also convinced that the lack of respect helped the Ibrox team in their run to the Europa Final last season. Lets hope Europe continues to under estimate the Scottish game.
We’ve got to put down a marker on the 3rd Sept at Celtic Park and put them back in their box.
I don’t know about that. After the scum’s UEFA exploits last year and now qualification plus the way Ange has us playing I think clubs might be a tad more wary than before. Except the Barca and PSG type mega clubs, they’ll assume we can be swatted aside as per usual.
Welcome to the big boy’s table, Sevco.
James is right, this may keep the lights on over there for a while, but the long-term trend is still against them.
They are heavily in debt, no credit line with a bank, widely mistrusted as commercial partners and known around the world for hooliganism and a poisonous supremacist ideology.
It really might not be too long until we have Rangers 3.0 attempting to bilk their debtors again, barge their way into the SPL, and of course ‘going for the 56’.
Hello Phil! FFS! They have no debt (other than soft loans to directors, which will probably be converted to equity in due course). They have generated significant revenue recently, which we’re all aware of. Their player trading model is finally paying dividends. They are way beyond the point where they have financial concerns. We have known for months that we would play CL football. We have bought our two excellent loanees. Other than that, it’s hard to see that we’re investing ahead of the CL. It’s one thing swatting aside SPL cannon fodder, it’s another thing altogether challenging for points at Europe’s top table.
Hi Hans, did you used to be called Sean by any chance?
Hello Phil! FFS! They have no debt (other than soft loans to directors, which will probably be converted to equity in due course). They have generated significant revenue recently, which we’re all aware of. Their player trading model is finally paying dividends. They are way beyond the point where they have financial concerns. We have known for months that we would play CL football. We have bought our two excellent loanees. Other than that, it’s hard to see that we’re investing ahead of the CL. It’s one thing swatting aside SPL cannon fodder, it’s another thing altogether challenging for points in Europes elite league
Other than that…..FYI, 3 loanees we signed, not two, Jota, CCV and Maeda
Also….Bernabei, Siegrist, Mooy, Jenz, and Haksabonovic.
That is eight players and counting….
It was a good result last night, let’s get that out there first of all. I strongly fancied PSV last night, but they seem to get over the line in these knockout ties. That’s Dortmund, Liepzig, and now PSV, they seem to have a way of doing this. So I will give them there due for that. To qualify from the non champions route, is hard, they have managed that, so fair play. This is the season were hopefully, we start getting our act together in Europe, and showing people that we are a force again. We are a bit of an unknown quantity, so I’m hoping we use that to our advantage, and we hit the ground running. I’m buzzing for the draw today, let’s hope it’s kind to us. I want to go to an away match, so I’m hoping somewhere like Spain, Germany, or France. It’s great to be back were we belong, among the best in Europe. We were first British club to win the trophy, so we are back were we belong. Let’s shock a few teams Celtic.
The nom Champions route had them playing just the two ties, four games, and in three of those game they were gifted goals. Against USG, second leg, the defender inexplicably brings a high ball down with his arm when he is not in any danger just before half time. First game versus PSV the goalie inexplicably throws the ball into his own net and last night what a debacle in defence to gift them yet another goal. Did they get their on merit, I’m not so sure, they are a lucky team, not a good one?
I also agree with your deliberations, we are not affected by what they do, our destiny and our welfare is, as always, in our own hands. We do things in the main correctly, with sound principals and guidelines to point us in the right direction. We are in a happy place right now as the major force in Scottish football and the gleeful huns are playing catch-up as they have had to do for many years. We will put them back in their box at Celtic Park a week on Saturday and I am hoping that their result last night will lull them into a false sense of security, that they will assume that they are now good enough to join Europe’s elite without spending further money to strengthen their side, for if they do that they will fail miserably.
We are ready for the Champion’s League, they are most certainly not.
COYBIG………we never stop!
Let’s face facts. We are all gutted. I certainly am. I think it’s disgusting that a club like Rangers can ditch it’s massive debt, phoenix and walk back in as if nothing had happened. We all feel that. But if we are being dispassionate what I want to see happen now is Celtic outperform them in Europe. We haven’t done that for a few seasons. This is the next challenge for Ange.
I don’t know anything about last night’s game other than the result. I looked at it and closed the window on my phone. So all I can say is that it was a phenomenal result. The huns had no advantages given to them whatsoever. First leg at home, the Morelos disaster and up against a “free scoring” Dutch side that everyone fancied to win. Well they didn’t. The huns did. And that’s why they’re getting all the headlines (not that the press need any excuses to give that lot the headlines).
This is our task now. To outperform what they are achieving. Forget everything else. Forget “do we need Rangers(sic)”? Forget them dying again. Forget who is the richer or more financially stable club. Because, at the end of the day, all we care about is bragging rights. And right now, they have a fair share of them.
agree james…we can only concentrate on what we do…4th sept we need to hammer them-lay down a marker.
don’t mind saying it…i was scunnered at the result last night…total sickener – because i fuqn hate them and all associated with them…however, they achieve great results in european ties…can always dig out a result to progress…tho thought PSV were v poor.
would love to play them at some stage in a european tie – not gonna happen this season obviously…but dare i say it…i think they are set up to achieve better results in europe than us…hope i’m wrong.
HH
Changes nothing where we’re concerned. The money can help them strengthen, but so can we. Have tae laugh tho at the predictable reaction from the media and factions of the ibrox support. Incomin weeks ahead of wild hype and hysterics. OK, they’ve done what was necessary, can only try and get a result against who’s put in front of you and they achieved that. But, unless your completely blind, anybody could see over 2 games psv weren’t anythin special. Will be interestin tae see how they do if they get a team who CAN score goals.
Excellent article! Stay focused. We never stop! ??
Let’s concentrate on ourselves guys.. we have draw to see who we are playing in champions league, and let’s focus on that. PSV couldn’t beat Rangers, so that’s there fault. They conceded the goal, and they were out foxed, and managed, that’s it. Whether they carry luck, it don’t change the fact, that they were just were too savvy for PsV. Celtic are in the champions league, so happy days to that. Let’s be happy, and look forward to our draw. Let’s look forward to 5pm today, back were we belong.
If you look on their sites the peepul keep saying how rubbish our team/players are. Stupid OK?
Trouble is that many of our support underestimate their team too. Let’s accept that they are not a bad team with not a bad manager and look forward to winning against them home and away. The slimmest of margins will do fine for me especially if we can avoid their “entitled” penalty kicks and red cards.
Agree with that. It’s what WE dae that counts for us. Tho tbh still don’t think the ibrox side look the side they were last year. Not so far. Hope we can make as many chances next week as psv did. Quite confident there would be a difference.
Time the Celtic fans were realising that they have a fight on their hands. This old; PMcG crap about not having credit from a Bank is pathetic.
All that means is that they are operating fine and well and don’t owe any Bank a penny.
If Celtic don’t start taking more of their chances they won ‘t be on top for long.
Old Firm FC are incredibly fortunate at times in signing
unknowns who can do a job for them. Even the likes of
very ordinary players like Armfieldd and Jack can do a job for them. I hope I am wrong but I feel Celtic will have a bigger job to do this season.
It also means that all of their debts are internally held and so no external parties can call in their debts and put them into financial jeopardy. It’s a bit like having no credit card debts but owing your mum and dad a good few quid. Or, a bit like being the United States and being able to control the currency by which your debts are measured, as opposed to being Argentina and having your debts measured in US dollars.
They have indeed gambled quite a lot in the last five years in particular, but it’s paid off.
The ‘Rangers/Sevco is skint’ era is over. Acting as if it is not is dangerous. If/when they beat us, many Celtic fans will be irate because they won’t understand how we could be beaten by a club in such financial dire straits. Explaining, at that point, that they’re not in dire straits tends to fall on deaf ears: ‘they must be skint; they’re Rangers’.
It’s why it’s so essential to keep fans as far away from the running of a football club as it’s possible for them to be.
The FILTH are PISH & the LUCKIEST team alive!! However after aw their yrs of Cheating they are now close tae solvent again! Nae doubt they’ll draw Eintracht, Seville & Salzburg, win wan game & go thru on 6 pts! So long as we win the league I personally DONT GIVE A FLYING FUK!! Let’s just MURDA THIS SCUM WK ON SAT!!
The problem is that they seem to have exceptional luck when it comes to who they’re drawn against. I wouldn’t be surprised if they get Auchinleck Talbot, inter yer maw and afc blidcraft in their group while we get man City, Barcelona and the 1976 Brazil team.
Things would’ve been better for us (and frankly the whole of Scottish football) had they lost last night.
You’re not wrong, lucky doesn’t even cover it. They’ve got the money to spend now no matter what anyone says and unlike us I fully expect them to go out and sign a couple of big Euro fringe names on loan now they can pay the wages. It doesn’t mean they’ll be successful (eg Ramsey) but they’ve got their cheaper development players in so why wouldn’t they, its what they do. Who said cheats don’t win
And what about the lies on BBC stv all the rest saying sevco returning to UCL in 12 years new club/team 1st time ever in UCL FACT
Back to somewhere they have never been. Scotlands gutless sevco media shame.
Let’s just hope the teams we get paired with are as feeble as PSV Eindhoven ! At home ,full house, used to the heat, everything in their favour and could not have scored in a Bordello! To bring your B game to such an important fixture is unforgivable. I believe PSV were way over complacent and paid the expensive price.
I would rather have gotten Real Madrid in the Final, we still might, but I am happy enough with the other two.
Happy with that group.. ours is easier than the Huns. Liepzig who our rivals put to the sword, shakhtar who’s country have been in turmoil, Real Madrid solid offcourse, but well happy with that group. The Huns have a tough ask, with Liverpool, who will annihilate them, Ajax, and Napoli. I’m happy with that. HH
Great draw, Liepzig were put to the sword by our rivals, Shakhtar who’s country is in turmoil, that’s a great draw. Rangers have a right tough ask, Liverpool will annihilate them, Ajax and Napoli are good sides as well. But will have to wait and see HH