Rangers’ Shambles Is No Excuse for Celtic’s Flimsy Squad

The new SPFL season has snuck up on us, and Celtic fans like me find themselves in a frustrating yet familiar position. Yes, last season’s dramatic run, culminating in a league title win and a Scottish Cup final victory over Rangers thanks to a last-minute goal from loan star Adam Idah, showcased the team’s grit and determination. However, the joy of victory must not blind us to the pressing need for reinforcements and improvements that were so glaringly obvious last season.

Our squad is about as thin as my last excuse for taking the day off sick after the Glasgow Derby. Yes, we’ve secured solid goalkeepers in Kasper Schmeichel and Viljami Sinisalo to replace Joe Hart, but where are the rest of the reinforcements? The defence has gaping holes, the midfield lacks depth and creativity, and up front, we’re relying on Kyogo like he’s our last tenner on a dodgy accumulator.

Last season, Brendan Rodgers turned a team that looked lost into title winners with a siege mentality that would make Braveheart proud. But even he’s saying we need more – and not just any signings, but proper quality. Our bargain hunting for potential might keep us top dogs in Scotland, but it’s doing us no favours in Europe. We’re playing checkers while the rest of Europe’s playing chess.

In the short term goals of the transfer window fans were hoping the club would make Bernardo and Adam Idah, permanent fixtures. Yet, here we are, still waiting. Sure, the Bernardo deal looks like it’s happening, but starting the season weaker than last? That’s just not on. Michael Nicholson needs to take the flak for that.

Now, let’s have a laugh at our neighbours. Rangers are in a right old mess. Playing at Hampden like nomads because their staunchly British club decided not to buy British when it came to materials. Their pre-season’s been a horror show with even their manager Philippe Clement having a public bitching session about the transfer budget. TikTok Todd wants out and their high earners are running for the hills.

But here’s the kicker – Rangers being such a basket case offers little incentive for the Celtic board to push the boat out. While it’s fun to see our rivals on their knees, it does have ramifications for us as a club. The board seems content with being just better than Rangers, but that’s not and should never be the benchmark at Celtic Park. Europe’s where we need to shine, and we’re getting schooled by clubs, even ones with similar budgets. We need ambition, not a pat on the back for being slightly less rubbish than the next guy in Scotland.

The faNBAse throws up all sorts of stuff. Some are terrified we’ll go down the same road as Rangers did before their financial apocalypse if we dare to spend, wait for it, money we have! But most of us just want smart, bold investment – none of this reckless spending. Can this Celtic board honestly sit there and say the playing squad is honestly the best it can be or even near it with the bank balance we currently have? We’ve got the Champions League cash coming in too, there’s just no excuse for not putting more money down to improve this squad. The fear of overspending on a player that doesn’t work out, or not being able to boast about record numbers is also a driving force for just being better than those guys.

The SPFL kicks off next week with Kilmarnock at home, and we’ve got Rangers in six weeks, Champions League in eight. But we’re still walking a tightrope with this squad. The transfer window’s open till the end of August, but the longer we wait, the slimmer the pickings. We’re a CCV injury away from having Liam Scales and Stephen Welsh as our Champions League centre-back pairing. Could you imagine?! That’s a nightmare waiting to happen.

We can’t settle for being just good enough to edge out a faltering Rangers. We need to aim higher, push harder, and make our mark in Europe. The board needs to step up, the fans need to keep the pressure on, and together, we can effectively push for what this faNBAse deserves. Oh, and it would be nice if I left Celtic Park on a Champions League night without a semi-permanent clenched ar**!