Rangers Match Preview-Espanyolification.
Once again, Celtic and Rangers are virtually tied going into a clash together. Despite being the early month of August in the young SPL season, this game could put some shape on the upcoming season for both teams. A win by either team can start a lead that might never be surpassed, while a draw keeps things interesting and nerves on both sides up. On the Tim-ernet, Rangers offseason of paying too much for Maurice Edu and Kyle Lafferty and unceremoniously dropping out of the Champions League has been described as the beginning of “Espanyolification” (or Citeh-ification if you like) of Rangers. Many Celtic fans believe (or are hoping really) that these set backs will start the process of Rangers being the small club of Glasgow, a la Espanyol in Barcelona (or Man Citeh in Manchester). While you could make a pretty good argument that this probably is not going to happen and is merely a Celtic fan’s dream, it does bring up an interesting question. Does Celtic “need” Rangers? If Rangers were to go the way of Espanyol, would ties with them lose the uniqueness and excitement that make Danny Dyer want to be part of it (’ave it!)?
Firstly, I would just like to say I do not like the term “Old Firm”. While its use will never be stopped, like many other Celtic fans, I do not see our clubs, our fans, and our history the same as Rangers. I do not want to be associated with certain elements of the Rangers support and hopefully our upcoming trips in Europe, including UEFA Cup Final host Manchester, will be able to differentiate between our support, who are known for their good behavior, and our city (no pun intended) rivals Rangers and their support, who do not have such a good reputation. However, business wise I don’t think a weak Rangers would really hurt Celtic. In fact, it might grow Celtic. A strong Celtic would win over bandwagon fans (they’re out there sadly) looking for a team (ManUification?). Receiving the entire pot of Champions League money, as occurred this year, could also put Celtic at an advantage in both business and on the pitch.
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