Would Old Firm Loss Make Beale’s First Season A Failure?

on April 27, 2023 at 6:00 pm

Rangers play Celtic on Sunday in the Scottish Cup and if Rangers lose would that mean that Beale’s first season at Rangers is a failure?

Michael Beale’s side are sitting in second in the SPL table right now and that it where they will finish the season. They are miles ahead of Aberdeen in third but more importantly they are way behind Celtic for top spot.

With the standard around Ibrox being SPL trophies or at least challenging Celtic for SPL trophies this league campaign has to be considered disappointing.

Having lost to Celtic in the Scottish League Cup Final earlier in the year, Rangers are only left with one more chance at winning a trophy this season.

To do that they will have to once again face up to their foes Celtic and beat them this Sunday in the semi-final of the Scottish Cup. If they can’t do that then the question has to be asked; is Michael Beale’s first season in charge of Rangers a failure?

We put that question to former Celtic player and manager Neil Lennon who knows all about the high standards expected when managing one of Glasgow’s powerhouses.

Would a loss to Celtic mean Michael Beale’s First Season At Rangers Is A Failure?

There’s two sides to this question. As a Rangers manager, you are judged on what you can do against Celtic and as a Celtic manager, you are judged on how you perform against Rangers. So far Michael has a draw and two defeats against Celtic in the three games they have had together.

The performances have been better than what they were previously, but you still have to get that win otherwise you come under criticism, scrutiny and analysis.

A season without a trophy is pretty damning in Glasgow. He will obviously get a summer transfer window.

I was also surprised that Giovanni van Bronckhorst was sacked in the first place. He had won the Scottish Cup and qualified for the Champions League. But it was a knee jerk reaction to the four-nil defeat they suffered at the hands of Celtic earlier in the season.

I think if Rangers win, they will be facing Inverness or Falkirk in the final, and either Rangers or Celtic will be favourites to win the whole tournament.

Will Moussa Dembele Return To Celtic?

In terms of Moussa Dembele, it is a question of affordability. He is a top class centre forward. He had a great career at Celtic and scored some big goals for Lyon.

He may not be able to play as much as he wants, but I think his future lies in the Premier League.

Who Is Better – Furuhashi or Dembele?

Kris Boyd recently said he will pick Kyogo Furuhashi over Dembele any day, do you agree?

Kyogo and Dembele are two different types of players. Both of them are brilliant centre-forwards. Kyogo is more dominant in his play, and his movement off the ball and finishing is top class. Moussa Dembele is very powerful and is a fantastic finisher.

He is also good in the air. That is Kris’ opinion at the end of the day and many may defer from that. Personally if I could I would have both of them in my team.

Should Cliftonville Star Sean Moore Join Celtic or West Ham?

I think Sean Moore should come to Celtic. Celtic are renowned for developing players and I’m sure he will be familiar with the club’s history. I think he will feel more at home. West Ham are a good club with a great manager but at this stage in his career, Celtic is the better move for him.

The Sadio Mane Leroy Sane Bust Up – How Lennon Dealt With Player Conflict As A Manager

It’s not a bad thing to have conflict within the dressing room, but you don’t want players punching each other – so Sadio Mane has overstepped the mark a bit. But it shows how much they care. Maybe there is a personal issue between the two of them, but as a manager you have to step back and let them deal with it.

I have seen many of these in my time and it can galvanise a team. I have seen it in opposition dressing rooms as well, sometimes managers encourage it within their teams at times to get a reaction. It shows you that top world class players care about their game. One, they’re embarrassed. Two, they have lost and are angry.

The Old Firm is one of the fiercest rivalries in all of football with strong cultural ties underpinning it. With that in mind we recently took a look at 7 Irish Players Who Played For Rangers.

Click Below For All Our Rangers v Celtic Scottish Cup Semi-Final Odds