Rangers and celtic

[J R Hartley]

Ye they were good.

Not the best football wise but still more interesting than most around Europe.

I think I'd rank them:

1. Barca Madrid
2. Arsenal Spurs
3. Celtic Rangers
4. The rest

My interest in actually watching them.

Each to their own I dont really call watching one team who are far better than the other, and beating them easily, enjoyable or good to watch as a neutral.

[Rjk]

Gordon is better than Marshall, and Marshy was one of the best keepers in the Championship. Tierney looks a hell of a player, Lustig is a Sweden regular and their centre backs aren't bad. Kolo Toure played 9 games for Liverpool last season and can't get in Celtic's team. Armstrong and Brown would be top Championship players, Sinclair (who scored 19 goals in his last season in the Champ) and Roberts would be too good for the league, and Dembele and Griffiths would score for fun.

Newcastle just won the league with Paul Dummett and Ciaran Clark playing regularly.

I respectfully disagree.

They would be a good championship side, but no way would they run away with the league. I think playoffs at best.
Many of those players wouldn't look half as good if they were playing in actually competitive games every week.

[J R Hartley]

I respectfully disagree.

They would be a good championship side, but no way would they run away with the league. I think playoffs at best.
Many of those players wouldn't look half as good if they were playing in actually competitive games every week.

On the contrary they could be even better with more competetive games.

[NYCBlue]

Celtic may struggle with their current squad, but they'd become a much richer and better club almost overnight. They'd be playing for a top four place within three years.

[Rjk]

Celtic may struggle with their current squad, but they'd become a much richer and better club almost overnight. They'd be playing for a top four place within three years.

Three years would be very ambitious, unless they would throw some stupid money at it. They don't have anything close to a top 4 squad at the moment. Theyd need to change pretty much every player at theclub. They would have money, but then so do other clubs. Man city spent big for several years before they made progress.

[Pedro de la Rosa]

I respectfully disagree.

They would be a good championship side, but no way would they run away with the league. I think playoffs at best.
Many of those players wouldn't look half as good if they were playing in actually competitive games every week.

Patrick Roberts is one of the brightest prospects in Britain, Sinclair has proved he's too good for the Champ and Dembele is wanted by AC Milan if reports are to be believed. As JRH says as well, they'd benefit from having a game every week.

A lot of their squad are internationals as well, nobody else in the Champ boasts that sort of experience. If you compare their side with Newcastle's, I know who I'd rather have.

This is the Newcastle side that played against us, and the same weekend the Celtic side that played Rangers.
Elliot, Clark, Dummett, Mbemba, Yedlin, Colback (Shelvey 73), Hayden, Diame, Perez (Sterry 90), Atsu, Murphy (Mitrovic 66)

Gordon, Lustig, Simonovic, Boyata, Tierney, Brown (Kouassi), Armstrong (Rogic), Roberts (Forrest), McGregor, Sinclair, Griffiths

Apart from Shelvey, I don't think another Newcastle player gets in.

[Watcliff]

Anyone else like to see these 2 clubs in the English pyramid? I Know they come with a bit of baggage i.e all that religion shit, but Thier home support would probably rival anything in the premier league... especially Celtic fans, who are like rats, youre never more than a few metres away from one. I personally think, 5years in the premier league, and they would be challenging for titles. And adding the old firm to it, would only enhance the the premier leagues status as the world's number 1 football league

I think they should merge and play in the Norwegian league where they may do ok.

[bobh]

On it bringing a big game to the premier league Id agree.

Manchester United v Manchester City this past season was atrocious.

No glamour. Rubbish atmosphere. Turgid football by mourinho.

A few years people were hoping that derby would rival the biggest in the world.

The two big derbies for me in Europe are celtic rangers and barca madrid.

Apart from that I have basically no interest in most derbies outside of the UK.

The Milans aren't what they were. Lazio Roma is empty. Munich Dortmund? Not arsed. Athletico Real?. I'd watch it Bale was playing but wouldnt go out of my way to watch it.

You are forgetting that THE big derby of next season will be Brighton vs Bournemouth.

[Rjk]

Patrick Roberts is one of the brightest prospects in Britain, Sinclair has proved he's too good for the Champ and Dembele is wanted by AC Milan if reports are to be believed. As JRH says as well, they'd benefit from having a game every week.

A lot of their squad are internationals as well, nobody else in the Champ boasts that sort of experience. If you compare their side with Newcastle's, I know who I'd rather have.

This is the Newcastle side that played against us, and the same weekend the Celtic side that played Rangers.
Elliot, Clark, Dummett, Mbemba, Yedlin, Colback (Shelvey 73), Hayden, Diame, Perez (Sterry 90), Atsu, Murphy (Mitrovic 66)

Gordon, Lustig, Simonovic, Boyata, Tierney, Brown (Kouassi), Armstrong (Rogic), Roberts (Forrest), McGregor, Sinclair, Griffiths

Apart from Shelvey, I don't think another Newcastle player gets in.

Roberts is a big talent, bit if he was one of the brightest prospects in British football he would not be playing at the equivalent of league one level.

Sinclair is a good player, probably lower pl and dembele is also good, but his scoring rate was 15 in 43 games at championship and 17 in 29 games in the SPL. Again he would be very good but he wouldn't be blowing the league away.

The idea that Celtic players would have had a better season if they were playing against better opposition is a bit strange though?

[J R Hartley]

Roberts is a big talent, bit if he was one of the brightest prospects in British football he would not be playing at the equivalent of league one level.

Sinclair is a good player, probably lower pl and dembele is also good, but his scoring rate was 15 in 43 games at championship and 17 in 29 games in the SPL. Again he would be very good but he wouldn't be blowing the league away.

The idea that Celtic players would have had a better season if they were playing against better opposition is a bit strange though?

Dembele is only 20. He scored 15 goals in a bottom half side in the championship in his first full season at 19 years old and bagged 32 in all competitions last season at 20. He's now being linked with all the top clubs in Europe yet you don't think he's all that

Hes got more about him than any of the Scandinavian Ex City players you rave about.

I didn't say playing against better players would have made them have a better season?

You said they wouldn't look half as good in a more competitive games in The Championship but I said it could work the other way and make them better players by having more competition.

There's a school of thought in sport, not just football, that you play more competitive opponents it makes you raise your game and improve as a player.

Celtic had won the league by Xmas without having to get into top gear and they would probably welcome more competition.

[William Treseder]

It would also diminish the status of the Scottish Premier League, which is low enough already. They tried it once with the Atlantic League and that was vetoed. Scotland is their home, that's where they belong.

If that's your criteria then surely our teams should play in Wales?

[NYCBlue]

Three years would be very ambitious, unless they would throw some stupid money at it. They don't have anything close to a top 4 squad at the moment. Theyd need to change pretty much every player at theclub. They would have money, but then so do other clubs. Man city spent big for several years before they made progress.

Man City were bought by the Arabs in 2008. By 2011 they qualified for the Champions League and by 2012 they were champions. Maybe 3 years is a bit ambitious for Celtic to be a top 4 club, but they'd find it a lot easier to sign top players and they'd have the third highest attendance in the EPL. They wouldn't be as rich as Man City or Chelsea, but they'd be up there with Liverpool and Arsenal.

[bobh]

It would also diminish the status of the Scottish Premier League, which is low enough already. They tried it once with the Atlantic League and that was vetoed. Scotland is their home, that's where they belong.

If that's your criteria then surely our teams should play in Wales?

Not that old chestnut!

It's different, anyway.
We have always been in the FL, they have always been in the Scottish league.

A more accurate analogy would be inviting TNS into the premier league

[Rjk]

Man City were bought by the Arabs in 2008. By 2011 they qualified for the Champions League and by 2012 they were champions. Maybe 3 years is a bit ambitious for Celtic to be a top 4 club, but they'd find it a lot easier to sign top players and they'd have the third highest attendance in the EPL. They wouldn't be as rich as Man City or Chelsea, but they'd be up there with Liverpool and Arsenal.

Yeah within a few years theyd have a similar financial clout as teams like that, but they would also be starting from a much lower base. And they wouldn't have European football to rely on to be able to attract players.

More importantly though, when man city broke through there were really only 4-5 elite level teams in the league that were competing for the 4 champions league spots.

These days there are already 6 teams competing hard for those 4 spots and throw rangers and Celtic into the mix and there are 7 or 8 teams. It is going to be a much harder group to break into than when man city did it.

[Pedro de la Rosa]

Roberts is a big talent, bit if he was one of the brightest prospects in British football he would not be playing at the equivalent of league one level.

Sinclair is a good player, probably lower pl and dembele is also good, but his scoring rate was 15 in 43 games at championship and 17 in 29 games in the SPL. Again he would be very good but he wouldn't be blowing the league away.

The idea that Celtic players would have had a better season if they were playing against better opposition is a bit strange though?

Look at that Newcastle side above, and tell me who would get in Celtic's team? The Championship isn't as good as you think it is, and neither is the Premier League. After all, Leicester won the league with Andy King playing 25 games, and he's 5th choice CM for Wales.