Martin O’Neill has dismissed Graeme Souness’ assertion that the gap between Celtic and Rangers isn’t as significant as it seems.
It was Celtic who emerged as 3-0 victors when the Old Firm met at Celtic Park last weekend.
Despite this, former Rangers midfielder Graeme Souness appeared on talkSPORT after the latest Old Firm match to analyze how the Scottish rivals compared to one another.
Despite Brendan Rodgers’ side securing a comfortable victory, Souness argued that the gap between the two teams might not be as significant as it seems.
“There’s definitely a gap,” he acknowledged. “But from what I see, that gap is mainly due to Celtic having better strikers.
“The stats don’t show Celtic completely dominating Rangers at Parkhead. We (Rangers) finished second last season, behind Celtic.
“By the end of the season, Celtic spent £28 million, while we spent £14 million, and they also generated a lot of revenue. So we’re trying to catch them, but we’re spending only half of what they are during the summer transfer window.”
“So there is a gap. Rangers are not in a healthy financial situation right now. Celtic are in a far better financial situation that allows them to go out and cherry-pick players.
“Whereas Rangers are buying under pressure, where everyone they buy has to come in and do a job right now. That’s a difficult situation to be in.”
However, not everybody was quite so optimistic about the disparity in quality between the two teams at the moment.
Former Northern Ireland international and ex-Celtic manager Martin O’Neill had a much more pessimistic view of Philippe Clement’s Rangers team and their current situation.
When asked about Souness’ comments on the White and Jordan show, O’Neill didn’t mince words.
“He’s completely deluding himself!” O’Neill stated. “There is a gap – it’s a huge chasm between the two teams.”
“Yes, over the course of a 90-minute game, they might appear to be close. And if you lose by just 1 or 2-0, you can convince yourself it was competitive.
“But that game last week wasn’t close at all. Celtic were significantly better.
“The idea that Rangers only spent less because of their struggles over the past several years is just part of it. It’s been awful, truly terrible.
“And this doesn’t benefit Celtic either, in my opinion. For Celtic to be really strong and competitive in European football, Rangers need to be strong too.
“But Rangers are not. They’re very, very poor. In fact, I’d say this is one of the weakest Rangers sides I’ve seen in my time in football.”
O’Neill, the former Nottingham Forest midfielder, also felt that last season’s performances highlighted just how far Rangers are from seriously challenging Celtic again.
He added: “Their recruitment looks weak. Forget about European football—just focus on competing domestically!
“When I talk about a chasm, I mean that Celtic have the capacity to go away and win tough matches, which Rangers simply can’t handle right now.”
“You couldn’t rely on Rangers to secure an away win,” O’Neill observed. “Last year—and I’m not blaming just one match—they had an opportunity to win and close the gap.
“They were in a good position too, even after drawing against Celtic.
“But then they faced Ross County, took the lead, and still lost. A Rangers team shouldn’t be doing that.”
As Celtic prepares for another Champions League campaign this year, O’Neill believes that the shortcomings of their domestic rivals could actually be a significant disadvantage for them.
Celtic will face teams like Feyenoord, Atlético Madrid, and Lazio in the group stage of Europe’s premier competition, but O’Neill thinks that the lack of quality in their rivals could make their campaign more challenging.
“From a Celtic perspective, you need Rangers to be strong,” he explained. “You need them to be very, very competitive. That keeps you strong.”
“Sure, plenty of Celtic fans will be thrilled with the current situation,” O’Neill said. “But not me.
“When I look back 20 years, to when I was manager, stepping into an environment with a very strong Rangers side, it motivated you to push yourself and compete at the highest level.”