Routine and tradition were just a couple of attributes that were thrown out the window by the Premiership this season, owing mainly to the worldwide pandemic that erupted earlier in the year. Not only did it result in the immature suspension of the last league season, but it also meant that relegations and promotions had to be taken care of in an alternate manner as well. With the new Premiership season now well and truly underway, both Celtic and Rangers are sure to have ambitions and hopes of their own for the current campaign.
Looking back at it now, the pre-season tour of France actually turned out to be a good indication of what was in store for the opening weeks of the new campaign. Neil Lennon’s side played the likes of Nice, Lyon and PSG, but unfortunately for them, they didn’t manage to win a single one of those outings. Rangers, despite not facing PSG, won both of their clashes in the Veolia Cup to lift the trophy as well. With a couple of successful local friendlies played out upon returning to Scotland as well, the Ibrox club did enter the season looking better-equipped to deal with the situation.
What Are Rangers and Celtic’s Current Situations?
The Parkhead club haven’t had the best of the starts to their league campaign this season by any stretch of the imagination. Although the comfortable four-goal win on opening day would’ve filled Lennon’s side with confidence, it’s safe to say that they’re yet to hit the same heights in the league again. Just two matches into the season and Celtic were hit with a massive controversy that would spell the end on his Parkhead career for one of their defenders.
Boli Bolingoli broke quarantine rules to make an illicit trip to Spain without the knowledge of the club, and this caused two of the Hoops’ league outings to be postponed. Having returned to league action just last weekend, it took a late winner from summer signing Albian Ajeti to earn Neil Lennon’s side all three points. Celtic currently find themselves six points off Rangers at the top of the table, albeit with two games in hand. Despite this, the Ibrox club’s superior goal difference could come as a stumbling block in the later stages of the tournament.
Rangers, on the other hand, have been near-perfect since the start of the season, with their only blemish so far coming in the form of a 0-0 draw against Livingston. With five games down and 13 points on the board, Gerrard’s side have more than enough reason to be proud and excited about the start to the season they’ve displayed. As good as their attacking play has been, the one thing that has made this Rangers team stand out from the rest is the fact that they’re yet to concede a goal in the league this season. With five games gone already, the Ibrox club’s record reads nine goals scored, and none conceded.
Comparing The Defences Of Celtic And Rangers This Season:
Rangers
Ever since they started pre-season, defending is something that has seemingly come naturally to this Rangers team. One of the biggest factors in that is the depth that’s available to Gerrard in the centre-half role, and how having a variety of options opens up a massive world of possibilities for the manager. Connor Goldson has very much been the commander of this back-line, having started every game since the commencement of the season. Not only is the experienced defender a good tackler of the ball, but his voice and sheer know-how have been integral to their performance levels this term.
Goldson tends to commandeer the box quite efficiently, and to his credit, it hasn’t mattered which player is deployed alongside him either. During the pre-season fixtures, George Edmundson was the man preferred to be the Englishman’s partner at the back, and it’s safe to say that he impressed massively. Not only did the English defender look dominant in the defensive phase, but his passing and composure were right up there too. This prompted most to believe that Gerrard could be tempted to promoting him as the first-choice.
Despite some positive signs, it was actually summer signing Leon Balogun that started the season alongside Goldson. Having just arrived in Scotland, the expectation levels weren’t too high, and this could be what allowed the Nigerian to settle in so seamlessly. The former Brighton man seemed to be an instant upgrade on Edmundson, and Gerrard’s decision to change things around wasn’t questioned at all. Balogun seemed like the ideal partner for Goldson, but within a couple of fixtures, he picked up an unfortunate knock.
Many expected the impressive Edmundson to return to the side on the back of this, but Gerrard threw another curve-ball by putting Filip Helander into the team instead. Each defensive change so far had been a master-stroke by the manager, and the introduction of Helander has turned out to be yet another one of those. The centre-half has been rock solid since coming into the side, which now means that Gerrard has four dependable options to choose from for the role.
A couple of injuries would have absolutely no effect of the Gers’ defensive system, and depth like that is a humongous asset to have in the gritty nature of Premiership football. By maintaining a fairly high line and with added defensive support from Ryan Jack as well, Gerrard’s back-line has flourished so far this season. Unless the opponents in the coming weeks can come up with something special, it’s unlikely that this Rangers defence will be penetrated. The confidence that the gaffer has imparted onto his defenders is clear to see, and it’s going to be vital for Rangers all through the season.
Celtic
The Parkhead side have started the season with just three recognised options to choose from in the centre-half role, and it’s safe to say that unless they make additions in the coming weeks, challenging for the title again could be a difficult task. Christopher Jullien has been regular in Neil Lennon’s defence line, and as vital as he’s been, there have been various questionable moments since the start of the season. Despite this, the Celts should be thankful for Jullien’s presence at the back, as, without him, things could’ve turned sour a while ago.
Kristoffer Ajer is the man who was preferred as Jullien’s partner at the back, and it must be conceded that the youngster hasn’t looked like himself since the start of this new season. The 22-year-old seemed more than decent last campaign, but he’s failed to replicate even a small percentage of that form this time around. Whether or not the transfer saga that took place in the summer has drained the confidence remains to be seen, but one thing that’s for sure is that he’s not been the same player.
The Norwegian centre-half has been careless in possession during glimpses in the season, and the composure and class that he seemed to ooze last year have all but dried up now. Standing at 1.98m tall, you’d expect a defender of Ajer’s stature to dominate any of the aerial balls that are played into the box, but he has not been able to manage that either. The youngster’s performance levels have dropped so drastically that Lennon was forced to bring Nir Bitton into the side in his stead for their latest league clash against Dundee United.
Hatem Abd Elhamed and Nir Bitton are the Celts’ two alternate options in the centre-half role, but those two names will not fill the manager with confidence. Elhamed has mostly been used as a back-up right-back since the start of the campaign, while the fact that Bitton is a midfielder by position is clear as day every time he takes to the pitch. The massive expectations that were placed on Ajer’s shoulders at the end of last season are arguably what’s weighing him down, and neither Bitton nor Elhamed, have the quality required to adequately replace him.
Comparing The Defences Of Celtic And Rangers This Season: Major Tactical Differences
Steven Gerrard’s back-line has been structured in an extremely organised manner, where each member of the squad is aware of what to do in any given situation in their own half. The likes of Ryan Kent, Joe Aribo and Glen Kamara all help out considerably at the back, while the work-rate of their two full-backs cannot be discounted either. Borna Barisic and James Tavernier tend to maintain an extremely high position on the pitch, which makes it easier for them to press the ball and win it back as soon as they lose it.
Celtic’s defensive structure has been poor since the start of the season, and a lot of that is down to Jullien being unable to settle with a regular partner. The Frenchman has been dominant for the most part, but Ajer alongside him hasn’t helped out at all. Erratic in the possession and seemingly sweating bullets every time he’s faced up by an opposition attacker, the Norwegian will have to drastically improve his game in the coming weeks to ensure that Celtic can keep themselves in the title race.
Gerrard has quite visibly also split the pitch up into zones for the Rangers defenders to cover. Each man on the pitch is responsible for a specific area, and the commitment that the defenders have shown towards covering that zone is commendable, to say the least. With added support coming in from midfield and even the attack lines, defending aerial crosses and set-pieces have all been a walk in the park for the Ibrox club so far. With players working for each other and covering each other’s backs consistently, Gerrard has landed on a highly functional defensive setup that could prove to be the difference-maker.
Celtic meanwhile, have been clearly focusing a lot of their attention towards getting the attacking part right. The likes of Greg Taylor and Jeremie Frimpong have been offensively explosive down the flanks, albeit without providing the necessary defensive cover. The full-back duo are often surpassed by opposition attackers with ease, largely because their first reaction to winning the ball back is to counter-attack and get forward. Like Rangers, the Celtic full-backs also tend to maintain a high-line, with the significant different being their apparent lack of determination to get back and defend.
What Should Fans Expect From The Teams In The Weeks To Come?
Neil Lennon will most certainly be aware of the defensive shortcomings that his team is currently going through, and trying to attack the situation without making any additions would be like asking for trouble. With just one alternate centre-half available in the squad, one injury has the potential to collapse their entire season. An untimely knock for Jullien at some point could also trigger the end of their chase for the title.
Gerrard’s men have found a system that quite clearly works, and with the right kind of personnel available for the job in hand as well, it would be surprising if the Gers conceded more goals than Celtic this season. Their stellar record of zero goals conceded from five Premiership outings last dates all the way back to 1929, when the Rangers squad of old achieved the same feat. Another clean slate would be a historic achievement from a Premiership perspective, and as things stand, there’s no reason why Gerrard’s side shouldn’t be able to achieve just that.
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