Alan Brazil suggests difference in Rangers that should concern Celtic

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Glasgow Rangers have made a bright start to the new season, and the Ibrox side have been backed to put a potential title challenge together.

Alan Brazil has told The Sunday Post that he believes that Celtic cannot rule Rangers out of the title race in the Scottish Premiership, and alluded to the big change that he has noticed since Steven Gerrard arrived at Ibrox in the summer.

The top flight is poised nicely after the opening games. Hearts currently lead the way with a flawless record, Celtic are just behind them and have the momentum from winning the first Old Firm game of the season, while Rangers find themselves well down the table at the moment but have been buoyed by their run to the group-stages of the Europa League.

And while Brazil insisted that Celtic have to be the favourites to retain the title – and added that the current league leaders cannot be ruled out either – he suggested that Rangers have a lot going for them right now, and should be in contention come the end of the campaign.

“Anybody who has watched Rangers in action under Gerrard can see the strides they have made since the dark days of last season,” he told The Sunday Post. “The most important thing is that every single player looks willing to run through a brick wall for the cause.

“That’s something they didn’t have before – and it’s priceless.”

“I’ve seen enough from Rangers to reckon they’re far from finished. They will get better and their results will pick up as the season unfolds,” he went on to add.

“Steven Gerrard will want his side to push Celtic all the way. He’ll also want to give Brendan Rodgers a fright.”

The Gers do deserve praise for the way that they have got themselves into the Europa League group-stages, but the coming weeks will arguably be a much more difficult test of the squad’s depth given the opponents that they are facing.

Games against the likes of Villarreal and Spartak Moscow will be incredibly tough for Gerrard’s men to negotiate successfully, and it will be interesting to see what impact their form in Europe has on their domestic campaign.

If Rangers manage to qualify out of the group-stages and find themselves in the title race come the turn of the year, then Celtic will have to take them a lot more seriously than they may be right now.