Michael Stewart says Rangers need better recruitment to chase down Old Firm rivals Celtic.
Rangers manager Mark Warburton
Pundit Michael Stewart has told BBC Sport’s Sportscene that he thinks Rangers must improve their recruitment if they are to close the gap on Old Firm rivals Celtic.
Rangers picked up a 1-0 home win over Dundee on Saturday afternoon, as Harry Forrester came off the bench to head home a dramatic late winner for Mark Warburton’s side.
The result means Rangers remain third in the Scottish Premiership, one point behind second placed Aberdeen, but a whopping ten points behind league leaders Celtic, who also have a game in hand.
The Gers look to be out of the title race already, but fans will hope to see them finish second, which would actually be a solid first season back in the top flight for Rangers, even if supporters harbour dreams of instantly challenging Celtic again.
In fact, former Rangers boss Walter Smith told the Daily Record earlier this week that he’s expecting Rangers to challenge Celtic towards the end of this season and into next term, suggesting that Warburton has another year or so to get things right before fans ramp up the pressure on him.
Walter Smith
After Smith made those comments, pundit Michael Stewart has told BBC Sport’s Sportscene that he thinks Rangers will expect to claim second place this season on the basis that they have the second biggest wage bill behind Celtic.
Stewart suggested that Smith comments come from a historical perspective, yet in today’s game, there is a major gulf between the two Old Firm rivals – and there’s only one way Rangers can close the gap.
General view outside Ibrox
Stewart claims that Rangers have to recruit new signings better than they did over the summer, when the Gers signed the likes of Philippe Senderos, Matt Crooks and Jordan Rossiter who have yet to make a real impact so far, whilst Joey Barton has already left the club.
“I think that Rangers would expect to finish second, as you look at the wage bills and they’re second by a distance,” said Stewart. “Walter Smith is talking from a historical perspective, in terms of Rangers going and challenging Celtic, but the reality of today is that there’s a huge gulf and a gap between the two of them.”
“The only way they’re going to start to close that is they’ll have to recruit better than they have this summer, they have to be smarter if they’re going to close that gap, because financially they’re obviously not on the same level,” he added.
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