Rangers were told to sign Aaron Mooy by former Gers defender Craig Moore, only for the midfielder to end up joining Celtic instead.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst took his Rangers side to Celtic Park on Saturday and endured a very, very difficult afternoon.
Liel Abada’s brace, with a Jota dink in between, had Celtic 3-0 up by half-time against a rudderless Gers side.
David Turnbull added gloss to Celtic’s win with a gift of a fourth, slotting past Jon McLaughlin having been given the ball by the Rangers stopper.
Rangers were second best throughout but the slack nature of the goals – switching off from throw-ins and free kicks, playing out from the back poorly – will leave Rangers fans raging.
Rangers were told to sign Aaron Mooy
Van Bronckhorst clearly has his work cut out and not only do Celtic look unstoppable, but Rangers don’t look close to them right now.
The Dutchman will clearly look at his own tactics and approach to try and find a response, but Rangers’ recruitment still seems a step behind Celtic’s.
Rangers going into the season with McLaughlin and Allan McGregor as their main goalkeepers is staggering whilst Steven Davis is being called upon to start key games at almost 38 because there is no quality alternative.
Ross Wilson needs to find some quality in the transfer market, and it’s now claimed that he passed up the chance to sign a Celtic man.
Former Rangers defender Craig Moore has told Go Radio that he told Ross Wilson to sign Mooy on a free transfer after his Shanghai Port contract ended.
Moore noted that Mooy has ‘incredible’ passing ability and amazing work rate, believing that he could have made a huge impact for Rangers.
Moore added that Rangers allowing Australia to train at their facilities before facing Peru in the World Cup qualifier left Moore really hopeful of a deal.
“I’d have loved to have seen him at Rangers, I’ve got to be honest,” said Moore. “After being a free agent, finishing his contract in China his range of passing is incredible. I think the only thing that’s held him back from a regular top six Premier League side was the pace, he’s got one gear. But I tell you what, he can run all day every day.”
“He was someone I certainly did push to Ross Wilson to maybe go and have a look at, well he obviously knew who he was. Rangers were kind enough to help us out pre-World Cup qualifier, against Peru, to get some training into him and I was hoping it could be a little bit more than that! It didn’t work out but Ange knows Aaron very well and he stays in Bearsden so it was an easy decision in the end and good news for Celtic,” he added.
Rangers didn’t make that move though and Celtic did, reuniting Mooy with his former Australia boss Ange Postecoglou.
Mooy was only a substitute against Rangers but that just goes to show the strength in depth that Celtic have, which is something the Gers could only dream of right now.
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