Sky Sports pundit Graeme Souness believes that Rangers need to splash the cash more in order to catch up with Celtic.
He claims that the Gers cannot continue to rely on developing young players if they want to challenge the Hoops more closely for honours in the future – and believes that having the money will allow them to catch up with them.
In addition, he reckons that finishing second in the Scottish Premier League would result in an “acceptable” season for Steven Gerrard’s players this campaign, rather than a “very good one.”
“[A big budget] is what it’d take to get Rangers back to Celtic’s level – if you’re looking to get back sooner rather than later,” he told Paddy Power [as transribed by the Scotsman].
“You can buy the players – you can’t wait for the youth system, or hope you buy well over a long period of time from lower clubs for small money and then develop them into top players.
“Finishing second wouldn’t be a “very good” season for Rangers, it would be acceptable – but there’s a mood [at Ibrox] now that hasn’t been there for a number of years, which is good.”
OPINION
It is all well and good to claim that Rangers need to spend more money in order to be on the same level as Celtic – but at the moment, they do not have the same financial power as their bitter rivals. Celtic are in a position where they can buy better players and pay them better salaries – hence why it may take a while for the Gers to catch up with them. At the moment, Rangers are certainly showing signs of improvement and that they are capable of bridging the gap on Celtic. Nevertheless, as Souness points out, the mood surrounding the club is “good” – and that can only be a positive for Rangers supporters. Steven Gerrard has made a promising start to life in the Ibrox hotseat – and he can only continue to guide his team to the dizzying heights of the Scottish Premier League if they maintain their current form.