Pat Nevin: 'Rangers, with their inability to spend, appear to be falling, albeit with a modicum of style'

Published on Saturday 3 October 2009 19:49

IN THE days before Tony Blair and Gordon Brown you used to be able to tell the difference between Labour and Conservative. There were ideologies which appeared to be polar opposites, and policies that neither party could imagine sharing. Since then it has become more blurred, with the parties coming to look like two sides of the same coin.

Similarly, in recent years Celtic and Rangers had begun to look like a couple of once extremely different cultural entities who now were working ever closer in a partnership for the same ends. Just like the politicians, it was power, global influence and finance that were at the root of it.

Right now, however, the two clubs seem to be growing further apart again. First of all the financial situations could hardly be more different. Celtic, if not in rude health, certainly have no real debt and as such you would imagine board meetings being fairly relaxed, amicable affairs. Over at Ibrox, because of the current uncertainty in the upper echelons, there must be a good degree of tension in the air.

The complex and, I suspect, strained relationships between board, former chairman, bank and football management team are less than perfect. With the club up for sale, the friction can be felt from the boardroom to the dressing room to the stands.

This afternoon at Ibrox stability plays flux and the two managers seem to have almost diametrically opposite views on how to manage their respective situations. Walter Smith watches his team drop six points from the last nine in the league and manages to spin an almost entirely positive line.

Tony Mowbray, on the other hand, has an unbeaten league record to be proud of and yet often manages to sound deflated and disappointed by some performances.

Clearly both men are simply just trying to get the best out of their charges using different psychology and it is difficult to know who, if anyone, is wrong. It does, however, hint at a confidence and belief at Celtic Park that they are the club on the up, the club with a vision, flying forward with higher goals in their minds than beating the "also-rans" of the SPL. In contrast Rangers, with their inability to spend, to add much-needed depth to the squad or to even plan beyond the next few months, appear to be falling, albeit with a modicum of style now and again.

Which brings us to the on-field styles, and here the two philosophies have rarely looked further apart. Because of finances, Walter has built what is basically a functional unit. It is capable of success and even lan now and again, but when the pressure is on and the opposition is of a decent quality, it will be about grit and determination. It will be about one lonely man up front, with stoic defending and diligent tackling from the rest. It worked famously on the road to Manchester, but was infamously turgid to watch.

Even if it does represent Rangers' best chance of scraping limited success in Europe it is almost impossible to imagine Mowbray going down the same road. Winning and success are the ultimate goals at Celtic but once again it seems the manner of victory is as important. If you think of Celtic and their style, the players that first come to mind are Scott Brown, Aiden McGeady, Shaun Maloney and, over the past few weeks, Paddy McCourt. They are young, inventive, improving, creative, and attacking. For Rangers the 'go to' men are David Weir, Allan McGregor, Madjid Bougherra and, at a push, Kris Boyd. For all their impressive talents, the words "inventive" and "creative" are not the first that come to mind, though Bougherra's attempts to play centre back and right wing at the same time are diverting.

It is hard to comprehend how this has come about: Rangers are champions, Scottish Cup holders, they are in the Champions League and yet there is an unmistakable gloom around the club. Of course Tuesday night didn't help; a 4-1 drubbing at home in the rain, albeit by one of the Continent's most impressive sides, does little to lift the spirits.

The manager knows the team isn't good enough at that rarefied level and so do the fans. But why the gloom when Celtic where taught at least as painful a lesson by Arsenal? Thursday night's draw against Rapid wasn't exactly a great stride forward in Europa League qualification either, but it felt like disappointment, not despair, in the ground.

So do all these feelings add up to Celtic being favourites today? Not for me. First of all it is a home game for Rangers and Old Firm derby results rarely have much correlation to the form book. Rangers also have a greater need for a win than Celtic: a seven-point gap even this early in the season would be disturbing indeed, especially as Celtic look unlikely to collapse when the winter injuries and suspensions kick in.

In the end the marked differences in style could well decide the outcome today. For all Celtic's cavalier play and unwillingness to be cautious, it can be a dangerous game. Especially so away from home against a side that is at its most comfortable soaking up pressure and then breaking quickly.

I wouldn't be so naive as to predict the outcome, but right now it is an intriguing meeting of contrasting styles of play, management and personalities. For once, outsiders watching might witness first and foremost a spectacle about different football cultures as opposed to religious ones, and that has to be a good thing.