Celtic legend Kenny Dalglish this morning reminded theRangers that you cannot spend money that you don’t have although that has never really stopped either of the clubs that have operated out of Ibrox over the years.
Writing in Sunday Post the former Celtic and Liverpool superstar reckons that his old club have a huge advantage this summer as Ange Postecoglou operates in the transfer market knowing for certain how much funds are available for him to spend as he prepares for his first shot at managing a team in the Champions League.
Meanwhile down river in Glasgow Giovanni van Bronckhorst will not have that type of certainty as the Champions League qualifiers have to be negotiated after he failed to secure a route to the Group stages of the Champions League losing the Scottish Premiership title to Celtic and the Europa League Final to Eintracht Frankfurt.
The Germans actually not only reached the Group stages of the Champions League as a result of winning that penalty shoot-out but are actually seeded in pot 1 while theRangers will have to endure the hazardous summer qualifiers to try to get into pot 4.
Dalglish is in no doubt that this gives Celtic a significant advantage over the latest Ibrox club. “They (theRangers) will strengthen, of course, but not knowing if they are in the Champions League or not doesn’t give them that certainty. They may well have targets they can then go for if they make it through the qualifiers and get a hold of that £35m pot in Europe’s top competition.
But I’m sure they will have a list of others if they drop down into the Europa League. That’s the most sensible way for any football club to go about their business. You cannot spend what you do not have.” Kenny Dalglish said. Hope you we’re drinking coffee when you read that last bit.
“There needs to be a budget that you stick to, and there needs to be a structure,” Kenny reminded them.
Over at the Scottish Champions, his old club Celtic things are very different as King Kenny notes. “Celtic are in a position to spend right now because they know what their income is going to be for the next six months.
“They have that certainty, and that’s a great position for any manager or chief executive to be in. It will be interesting to see who else big Ange adds to his squad,” King Kenny states, adding: “He will do well to better the signing of Carter-Vickers in terms of quality. The American defender is excellent. He has a presence and is really powerful, and settled into the club very quickly.
“That was so important,” says King Kenny.
