Considering where they were it's a fantastic achievement. I honestly hope they win the final because they are always considered underdogs in Europe so good luck to them.
I don't like to get drawn into comparing Scottish and English football it's never going to be comparable. A more competitive SPL would be fantastic. Scottish football will never have a lot of international appeal but if you live in and around it, it is pretty special.
This has always annoyed me how the English slag off our teams and league , I'm a Celtic fan and first I'd like to say condolences to all the rangers fans and Jimmy bells family on the sad news, and also congrats to them on the awesome achievement on reaching the final, I've got really good friends who support rangers and I know we all have a bit of banter but seeing my pal last night having a tear in his eye , was so happy for him , I know I'll probably get abuse being a Celtic fan but don't care , it is a great job they've done , also love the job big Ange has done , Celtic and rangers in the group stages of the champions League , will be amazing for the Scottish game 👏👏👏 have a great day everyone 👏🤩🤩
As a Rangers fan, Jordan is right. Bring the bottom up. However, the league is chronically under sold by the Management of football here. We need a management who is willing to go and get good value TV rights, proper commercial deals and get the brand right. Without this, we can’t bring the lower end up without underfunding the top end in the short to medium term. The question should be, is Scottish football undersold?
It’s never going to happen! Rangers and Celtic will keep the money and strengthen their teams. The Gap will only get bigger. Unless! Dump the SFA and join a British League. Celtic and Rangers would strengthen the English Premier League. Man City, Liverpool are getting over 90 Pts a season. Is that a competitive League? Aberdeen, Hearts , Hibs being in a British League would bring in more income because English Clubs have a good fan base. Bigger crowds. It would take time for them to climb the Leagues but so what! They have no chance of winning anything anyway. Ok, the Scottish Cup. Which you could still keep but drop the League Cup. Therefore, Scottish Cup, FA Cup, British Leagues, Premiership, Championship, British League 1,2 3, 4.
Well you can't under sell it more than it already is surely? TBH Scottish football will only ever be good when other teams can at least give the Old Firm a run for their money to win the SPL. The 80s with the New Firm was the best time for Scottish Football because Aberdeen and Dundee UTD struck fear into the Old Firm! The league was actually competitive!
Exactly, they're going on about distribution of wealth as if that's the Old Firm's fault, when the problem actually lies with the fact that the SPFL and SFA negotiate such bargain bin TV deals and sponsors that there's barely anything to share out. Rangers and Celtic's financial superiority over the rest of the league comes from European prize money, and their huge fanbase that allows them to negotiate better sponsorship deals for themselves.
No Scottish football isn’t on the rise and this is from a Rangers fan. Rangers have been the only team worth talking about in Scotland. Celtic are a constant embarrassment to themselves, the country and the league every time they are on the European stage. We are single handedly doing the heavy lifting in Europe.
@Scimmia Rangers have been improving in European competition every year for the past four years. Got to the knockout stages and the last 16 in the Europa League in 2020 and 2021. This year they're in the final and are 90 minutes away from winning the Europa League and qualifying for the Champions League. All this was done with one of the smallest budgets in the competition.
I’d argue that playing teams who have no desire to win and ‘park the bus’ week in / week out is far harder than playing a team who fancy their chances and leave things open.
It’s why Rangers enjoy playing in Europe. Teams they are playing are more open and it isn’t just an exercise of breaking down a ten man defence. Tavernier said it himself in a post match interview.
Since a team that wasn’t Celtic or rangers won the SPL… Everton Liverpool arsenal Leeds United, Man U, Blackburn, Chelsea Man City and Leicester city have won the top flight league in England. I love rangers, and Jim, but Simon makes a point. Drag the bottom up.
Leicester 2016 Blackburn 1995. So, what, every 21 years a team out of the top 5 win the big league. Recent years is between Man City, Liverpool. Before that Man Utd, Chelsea and before that Man Utd, Arsenal. Very rarely has it been a three way race. It’s become boring in Scotland but it’s also becoming boring in England. A British League would give everything a much needed shake up.
Absolutely right...the reality of SPL is there hasn't been a consistent ongoing threat to the old firm taking title's since Fergie left Scotland's third biggest city for the Man Utd job.
@@paulhirst7602 Thats as much a mentality and lack of ambition aspect though, not money like most people say. If you listen to both Fergie and Mclean interviews, they both stated they had to change the mentality of the players about playing against Rangers and Celtic. Look at Goodwin coming to Aberdeen, he came out in his 1st week and said he wants to make Aberdeen Scotlands 3rd club again, 3rd?? Fergie wanted 1st for Aberdeen and he got it. McLean wanted 1st for Dundee United and he got it with a tiny budget in comparison.
@@jacksonbow2766 yeah that's the wrong message given out if you're trying to reach the top. For the record I hope Rangers win the Europa league...they fully deserve it.
@@paulhirst7602 exactly mate. What's more disappointing about what Goodwin said is that the Aberdeen fans I have spoke to about what he said are in agreement and think it's just the money that can change things. Surely Rangers Europa run has proven to Scottish clubs that wage budgets and huge transfers are not the answer for success. Look at the wage budgets and transfer fees spent by all the clubs Rangers have knocked out and they all dwarf Rangers. Leipzig have spent nearly £100 million this year. Dortmund's team were vued at £300 million. Rangers have spent £2.5million this year. Mentality and will goes a long way.
My Opinion. Scottish football isn't anywhere near English football. But Scottish football is more aggressive and direct which uses up a lot of energy. I watch both leagues and sometimes English top teams will build up play slowly until they are in the final third then will press and attempt to score, which reserves a lot of energy and has better game management. A team like Man city should be able to play 60+ games a season, 2 games a week without dropping in form, they should have the squad to rotate too. Rangers don't have that ability to rotate players and stay at the same level. The fitness level in these players is the reason we are in a European final and Man City are not. Rangers played 240 minutes of football in 4 days and won both. (Celtic + Braga) Thoughts?
No . You are just riding a wave of confidence and belief that your new manager brought in. You win a few games in europe ,you gain more confidence and slowly you believe you have a chance of going further and you did. All credit to Rangers
PNE fan here..made a trip to Glasgow for the Euros and visited Ibrox and Celtic Park (played and won a friendly there a week later but not allowed in when 7 days earlier we had been at a full Hampden!!). No easy answer to improving the overall standard of football in Scotland.....but I've been on grounds like Livingstone and sat amongst fans who thoroughly enjoy supporting their team...and surely that is what matters. Wish Rangers and the fantastic support all the best in Seville.
Captain Tav, the Europa league top scorer was a Warburton signing. Ryan Jack and Morelos we're Caixinha signings. Gerrard did build the rest though and you are correct, under Gerrard we may have kept the league but got nothing else and been out against Dortmund.
Stevie G done well as he still Haunts the dreams of Celtic fans but thank god he left when he did. This is Gios team and tactics now and to say otherwise doesn't do Gio the justice he deserves.
Think you’re giving Gerrard a little bit too much credit, he won ONE trophy during his spell. Wasn’t even a month ago 90% of FF wanted GVB sacked, Ross Wilson gone due to bad recruitment ect.
@@md-run It was the one yous Really wanted the most so it was so sweet after Nine years of hearing about Celtics Ten in a row. Can you reference where you got that information from or did you make it up??
@@thomaswilson4418 its all on follow follow forum for all to see. Numerous threads wanting GVB sacked after the 3-0 derby. No one happy with recruitment even though you have 50p to spend.
absolutely amazing if your not a rangers fan you will never know what it means to us .. the 50th anniversary of barca 1972 .. 150th anniversary of our great club.. it's written in the stars.. 🔴⚪🔵 WATP ✊
As an Aberdeen fan, When Fergie left Aberdeen for Manchester utd in 1986 , he knew that he could take them no further, he knew as a provisional club they would no longer be able to compete with Rangers who then had been bought by Sir David Murray , and huge amounts of cash would transform Rangers and go on to transform Scottish football forever... certainly , it became almost impossible for anyone else other that the Gers or Celtic to win the premier league..that's exactly what's unfolded since 86... Cetic and Rangers practically own the premier league...and have vast amounts of funds at their disposal to ensure that continues.. .back in the 80's is was a great deal more level playing field financially, and competitively, with Dundee utd as well as Aberdeen winning titles and in Europe. Regardless I wish the Gers all the best and hope they triumph!.. It will certainly raise the profile of Scottish football.
So I'm from the US and have loved following British football mainly English and Scottish leagues for almost 20 years, the issue in Scotland is that the Old Firm is *way too far* ahead of the rest. The issue is also how the league is restructured and how the revenue is shared from 1 to 42 in the SPFL. The team outside of the Old Firm to break the grip possibly Aberdeen, Motherwell, Hearts. The playing field isn't really balancing. Thus the coefficient being low. Hopefully that happens soon! Congrats to Rangers again!
Football is commoditised, on that rational, the English clubs should win every European club cup and even will the World Cup. Their league has the most money, they spend the most on youth development. The Scottish league is reflective of the size of the nation, and rangers are punching well above their weight. I hope they win it, it’s great for Scottish football.
The English mentality is just to throw money at every problem. They buy in their best players, Leicester spent £95 million on a new training ground complex and academy yet cannot win a semi-final in a 3rd tier European competition. Too many narrow minded people think throwing money at Scottish football will make it better, it won't, it will just ruin it and make more greedy people come out of the woodwork. Our game is competitive but can be even stronger. If we worry about European knockout football for instance, why make the league cup how it was in the 50s and have 2 legged knockout rounds after a group stage, basically a carbon copy of the European tournaments. It will educate and train our players and coaches on tactics over 2 legs instead of 1 good game then 1 crap game. Generates more cup money from fans also. So much can be done to make out game even stronger and we don't need more money for the changes.
@@jacksonbow2766 ''Leicester spent £95 million on a new training ground complex and academy yet cannot win a semi-final in a 3rd tier European competition. '' That's harsh given they went out vs Roma, who knows, Roma might be even better than Leipzig at the moment and the investment will probably pay off in the long run.
@@LegendNinja41 this is all you got from what I posted?? Really? The topic is what again? Ahh yes, Scottish football and apparently throwing money at it but if you want to defend the EPL philosophy, sure let's go down that road. Leicester also spent £60+million this season on players and had a settled squad who have been together longer but Roma, well Mourinho replaced a huge chunk of that team this season so that squad should not be as settled. There are clubs in Scotland who still train on public parks mate.... That's my point. Throwing money at things to fix things is lazy and never truly fixes anything. Leicester spent £95million on an academy and training ground they could have done for £30 million, even less (rich people waste money). Aberdeen FC spent £13 million on theirs and made every penny count. Simple fact is, the EPL clubs are wasteful because they have so much money now that most results do not matter to them. West Ham for instance is seen as a great achievement to reach as far as they did but for a long time now all the fans of the EPL have said is that the EPL is the strongest league in the world and the Bundesliga in this case is a farmers league. Frankfurt only spent £12million this season, West Ham spent £65million with some loans in also. I would have loved to have seen a West Ham - Rangers final. In paper though it should have been Leipzig v West Ham as both clubs spent 5, 6x more than Frankfurt and Rangers. Money doesn't guarantee success and competitiveness.
Am a Scottish football fan and am proud rangers are in a European final for the first time since 2008. I would like to see all the Scottish clubs improve in europe as well and like jordan and martin have said make our league lot more competitive like it was in the 80s when Aberdeen and Dundee United challenged rangers and celtic to titles. So hopefully rangers can win the europa final against a tough side. Also I hope financial backing comes to our clubs hearts, Aberdeen, hibs, dundee United need top managers and money to step up.
TBF , I suppose it was money that created this mess. Rangers started spending big mid 80's Hatley/Butcher etc. & nobody else apart from these 2 has won the league for 36 years. The problem is beyond repair .now look at attendances Them 2 combined average = 100K EVERY other (40 teams combined) in SFL = 115K
@@freebird2882 not sure who the owner is if it's an American with money then Aberdeen need to think bigger and bring in top manager and players to challenge Celtic and rangers. Cos all the teams for me outside of the big two lack ambition they all are happy with 3rd place poor mentality in my opinion mate.
Probably right, but Allie that with far smaller squad at Rangers and also the energy Rangers need to use up during the 18 European games they have played so far. EPL teams generally coast through European ties up to the quarters because of their standard of squads.
Simon is basically right, especially about GVB. However, he says the SPL is less energetic, when the opposite is probably true. The SPL is less technical than the EPL, but it's played at a faster speed. This is certainly the case whenever teams play against the old firm. There also seems to be less space available for players to develop strategies in games, possibly because of bus parking; but also because tight man marking is favoured, to make up for the lack of technique. The SPL can be intense. The panel also over estimate the amount possession percentage enjoyed by the top two as well. The lesser qualty of the league, doent affect its ability to provide entertaining, thrills and spills.
Scottish football is fantastic as an experience but as for competitiveness of the league, it can be made better with a few simple tweaks but for now, the experience is will have to do. Most passionate people around in my view.
It's not even up for debate. The last time someone won the Scottish league other than Celtic or Rangers was in 84/85 that's nearly 40 years ago! Even a few years before that it was Celtic winning it every season.
You may not have noticed, but the Scottish teams who have won European trophies, Aberdeen, Celtic and Rangers, have all done so with teams of Scottish players. This happened at a time when there was not such a huge financial chasm between the leagues and clubs here could hold on to their players. Has any English team won a European trophy with an all-English team - no. The English league has always bought it's successes. The massive amount of TV money in England, at present, has made the difference and the English leagues are determined to make sure the revenue-streams that permit this, remain under their own control, which is fair enough. The Scottish teams cannot compete financially and that is the problem. Top Scottish players like Andy Robertson, Kieran Tierney, John McGinn, etc., are syphoned away from Scottish teams by the buying power of teams south of the border much earlier in their careers, than was previously the case. A footballer's career is short; players are leaving Scotland to play for League 1 and Championship sides when they are too young. They are doing this, even at the risk of not getting game-time, because of the difference in financial rewards they can expect. Many are never heard of again. We know they would be better off (in a footballing sense) staying in Scotland, getting game-time and developing as a player; but as far as they're concerned, money talks. Taking the money on offer is often seen as a better option than turning the chance down and waiting 'to improve.' They know they could get a career-ending injury before a big move, or never get such an offer again.
@@andyallan2909 hardly any team wins a European trophy with just native players i mean EVER!!! its just the way things are these days right or wrong if you want top lay with the big boys you need a big boys wallet its that simple.
5:44 Simon has a point here. 7 of the 12 teams in the SPFL park the bus against us with a 5-5-0 formation, playing for a draw from the first kick off. For anyone wondering, those teams brave enough to actually challenge us and make us work are Celtic, Hearts, Hibs and Aberdeen.
@@scipioafricanus2212 Rangers parked the bus against leipzig hoping for a draw, but you expect the smaller scottish teams to open up when they play rangers.😂
Great for Scottish football , that was some performance last night , quality of players is one thing , but the team working together along with the massive support and doing the job and scoring goals is another .
Even as an Arsenal fan I admit Keown is often off the mark, but that’s bad form from Jim Jordan to bring up off-the-air remarks made in what sounds like a casual conversation with colleagues not meant for public consumption.
Honestly you’d get a better chat out of a brick wall than Martin. And Simon actually backing him is ridiculous, the top 8 teams in England have serious money and massive funds from owners yet if rangers play them they struggle. If we had the funding the English league did we would be an ever bigger team and that includes Celtic , Aberdeen etc. English fans call the Scottish teams sunday league teams but yet West Ham are out and using the excuse they didn’t invest in January with all their money. Leicester likewise. WATP
West Ham play in a much more difficult league and because of that have faced a lot of injuries. Players cost more to go to English teams because they know they have the money so the money they get doesn't go as far as if a Scottish team had it for example. Also considering you clearly didn't watch the game they had a man sent off in the 19th minute, already being 1-0 down on aggregate any team would have struggled.
Deluded comment. Very happy for rangers and the win was fantastic for Scottish football but if rangers played in the prem they'd be relegated. I will not listen to morons thinking the likes of Gerrard left rangers for a smaller club. This Club being Villa. Villa are 10 times bigger than rangers and always will be! Scottish football is generally only known and watched in Scotland and some parts of the UK. The prem is watched worldwide
I would love to see a more competitive Scottish premier league however, the onus is not on Rangers or Celtic to do so. The onus is on the suits that badly run the game and continue to take whatever scraps are on the table.
Why do the English think that only money is the answer to improve competitiveness in Scottish football? We have too any part-time and semi-pro clubs in our Senior game. There is no need for 4 divisions. No need to play each other 4 times per season. Our clubs were most successful when we have a different leadgue cup format (2-legged knockout rounds like in Europe) and 16 teams top and 2 division. We need to reduce our divisions down to 3, make our top league bigger to 16 and play only 30 games. That will make it harder on the Old Firm because currently, clubs like Hearts and Dundee Untied can take points from the Old Firm at home. If Aberdeen realise they should be challenging then we also have another. Key is to reduce the number of amateur and semi-pro teams in our top leagues. We don't need hige investments, just enough to build training grounds and increase wage budgets.
We do not need to reduce the number of teams. The more teams we have the more opportunities there are. Andy Robertson played for Queen's Park when they were at a level where you would have not had them in the Scottish leagues. Alex Ferguson started as a manager at East Stirlingshire. We need more clubs and more opportunities, not less,
@Scimmia pumping money into Scottish football won't make all the clubs professional, full-time and title challengers. All it will do is make the gap between the 10-15 clubs who want to grow and the other 30 clubs who are happy just turning up and having cake sales each week. Money won't get rid of people like Neil Doncaster who have zero interest in improving our game.
@@invernessfan3017 My friend, I wouldn't kick those teams out of football, I would just make a bigger prem and whatever is left for the Championship and then have a 3rd division for the part-time and amateur clubs (with some prem colt teams), then have the Highland Lowland leagues. Fife as an area has a population of 370k yet their are 5 Fife teams spread across the Championship to league 2. Dunfermline and Raith are the only FIFE clubs setup to be premiership clubs. Sadly they are both crap on the pitch lol. There need to be some mergers of clubs. I just don't want to keep watching 4 games against Hibs each season and 4 against St. Mirren and so on. Even 4 Old Firm games are boring for me now because I know I will be able to miss one and see 3 more later. I am in favour of having a 3rd tier which has Colt teams in. If we had 16 team top flight them the top 6 placed prem teams each season get a place for a Colt team in the 3rd tier for the next season. Its a prize and it's for youth players to play against men in a senior league. Ideally I suppose with the current clubs, a 16-16-16 is what I mean. We have to drag the teams up from the bottom.
@@jacksonbow2766 We need more teams not less. We tried concentrating wealth in all the top clubs in the SPL era. It did not work. The clubs just wasted the money, and went deeper into debt. I support having more teams, and more colt teams in the lower leagues. The more opportunities there are the more chance there is of producing top players, coaches ands managers. We need more clubs. Fife works perfectly well with lots of teams.
I get the feeling Jim just argues the point to keep the convo going because nobody with any credible football knowledge would agree with any of the points he makes here
Of course that's his job but he does also speak some truths. It is correct that there are 10 teams in Scotland that treat their games against the Old Firm as cup finals but other than that he was just doing his job.
Jim's delighted, I'm right there with you jimbo, we are winning this, yes stevie g started us on this journey, no doubt but gio has taken us the rest of the way, we are the last British club in either the conference league or the europa league, just think about that, Seville get ready, we are coming, 🔴⚪🔵
Our Journey started with McCoist brother. The King can't in and brought in Warburton (who signed Tav). Caixinha got some things right when he brought in Morelos, Jack and Candeias. Gerrard was just a natural evolution on our path and now Gio is the man to take us to next step. SEVILLE BABY 👍🍺🍺🍺
Scottish football? Rangers in there second final in 14 years and Celtic not won an knock out game in 15 years 😂😂😂 mind put our bins out we are on holiday 🇬🇧🇬🇧
What's the better season? Celtic winning the League and League Cup. Or Rangers winning the Europa League and Scottish Cup. I give the edge to Rangers, winning a European Trophy is huge for a Scottish Team.
Even if celtic won all their domestic trophies and went invincible winning the Europa League would still be a bigger achievement. For a Scottish club that is massive.
Considering Celtic got knocked out of about 25 European competitions this year and rangers have beaten some tidy teams to get to the final, By far rangers. The problem for them is Frankfurt seem better away from home than at home
I don’t agree with the Man City/Rangers comparison. The so called lesser teams in Scotland tend to play very defensively against the old firm and can be difficult to break down. Frustratingly so at times. I would say that it take immense amounts of energy and concentration not to mention not falling into the trap of complacency to play against these teams and win.
If the tv companies treated the Scottish game as it does the English game by throwing money at it,then other teams will compete more with Celtic and Rangers. It would take 10 years maybe but it would improve
Jim White is unfortunately talking garbage. In the past 9 years when the SPL took the Rangers horse out, it was only Celtic. Now Rangers are back it's a two horse league. It is only Rangers that brings any attraction and pride to Scottish football by being in the EUROPA final.
Scottish football is always going to be a two team show. I'd love to see Aberdee, Dundee United, Hibs and Hearts improve underneath them so the gap closes some what
Scotland will improve as a league when the other teams outside the top 2 start making European group stages, next year Hearts are going to make the group stage of atleast the conference league at the bare minimum that's a start. It helps that they are getting higher in the coefficients, which gives more teams opportunity's in europe.
“Take Morelos and roofe out and they aren’t as good” basically what he said, we played the final with joe Arbil at striker who played lb some of last season
I said over a decade ago that smaller countries with small TV markets should get their top clubs to band together to form a league which could allow them to compete on equal footing with the big 5 leagues. Holland, Belgium, Scotland, the Nordics, maybe Portugal can produce players as well as anyone, but the best ones all leave aged 19-21. You take 20-odd clubs from those nations with relegation/playoff to reward aspiration of clubs outside that elite and you get something you can sell to TV with confidence.
Scottish guy here. Most Scottish fans aren't daft, we know our league will never compete with the top leagues. But rangers and Celtic are huge. We really need teams like Aberdeen, hearts, Hibs, Dundee utd to push on. But the good thing is they are all in the top league again. The Scottish game is the best it has been for years. Starting to get more and more good young players again as well.
Getting to the group stage of the Champions league by beating another quality side in Psv Eindhoven the goal came from two players Van Bronkhorst signed in Tillman and Colak ,Tillman is a young player on loan from Bayern Munich with an option to buy and Antonio Colak who cost 1.8 million his goal earned Rangers 30 to 40 million.The story of the rise of Rangers from 3rd division football 10 year's ago to the Europa league final then getting into the group stage doing it the hard way is incredible this Rangers team cost 12 million to assemble ,an average centre half in England cost's 30 million.
@Scimmia We we're in this final 14 year's ago in 2008, get your facts right. Since then has been a really hard time for the club and only the Glasgow Rangers can go from the lowest teir in football to compete with the very top within 9 years. 1 of the best comeback story's for an unbelievably huge team 🔴⚪️🔵 RTID
@Scimmia or Celtic for that matter hahah who haven't been this far since 2003 🤣😂😂😂 all the while we go to the bottom and back again in that time and get their twice since then, dont make me laugh
Since Rangers last Uefa Cup final 14 years ago, they have been liquidated, sent to bottom tier, bounced back up to win Premiership and a Europa league final. Celtic on the other hand struggling every year to qualify for Europa 🤣
@@lukerm91 RANGERS have a glorious unbroken 150 years of history… hairs will be split when ridiculous comments about liquidation are banded about!!!🇬🇧✊🏻🇬🇧
Yeah Celtic really wasted all them years of easy money in Scotland and Europe. They were guaranteed direct access every year to the Champions league and under Rodgers made the group stages but what have they done with their money all these years?? They are in a 'Rebuild'. Ffs, they talk such shite for their failings.
Rangers can only dream of the money of most top teams but most top teams can only dream of a support like that. Support wise Rangers and Celtic beat most EPL teams but bottom line is team work and passion can sometimes substitute for cash. What Rangers have done in Europe is truely amazing though, that German team spent 30tines more on their team than rangers! Incredible just a shame West Ham couldn't have made it what a game that would have been!
I was hoping that my team would end up in the final with Rangers. Alas, it wasn’t to be so I hope Rangers now win it. Just watch out for the Frankfurt fans, they seem to be on a mission to replicate the 80’s.
The thing is what Jim is saying, the less of a “pub league” it becomes, the more of a 2 horse race as European success pulls the big 2 even further away from the rest.
Premier league is a two horse race and will be for the next 5 years, doesn't make it a bad league. The English premier league elitism is unreal and delusional.
@@whenyoulookintoit9356 will be more than 5 years easy. Is what it is. EPL and most other leagues 1 and 2 horse races just the gap up here especially big
"The wealth dose'nt filter down in the league", I think Rangers have just proven that it's not just about the clubs wealth to attract the best talent ffs 🤦♂️🙄.
Spot on bud. I laugh every time I hear these people talk about throwing money at football to make it better. Leicester can spend £95 million on an academy and training ground after winning the premier league but cannot reach the final of a 3rd tier European competition. How big is Romas budget compared to Leicester? Don't get me wrong the though, the Scottish game can be made more competitive but throwing money at it won't do that. We have crao leadership in the SFA, SPFL and at board room level. We have the majority of managers who do not have that Champion mentality like Fergie and Mclean did. We have too many senior divisions and too many team's in our senior leagues. Playing 4 times per season is horrible and will always make it easier for Rangers and Celtic because the other clubs don't get a break from Old Firm drubbing's. 16 team top flight and only 30/games per season changes the landscape big time. Make the league cup 2legs after the group stage and our players and managers will learn about 2 leg European knockouts and how to prepare for them. All these don't cost millions and millions.
Jim absolutely schooled the guys here. Those 2 just saying the other teams should be doing better??👏🏼👏🏼 Prem teams get handed mass amounts by their sugar daddies. Prem is a 2 horse race, its simply a more entertaining one cause of the money thrown at it
I don't agree on the point about the SPFL not being competitive in the sense that these teams cannot on their day beat Rangers or Celtic, it's not true. I've watched Scottish football my whole life and honestly, when it comes to it, as a Rangers man myself, I've seen some top Rangers sides struggling to beat Hibs, Aberdeen, Hearts, especially in their home grounds, sometimes we've lost and other times we've drawn. There is no truth to say that Rangers and Celtic haven't had it on their day. All that being stated, however, of course we would all wish to see Scottish football more competitive, it needs more recognition, more TV money, these other clubs would then start to bring in better to then compete in Europa League, it's the way forward, in my eyes.
Nobody is saying that Scotland hasn't produced world class players over the years because they absolutely have but the Scottish league for God's sake is a shambles. Celti Rangers Rangers Celtic.
For 36 years noone else has won league & that's not likely to change anytime soon. Celtic/Rangers , combined average crowd is 100K. The other combined 40 , yes 40 , teams in SFL is 115K. Away games for them are like home games with them outnumbering fans. It is a joke & the authorities do nothing to change the inequality.
@@miamitten1123 you need at least one opponent that is on par with you. When Celtic were the best by themselves in the SPL, they didn’t do anything in Europe. PSG don’t have a rival like that. Look at La Liga, Barca had Real Madrid and vice versa. Whereas, when Juventus were steamrolling everyone in Serie A, they never got over the line in the CL. You have to be used to the pressure to get over the line in these European competitions.
@@lsr3794 mate, Rangers have been back competing for 4 years now and Celtic still haven't done anything in Europe. Booted out of ALL 3 competitions at the 1st hurdle in 1 season.
Bayern Munich been champions since 2013!One team league then.It doesn’t help in Scotland when religion plays a massive part in who you support that’s a massive factor why Rangers and Celtic are so big.
Koewn and Jordan are absolutely spot on, Hearts fan here and the financial gulf between my club who are 3rd in the Spl btw and rangers and celtic is massive, in terms of wages and resources they have about 10 x that of anyone outside them, everything up here revolves around the Old Firm in Scotland as they have the biggest supports, the prize money and tv money needs to be distributed equally throughout the league to help give other teams more income instead of the lions share going to the Old Firm who are already rich and will now be pulling away further due to them both potentially being in the Champs league groups next season. We haven't had a winner outside Rangers and celtic since aberdeen in 85 (37 years ago)
I think you would be better off having 3 divisions instead of two, but thats just because i find the 5 game split table end confusing. Big up Aberdeen though, went to my first ever football match at Pittodrie
The EPL is incomparable. But look at the other leagues in Europe. France - 1 horse race. Germany - 1 horse race. Spain - 2, maybe 3 horse race. Italy - 2/3 horse race. That's just the norm for 2/3 teams to be above everyone else in the league. I don't think the fact England has an arguably competitive top 6 makes any European achievement any more credible. The resources Man City have they could buy two champions league winning squads. What it comes down to is for any team on any season, do the players and the manager have what it takes to win in europe? Rangers and Frankfurt have both proved in their own ways they can knock out European giants with 100m squads beating 600m squads and it's nothing to do with what league they are in
The fact an Aberdeen player made a comment online about rangers doing well and being forced to delete it is an absolute disgrace, it's about time everybody got together when it comes to Europe as it benefits other clubs.
The problem with he SPL is it's only rangers and Celtic that do anything towards promoting the league, the SFA only sell the league on rangers and Celtic and the old firm, they don't do enough to promote the league and the rest other competitions Hearts, Hibs and Aberdeen arn't promoted enough when it comes to selling the rights to the TV companies the SFA undersell the league.
Unbearable listening to Jim here. Rangers have done fantastically well but Simon is right, the bottom needs dragged up. While model needs changing. No competition whatsoever
They have changed it a half dozen times in the last 30 years or so it makes no difference. Scotland has a small population 6M. Equivalent to maybe Denmark, Finland or Norway. In the past there was talk of an Atlantic_League_(football) ///google that/// with the top teams from these smaller nations creating a more competitive competition in the hope it could attract bigger investment and tv money. But UEFA have always been against the idea as they see it as a threat to their stranglehold on euro league competition.
Win it and we can talk. But the real deal is a team that can do it long term. Any team can have their day in the sun. I have plenty of sides that have a great season. But in the end normality normally resumes. Having said that, it is a fantastic achievement and honestly, fan wise both Rangers and Celtic should be challenging every year.
The bottom has been brought up to the top... the very top. It was only 9 years ago that Rangers lifted the League 2 title in Scotland. Now they're in the final of a European Cup.
Here's the difference. Take any 6 fixtures in each league. To win the league in Scotland you have to win Celtic / rangers, Hearts Hibs, Aberdeen St Mirren. In England you need to beat City, LFC, UTD, Arsenal, Chelsea Spurs. NO COMPARISON. Scottish League is a joke, pub league
Mark Warburton signed James Tavernier. Stevie G inherited him Martin. Haha. Gerrard was great for us and I wish him well but Gio has taken us a step further. A real class act.
Since 1890 all but 19 top flight championships have been won by Rangers or Celtic. 130 championships but only 19 not won by two teams - Jim that’s the very definition of a two horse race
No English club has better support than Rangers. Gio is a real top manager . We have proved spending millions doesnt compare to spirit, guts, and determination.
C'mon Hearts in the Europa play-offs! This is great for Scottish football generally, but would be even more amazing if all the attention wasn't split 50:50 amongst the Old Firm.
It's not even a good devil's advocate argument. Livingston has a plastic pitch in a stadium nicknamed The SpaghEtihad because they are sponsored by an Italian restaurant and they get 3,000 at most. Other teams have crowds of less than 5,000. Few Scottish Premier teams, including my own, without big crowds & TV money, would survive in the English Championship. Other than the Old Firm Scottish teams rarely getting past European pre-qualifying for group stages. Scotland needs investment at Hearts, Aberdeen & Hibs and they need to eliminate plastic pitches.
I do not mind plastic pitches. In Europe we sometimes play on plastic pitches, in away games, so it is good to have some in Scotland that we can test ourselves on.
Wouldn't say on the rise necessarily. I'd say the quality and aspirations of the traditional teams just off the positions in the league compared to rangers and Celtic is better. Also Celtic are good domestically but not in Europe. Rangers however are exciting domestically as well as in Europe. That being said it needs to be done year on year. All that in consideration the measure still is would either Celtic or rangers make it in the premier League? Rangers have given many indications such as aspirations and team depth I think they would. Celtic many are on the fence about , that being a doubt realistically means no they would not!
bad for scottish football. best thing that happened in scottish football was when rangers were relegated. it flourished for a while till they returned.
I dont think we are comparing it to English football, whats annoying is its sometimes regarded as a psih poor league, it not. It not up there with Eng, Ger, Spa, Fra etc... but I believe it a top ten European league.
There was a time I would've agreed with Simon but recently the standard of the lower half premier league teams has been very poor, Man City and Liverpool don't break sweat beating Norwich and co. In a big knockout European game I wouldn't like West Ham, Man Untied or Leicesters chances in Glasgow either
Jim is just driving conversation here. He cannot be serious. I'm a Rangers fan. Im of the opinion that Rangers and Celtic, if they're playing in the English leagues, eventually, at least one of two of them, will be competing for the title - EVENTUALLY. But it's just silly to boil down comparisons of the two leagues to "Well, they're both one horse races". Mon the Gers! 🏴🇬🇧💙
Chelsea fan here, I’ll be cheering on Rangers. Magnificent journey so far
As a Rangers man we always cheer on Chelsea hopefully it all works out for your club 🤞
John Terry doesn't agree.
@@davidgraham9804 Chelsea fans are pro nazi why would ye support them
Why? They hate you.
@@voetbal12 chelsea and rangers have similarities
Considering where they were it's a fantastic achievement. I honestly hope they win the final because they are always considered underdogs in Europe so good luck to them.
Yes
Cheers mate 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
I don't like to get drawn into comparing Scottish and English football it's never going to be comparable. A more competitive SPL would be fantastic. Scottish football will never have a lot of international appeal but if you live in and around it, it is pretty special.
A SPL team tried to sign a free agent. The player chose to sign for an English NON LEAGUE team because they offered him more money.
@@63mckenzie I can believe that, silly money is a scourge on the game.
@@davidmiller1379 Yip.
@@63mckenzie Choosing money over football only means someone's priorities are based on greed. Got nothing to do with reputation and quality.
@@jacksonbow2766 Not at the lower level. You saying you wouldn't take a job that paid more money than your current one?
Big big respect to Rangers 🏴 for getting to the europa league final love from England 🏴 ⚽️ 🏟 ⚽️ 🏟
Thanks appreciated 🙏
We are the people
People like you, are what make us brittsh 🤣
@@picknmix5223 thank you kind Sir 👍🏻⚽️😎
Congrats Ranger FC and I have been to Scotland and the scottish people are so so nice and kind.
This has always annoyed me how the English slag off our teams and league , I'm a Celtic fan and first I'd like to say condolences to all the rangers fans and Jimmy bells family on the sad news, and also congrats to them on the awesome achievement on reaching the final, I've got really good friends who support rangers and I know we all have a bit of banter but seeing my pal last night having a tear in his eye , was so happy for him , I know I'll probably get abuse being a Celtic fan but don't care , it is a great job they've done , also love the job big Ange has done , Celtic and rangers in the group stages of the champions League , will be amazing for the Scottish game 👏👏👏 have a great day everyone 👏🤩🤩
If only other scottish clubs done something in europe instead of embarrassing the country every season we would be seen in a more positive light
I don't think you are a Celtic fan at all, just trying to bolster your ego begging for attention on TH-cam!
@shuggie thompson yes
@@Yamah12a nonsense
I’m an Aberdeen fan and me and my family were supporting Rangers last night. It’s great to see a Scottish team in Europe!
As a Rangers fan, Jordan is right. Bring the bottom up. However, the league is chronically under sold by the Management of football here. We need a management who is willing to go and get good value TV rights, proper commercial deals and get the brand right. Without this, we can’t bring the lower end up without underfunding the top end in the short to medium term.
The question should be, is Scottish football undersold?
Agreed
Spot on mate.
It’s never going to happen! Rangers and Celtic will keep the money and strengthen their teams. The Gap will only get bigger. Unless!
Dump the SFA and join a British League. Celtic and Rangers would strengthen the English Premier League. Man City, Liverpool are getting over 90 Pts a season. Is that a competitive League?
Aberdeen, Hearts , Hibs being in a British League would bring in more income because English Clubs have a good fan base. Bigger crowds. It would take time for them to climb the Leagues but so what! They have no chance of winning anything anyway. Ok, the Scottish Cup. Which you could still keep but drop the League Cup. Therefore, Scottish Cup, FA Cup, British Leagues, Premiership, Championship, British League 1,2 3, 4.
Well you can't under sell it more than it already is surely? TBH Scottish football will only ever be good when other teams can at least give the Old Firm a run for their money to win the SPL. The 80s with the New Firm was the best time for Scottish Football because Aberdeen and Dundee UTD struck fear into the Old Firm! The league was actually competitive!
Exactly, they're going on about distribution of wealth as if that's the Old Firm's fault, when the problem actually lies with the fact that the SPFL and SFA negotiate such bargain bin TV deals and sponsors that there's barely anything to share out.
Rangers and Celtic's financial superiority over the rest of the league comes from European prize money, and their huge fanbase that allows them to negotiate better sponsorship deals for themselves.
Rangers team last night cost 13.5 million let that sink in
And Ryan Kent was what? £7 million of that.
@@HALFSQUASHED 6.5 million, rising to 7.5 million
😱😳😱😳😱👏🏾👏🏾
What's the wage bill?
@@andrewb2156 our top earners Morelos, Goldson ect are on about 30k a week
No Scottish football isn’t on the rise and this is from a Rangers fan. Rangers have been the only team worth talking about in Scotland. Celtic are a constant embarrassment to themselves, the country and the league every time they are on the European stage. We are single handedly doing the heavy lifting in Europe.
How come Rangers haven't strolled to the title then?
@Scimmia Rangers have been improving in European competition every year for the past four years. Got to the knockout stages and the last 16 in the Europa League in 2020 and 2021. This year they're in the final and are 90 minutes away from winning the Europa League and qualifying for the Champions League. All this was done with one of the smallest budgets in the competition.
@Scimmia pure panic in that statement it reeks of it 😍
I’d argue that playing teams who have no desire to win and ‘park the bus’ week in / week out is far harder than playing a team who fancy their chances and leave things open.
No
It’s why Rangers enjoy playing in Europe. Teams they are playing are more open and it isn’t just an exercise of breaking down a ten man defence. Tavernier said it himself in a post match interview.
Didn't we do that 1st leg kinda lol
GIOOOOOO
Since a team that wasn’t Celtic or rangers won the SPL… Everton Liverpool arsenal Leeds United, Man U, Blackburn, Chelsea Man City and Leicester city have won the top flight league in England. I love rangers, and Jim, but Simon makes a point. Drag the bottom up.
Aberdeen in the 80’s sir Alex Ferguson was the manager
Do your history Aberdeen won it
Leicester 2016 Blackburn 1995. So, what, every 21 years a team out of the top 5 win the big league.
Recent years is between Man City, Liverpool. Before that Man Utd, Chelsea and before that Man Utd, Arsenal. Very rarely has it been a three way race.
It’s become boring in Scotland but it’s also becoming boring in England. A British League would give everything a much needed shake up.
@@lewisclarke5240 I know. Read my statement again… in those 36 years .
@@joebidenshandler2149 bonus point to you my friend. Well done 👏
Happy for rangers, hope they win it.
Glad I grew up in a time when celtic and rangers were not the only ones challenging, Aberdeen , D Utd etc.
Absolutely right...the reality of SPL is there hasn't been a consistent ongoing threat to the old firm taking title's since Fergie left Scotland's third biggest city for the Man Utd job.
@@paulhirst7602 Thats as much a mentality and lack of ambition aspect though, not money like most people say.
If you listen to both Fergie and Mclean interviews, they both stated they had to change the mentality of the players about playing against Rangers and Celtic.
Look at Goodwin coming to Aberdeen, he came out in his 1st week and said he wants to make Aberdeen Scotlands 3rd club again, 3rd?? Fergie wanted 1st for Aberdeen and he got it. McLean wanted 1st for Dundee United and he got it with a tiny budget in comparison.
@@jacksonbow2766 yeah that's the wrong message given out if you're trying to reach the top. For the record I hope Rangers win the Europa league...they fully deserve it.
@@paulhirst7602 exactly mate. What's more disappointing about what Goodwin said is that the Aberdeen fans I have spoke to about what he said are in agreement and think it's just the money that can change things.
Surely Rangers Europa run has proven to Scottish clubs that wage budgets and huge transfers are not the answer for success. Look at the wage budgets and transfer fees spent by all the clubs Rangers have knocked out and they all dwarf Rangers. Leipzig have spent nearly £100 million this year. Dortmund's team were vued at £300 million.
Rangers have spent £2.5million this year.
Mentality and will goes a long way.
It’s the rest of the leagues fault for voting for everything in Celtic’s favour and being their little lackeys.
Well done Rangers 👏
My Opinion.
Scottish football isn't anywhere near English football. But Scottish football is more aggressive and direct which uses up a lot of energy. I watch both leagues and sometimes English top teams will build up play slowly until they are in the final third then will press and attempt to score, which reserves a lot of energy and has better game management.
A team like Man city should be able to play 60+ games a season, 2 games a week without dropping in form, they should have the squad to rotate too.
Rangers don't have that ability to rotate players and stay at the same level.
The fitness level in these players is the reason we are in a European final and Man City are not. Rangers played 240 minutes of football in 4 days and won both. (Celtic + Braga)
Thoughts?
No . You are just riding a wave of confidence and belief that your new manager brought in. You win a few games in europe ,you gain more confidence and slowly you believe you have a chance of going further and you did. All credit to Rangers
I agree, Tierney has said that before that the tempo is higher in Scottish football
Well said Samuel, you're absolutely spot on.
Yeah, Joey Barton got found out at Rangers for that reason
@@happyapple4269 that's nonsence. We have been strong in Europe for 3 years.
PNE fan here..made a trip to Glasgow for the Euros and visited Ibrox and Celtic Park (played and won a friendly there a week later but not allowed in when 7 days earlier we had been at a full Hampden!!). No easy answer to improving the overall standard of football in Scotland.....but I've been on grounds like Livingstone and sat amongst fans who thoroughly enjoy supporting their team...and surely that is what matters. Wish Rangers and the fantastic support all the best in Seville.
Built by Gerrard, achieved by gio. Gerrard in charge we where going out of Europe but gio saved us. Gerrard couldn’t of done this
All the pieces were there just needed put together
Captain Tav, the Europa league top scorer was a Warburton signing. Ryan Jack and Morelos we're Caixinha signings. Gerrard did build the rest though and you are correct, under Gerrard we may have kept the league but got nothing else and been out against Dortmund.
Celtic have won the leauge though. The one that mattered at beginning of season.
@@user-zq9eg8zh6v not the one that matters at the end of the season though 👍🍺😉
Gerrard was playing checkers on a chessboard
Stevie G done well as he still Haunts the dreams of Celtic fans but thank god he left when he did. This is Gios team and tactics now and to say otherwise doesn't do Gio the justice he deserves.
Think you’re giving Gerrard a little bit too much credit, he won ONE trophy during his spell. Wasn’t even a month ago 90% of FF wanted GVB sacked, Ross Wilson gone due to bad recruitment ect.
Gerrard had one way of playing.. gio can change it there's the difference
@@md-run It was the one yous Really wanted the most so it was so sweet after Nine years of hearing about Celtics Ten in a row. Can you reference where you got that information from or did you make it up??
@@thomaswilson4418 its all on follow follow forum for all to see. Numerous threads wanting GVB sacked after the 3-0 derby. No one happy with recruitment even though you have 50p to spend.
@@md-run sad wee man 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Rangers, Rangers, Rangers, Rangers, Rangers, Rangers
absolutely amazing if your not a rangers fan you will never know what it means to us .. the 50th anniversary of barca 1972 .. 150th anniversary of our great club.. it's written in the stars.. 🔴⚪🔵 WATP ✊
As an Aberdeen fan, When Fergie left Aberdeen for Manchester utd in 1986 , he knew that he could take them no further, he knew as a provisional club they would no longer be able to compete with Rangers who then had been bought by Sir David Murray , and huge amounts of cash would transform Rangers and go on to transform Scottish football forever... certainly , it became almost impossible for anyone else other that the Gers or Celtic to win the premier league..that's exactly what's unfolded since 86... Cetic and Rangers practically own the premier league...and have vast amounts of funds at their disposal to ensure that continues..
.back in the 80's is was a great deal more level playing field financially, and competitively, with Dundee utd as well as Aberdeen winning titles and in Europe.
Regardless I wish the Gers all the best and hope they triumph!.. It will certainly raise the profile of Scottish football.
Well spoken man .
So I'm from the US and have loved following British football mainly English and Scottish leagues for almost 20 years, the issue in Scotland is that the Old Firm is *way too far* ahead of the rest. The issue is also how the league is restructured and how the revenue is shared from 1 to 42 in the SPFL. The team outside of the Old Firm to break the grip possibly Aberdeen, Motherwell, Hearts. The playing field isn't really balancing. Thus the coefficient being low. Hopefully that happens soon! Congrats to Rangers again!
Football is commoditised, on that rational, the English clubs should win every European club cup and even will the World Cup. Their league has the most money, they spend the most on youth development.
The Scottish league is reflective of the size of the nation, and rangers are punching well above their weight. I hope they win it, it’s great for Scottish football.
Well said.
The English mentality is just to throw money at every problem. They buy in their best players, Leicester spent £95 million on a new training ground complex and academy yet cannot win a semi-final in a 3rd tier European competition.
Too many narrow minded people think throwing money at Scottish football will make it better, it won't, it will just ruin it and make more greedy people come out of the woodwork.
Our game is competitive but can be even stronger.
If we worry about European knockout football for instance, why make the league cup how it was in the 50s and have 2 legged knockout rounds after a group stage, basically a carbon copy of the European tournaments. It will educate and train our players and coaches on tactics over 2 legs instead of 1 good game then 1 crap game. Generates more cup money from fans also.
So much can be done to make out game even stronger and we don't need more money for the changes.
Spot on brother
@@jacksonbow2766 ''Leicester spent £95 million on a new training ground complex and academy yet cannot win a semi-final in a 3rd tier European competition. '' That's harsh given they went out vs Roma, who knows, Roma might be even better than Leipzig at the moment and the investment will probably pay off in the long run.
@@LegendNinja41 this is all you got from what I posted?? Really?
The topic is what again? Ahh yes, Scottish football and apparently throwing money at it but if you want to defend the EPL philosophy, sure let's go down that road.
Leicester also spent £60+million this season on players and had a settled squad who have been together longer but Roma, well Mourinho replaced a huge chunk of that team this season so that squad should not be as settled.
There are clubs in Scotland who still train on public parks mate.... That's my point. Throwing money at things to fix things is lazy and never truly fixes anything.
Leicester spent £95million on an academy and training ground they could have done for £30 million, even less (rich people waste money). Aberdeen FC spent £13 million on theirs and made every penny count. Simple fact is, the EPL clubs are wasteful because they have so much money now that most results do not matter to them. West Ham for instance is seen as a great achievement to reach as far as they did but for a long time now all the fans of the EPL have said is that the EPL is the strongest league in the world and the Bundesliga in this case is a farmers league. Frankfurt only spent £12million this season, West Ham spent £65million with some loans in also. I would have loved to have seen a West Ham - Rangers final. In paper though it should have been Leipzig v West Ham as both clubs spent 5, 6x more than Frankfurt and Rangers.
Money doesn't guarantee success and competitiveness.
Am a Scottish football fan and am proud rangers are in a European final for the first time since 2008. I would like to see all the Scottish clubs improve in europe as well and like jordan and martin have said make our league lot more competitive like it was in the 80s when Aberdeen and Dundee United challenged rangers and celtic to titles. So hopefully rangers can win the europa final against a tough side. Also I hope financial backing comes to our clubs hearts, Aberdeen, hibs, dundee United need top managers and money to step up.
TBF , I suppose it was money that created this mess. Rangers started spending big mid 80's Hatley/Butcher etc. & nobody else apart from these 2 has won the league for 36 years. The problem is beyond repair .now look at attendances Them 2 combined average = 100K EVERY other (40 teams combined) in SFL = 115K
Same hwr the SFA and SPFL need to do their job better maybe then when we develop good young players that won't chase the big bucks down south
Hasn't Aberdeen been taken over by a wealthy American? If so, do you think it will help?
@@freebird2882 not sure who the owner is if it's an American with money then Aberdeen need to think bigger and bring in top manager and players to challenge Celtic and rangers. Cos all the teams for me outside of the big two lack ambition they all are happy with 3rd place poor mentality in my opinion mate.
@@-V-K- spot on mate
Gers shirt going on for the 18th. Well done Gers 🐻 from a Villa fan 🦁 👏👏👏
Don’t always agree with Simon but he’s right when he says it takes more energy in the English Premiership
you've not kicked a ball. sit down, son
Probably right, but Allie that with far smaller squad at Rangers and also the energy Rangers need to use up during the 18 European games they have played so far.
EPL teams generally coast through European ties up to the quarters because of their standard of squads.
Simon is basically right, especially about GVB. However, he says the SPL is less energetic, when the opposite is probably true. The SPL is less technical than the EPL, but it's played at a faster speed. This is certainly the case whenever teams play against the old firm. There also seems to be less space available for players to develop strategies in games, possibly because of bus parking; but also because tight man marking is favoured, to make up for the lack of technique. The SPL can be intense. The panel also over estimate the amount possession percentage enjoyed by the top two as well. The lesser qualty of the league, doent affect its ability to provide entertaining, thrills and spills.
Scottish football is fantastic as an experience but as for competitiveness of the league, it can be made better with a few simple tweaks but for now, the experience is will have to do. Most passionate people around in my view.
It's not even up for debate. The last time someone won the Scottish league other than Celtic or Rangers was in 84/85 that's nearly 40 years ago! Even a few years before that it was Celtic winning it every season.
You may not have noticed, but the Scottish teams who have won European trophies, Aberdeen, Celtic and Rangers, have all done so with teams of Scottish players. This happened at a time when there was not such a huge financial chasm between the leagues and clubs here could hold on to their players. Has any English team won a European trophy with an all-English team - no. The English league has always bought it's successes. The massive amount of TV money in England, at present, has made the difference and the English leagues are determined to make sure the revenue-streams that permit this, remain under their own control, which is fair enough. The Scottish teams cannot compete financially and that is the problem. Top Scottish players like Andy Robertson, Kieran Tierney, John McGinn, etc., are syphoned away from Scottish teams by the buying power of teams south of the border much earlier in their careers, than was previously the case. A footballer's career is short; players are leaving Scotland to play for League 1 and Championship sides when they are too young. They are doing this, even at the risk of not getting game-time, because of the difference in financial rewards they can expect. Many are never heard of again. We know they would be better off (in a footballing sense) staying in Scotland, getting game-time and developing as a player; but as far as they're concerned, money talks. Taking the money on offer is often seen as a better option than turning the chance down and waiting 'to improve.' They know they could get a career-ending injury before a big move, or never get such an offer again.
@@andyallan2909 hardly any team wins a European trophy with just native players i mean EVER!!! its just the way things are these days right or wrong if you want top lay with the big boys you need a big boys wallet its that simple.
5:44 Simon has a point here. 7 of the 12 teams in the SPFL park the bus against us with a 5-5-0 formation, playing for a draw from the first kick off. For anyone wondering, those teams brave enough to actually challenge us and make us work are Celtic, Hearts, Hibs and Aberdeen.
10-0-0 sometimes
@@theorgazoid4918 lol, that's what I meant. I don't think a 10-0-0 can exist. They would play 11 goal keepers if they could.
@@scipioafricanus2212 Rangers parked the bus against leipzig hoping for a draw, but you expect the smaller scottish teams to open up when they play rangers.😂
@@jackjones1249 because gio knew what he was doing and knew we could destroy them at ibrox as we did
Sorry Simon when Rangers played Celtic and played the second extra time game in a week it was Celtic who were on their knees in the cup game.
Great for Scottish football , that was some performance last night , quality of players is one thing , but the team working together along with the massive support and doing the job and scoring goals is another .
Even as an Arsenal fan I admit Keown is often off the mark, but that’s bad form from Jim Jordan to bring up off-the-air remarks made in what sounds like a casual conversation with colleagues not meant for public consumption.
Why is Jim dressed as Han Solo?
Honestly you’d get a better chat out of a brick wall than Martin. And Simon actually backing him is ridiculous, the top 8 teams in England have serious money and massive funds from owners yet if rangers play them they struggle. If we had the funding the English league did we would be an ever bigger team and that includes Celtic , Aberdeen etc. English fans call the Scottish teams sunday league teams but yet West Ham are out and using the excuse they didn’t invest in January with all their money. Leicester likewise. WATP
West Ham play in a much more difficult league and because of that have faced a lot of injuries. Players cost more to go to English teams because they know they have the money so the money they get doesn't go as far as if a Scottish team had it for example. Also considering you clearly didn't watch the game they had a man sent off in the 19th minute, already being 1-0 down on aggregate any team would have struggled.
Ross County??? Which English league would they play in? It's laughable league regardless of money
@@spm36 Ross Barkley would probably sell for more.
Deluded comment. Very happy for rangers and the win was fantastic for Scottish football but if rangers played in the prem they'd be relegated.
I will not listen to morons thinking the likes of Gerrard left rangers for a smaller club. This Club being Villa. Villa are 10 times bigger than rangers and always will be!
Scottish football is generally only known and watched in Scotland and some parts of the UK.
The prem is watched worldwide
@@andymccreight3175 villa bigger than rangers…get off the glue mate…🤣🤣
I would love to see a more competitive Scottish premier league however, the onus is not on Rangers or Celtic to do so. The onus is on the suits that badly run the game and continue to take whatever scraps are on the table.
The onus is on the fans in Scotland to challenge their clubs to remove the suits and put in people with a vision ..
Bring on the Chinese billionaires
Why do the English think that only money is the answer to improve competitiveness in Scottish football? We have too any part-time and semi-pro clubs in our Senior game. There is no need for 4 divisions. No need to play each other 4 times per season. Our clubs were most successful when we have a different leadgue cup format (2-legged knockout rounds like in Europe) and 16 teams top and 2 division.
We need to reduce our divisions down to 3, make our top league bigger to 16 and play only 30 games. That will make it harder on the Old Firm because currently, clubs like Hearts and Dundee Untied can take points from the Old Firm at home. If Aberdeen realise they should be challenging then we also have another. Key is to reduce the number of amateur and semi-pro teams in our top leagues.
We don't need hige investments, just enough to build training grounds and increase wage budgets.
Your comment has a weird black-hole in it.
We do not need to reduce the number of teams. The more teams we have the more opportunities there are. Andy Robertson played for Queen's Park when they were at a level where you would have not had them in the Scottish leagues. Alex Ferguson started as a manager at East Stirlingshire. We need more clubs and more opportunities, not less,
@Scimmia pumping money into Scottish football won't make all the clubs professional, full-time and title challengers. All it will do is make the gap between the 10-15 clubs who want to grow and the other 30 clubs who are happy just turning up and having cake sales each week.
Money won't get rid of people like Neil Doncaster who have zero interest in improving our game.
@@invernessfan3017 My friend, I wouldn't kick those teams out of football, I would just make a bigger prem and whatever is left for the Championship and then have a 3rd division for the part-time and amateur clubs (with some prem colt teams), then have the Highland Lowland leagues.
Fife as an area has a population of 370k yet their are 5 Fife teams spread across the Championship to league 2. Dunfermline and Raith are the only FIFE clubs setup to be premiership clubs. Sadly they are both crap on the pitch lol. There need to be some mergers of clubs.
I just don't want to keep watching 4 games against Hibs each season and 4 against St. Mirren and so on. Even 4 Old Firm games are boring for me now because I know I will be able to miss one and see 3 more later.
I am in favour of having a 3rd tier which has Colt teams in. If we had 16 team top flight them the top 6 placed prem teams each season get a place for a Colt team in the 3rd tier for the next season. Its a prize and it's for youth players to play against men in a senior league.
Ideally I suppose with the current clubs, a 16-16-16 is what I mean. We have to drag the teams up from the bottom.
@@jacksonbow2766 We need more teams not less. We tried concentrating wealth in all the top clubs in the SPL era. It did not work. The clubs just wasted the money, and went deeper into debt.
I support having more teams, and more colt teams in the lower leagues. The more opportunities there are the more chance there is of producing top players, coaches ands managers. We need more clubs. Fife works perfectly well with lots of teams.
If only Man Utd had this work rate and never give in attitude!!! A great example hard graft and passion well done rangers !! 👍🏻
Martin was fuming when Jim called him out for saying something different off air than on air lmao
I get the feeling Jim just argues the point to keep the convo going because nobody with any credible football knowledge would agree with any of the points he makes here
Of course that's his job but he does also speak some truths. It is correct that there are 10 teams in Scotland that treat their games against the Old Firm as cup finals but other than that he was just doing his job.
Jim's delighted, I'm right there with you jimbo, we are winning this, yes stevie g started us on this journey, no doubt but gio has taken us the rest of the way, we are the last British club in either the conference league or the europa league, just think about that, Seville get ready, we are coming, 🔴⚪🔵
Our Journey started with McCoist brother. The King can't in and brought in Warburton (who signed Tav). Caixinha got some things right when he brought in Morelos, Jack and Candeias. Gerrard was just a natural evolution on our path and now Gio is the man to take us to next step. SEVILLE BABY 👍🍺🍺🍺
Scottish football? Rangers in there second final in 14 years and Celtic not won an knock out game in 15 years 😂😂😂 mind put our bins out we are on holiday 🇬🇧🇬🇧
Last time they won a knockout game you could have a smoke in the pub 😂
What's the better season?
Celtic winning the League and League Cup.
Or
Rangers winning the Europa League and Scottish Cup.
I give the edge to Rangers, winning a European Trophy is huge for a Scottish Team.
Even if celtic won all their domestic trophies and went invincible winning the Europa League would still be a bigger achievement. For a Scottish club that is massive.
Rangers winning the europa league would be bigger than the Tim's winning the league only green tinted eyes would tell you otherwise
Considering Celtic got knocked out of about 25 European competitions this year and rangers have beaten some tidy teams to get to the final, By far rangers. The problem for them is Frankfurt seem better away from home than at home
Why is that even a question, Celtic can win the treble undefeated and Rangers winning the Europa League would be bigger
Any Scottish team winning in Europe trumps a league where it’s a 2 horse race
I don’t agree with the Man City/Rangers comparison. The so called lesser teams in Scotland tend to play very defensively against the old firm and can be difficult to break down. Frustratingly so at times. I would say that it take immense amounts of energy and concentration not to mention not falling into the trap of complacency to play against these teams and win.
Jim throwing Martin under the English Bus 😂😂😂
If the tv companies treated the Scottish game as it does the English game by throwing money at it,then other teams will compete more with Celtic and Rangers. It would take 10 years maybe but it would improve
Problem is the audience isn't there. And most of the audience that is there wants to watch the Old Firm
If only Jim white could let somebody finish their sentence it would be such a better listen!
Jim White is unfortunately talking garbage. In the past 9 years when the SPL took the Rangers horse out, it was only Celtic. Now Rangers are back it's a two horse league. It is only Rangers that brings any attraction and pride to Scottish football by being in the EUROPA final.
Scottish football is always going to be a two team show. I'd love to see Aberdee, Dundee United, Hibs and Hearts improve underneath them so the gap closes some what
If Celtic and rangers get to the champions League then their domestic rivals get subsidiary payments from uefa.
Scotland will improve as a league when the other teams outside the top 2 start making European group stages, next year Hearts are going to make the group stage of atleast the conference league at the bare minimum that's a start.
It helps that they are getting higher in the coefficients, which gives more teams opportunity's in europe.
“Take Morelos and roofe out and they aren’t as good” basically what he said, we played the final with joe Arbil at striker who played lb some of last season
I said over a decade ago that smaller countries with small TV markets should get their top clubs to band together to form a league which could allow them to compete on equal footing with the big 5 leagues. Holland, Belgium, Scotland, the Nordics, maybe Portugal can produce players as well as anyone, but the best ones all leave aged 19-21. You take 20-odd clubs from those nations with relegation/playoff to reward aspiration of clubs outside that elite and you get something you can sell to TV with confidence.
Jim letting the cat out the bag 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Bang on about the league btw. This is a huge chance for other teams to build and thrive and make the league as a whole more competitive.
Scottish guy here. Most Scottish fans aren't daft, we know our league will never compete with the top leagues. But rangers and Celtic are huge. We really need teams like Aberdeen, hearts, Hibs, Dundee utd to push on. But the good thing is they are all in the top league again. The Scottish game is the best it has been for years. Starting to get more and more good young players again as well.
Getting to the group stage of the Champions league by beating another quality side in Psv Eindhoven the goal came from two players Van Bronkhorst signed in Tillman and Colak ,Tillman is a young player on loan from Bayern Munich with an option to buy and Antonio Colak who cost 1.8 million his goal earned Rangers 30 to 40 million.The story of the rise of Rangers from 3rd division football 10 year's ago to the Europa league final then getting into the group stage doing it the hard way is incredible this Rangers team cost 12 million to assemble ,an average centre half in England cost's 30 million.
Love the way that ended yassss WE ARE THE PEOPLE AND WE FEAR NO FOE that includes all you down south🔴⚪️🔵
@Scimmia We we're in this final 14 year's ago in 2008, get your facts right. Since then has been a really hard time for the club and only the Glasgow Rangers can go from the lowest teir in football to compete with the very top within 9 years. 1 of the best comeback story's for an unbelievably huge team 🔴⚪️🔵 RTID
@Scimmia Also your tottenham and Leicester couldn't make it this far in the real small European conference league hahah u muppet
@Scimmia or Celtic for that matter hahah who haven't been this far since 2003 🤣😂😂😂 all the while we go to the bottom and back again in that time and get their twice since then, dont make me laugh
Since Rangers last Uefa Cup final 14 years ago, they have been liquidated, sent to bottom tier, bounced back up to win Premiership and a Europa league final. Celtic on the other hand struggling every year to qualify for Europa 🤣
Rangers have never been liquidated… the old company that owned Rangers still hasn’t gone into liquidation.
@@malcolmhorton8848 close enough, splitting hairs
@@lukerm91 RANGERS have a glorious unbroken 150 years of history… hairs will be split when ridiculous comments about liquidation are banded about!!!🇬🇧✊🏻🇬🇧
Yeah Celtic really wasted all them years of easy money in Scotland and Europe. They were guaranteed direct access every year to the Champions league and under Rodgers made the group stages but what have they done with their money all these years?? They are in a 'Rebuild'. Ffs, they talk such shite for their failings.
@@lukerm91 close but no cigar
Rangers can only dream of the money of most top teams but most top teams can only dream of a support like that. Support wise Rangers and Celtic beat most EPL teams but bottom line is team work and passion can sometimes substitute for cash. What Rangers have done in Europe is truely amazing though, that German team spent 30tines more on their team than rangers! Incredible just a shame West Ham couldn't have made it what a game that would have been!
They beat every team in support except Man City, Man United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea 👍
@@hulk8384 Ye by a long way 👍
@@furrybear9416 yes
I was hoping that my team would end up in the final with Rangers. Alas, it wasn’t to be so I hope Rangers now win it. Just watch out for the Frankfurt fans, they seem to be on a mission to replicate the 80’s.
SPFL winners get 3 million, EFL 100 million parachute payment for relegation
The thing is what Jim is saying, the less of a “pub league” it becomes, the more of a 2 horse race as European success pulls the big 2 even further away from the rest.
Premier league is a two horse race and will be for the next 5 years, doesn't make it a bad league. The English premier league elitism is unreal and delusional.
@@whenyoulookintoit9356 will be more than 5 years easy. Is what it is. EPL and most other leagues 1 and 2 horse races just the gap up here especially big
What success have Celtic had in Europe of late?
"The wealth dose'nt filter down in the league", I think Rangers have just proven that it's not just about the clubs wealth to attract the best talent ffs 🤦♂️🙄.
Spot on bud. I laugh every time I hear these people talk about throwing money at football to make it better. Leicester can spend £95 million on an academy and training ground after winning the premier league but cannot reach the final of a 3rd tier European competition. How big is Romas budget compared to Leicester?
Don't get me wrong the though, the Scottish game can be made more competitive but throwing money at it won't do that. We have crao leadership in the SFA, SPFL and at board room level.
We have the majority of managers who do not have that Champion mentality like Fergie and Mclean did.
We have too many senior divisions and too many team's in our senior leagues. Playing 4 times per season is horrible and will always make it easier for Rangers and Celtic because the other clubs don't get a break from Old Firm drubbing's. 16 team top flight and only 30/games per season changes the landscape big time. Make the league cup 2legs after the group stage and our players and managers will learn about 2 leg European knockouts and how to prepare for them.
All these don't cost millions and millions.
Jim absolutely schooled the guys here. Those 2 just saying the other teams should be doing better??👏🏼👏🏼
Prem teams get handed mass amounts by their sugar daddies.
Prem is a 2 horse race, its simply a more entertaining one cause of the money thrown at it
I don't agree on the point about the SPFL not being competitive in the sense that these teams cannot on their day beat Rangers or Celtic, it's not true. I've watched Scottish football my whole life and honestly, when it comes to it, as a Rangers man myself, I've seen some top Rangers sides struggling to beat Hibs, Aberdeen, Hearts, especially in their home grounds, sometimes we've lost and other times we've drawn. There is no truth to say that Rangers and Celtic haven't had it on their day.
All that being stated, however, of course we would all wish to see Scottish football more competitive, it needs more recognition, more TV money, these other clubs would then start to bring in better to then compete in Europa League, it's the way forward, in my eyes.
Nobody is saying that Scotland hasn't produced world class players over the years because they absolutely have but the Scottish league for God's sake is a shambles. Celti Rangers Rangers Celtic.
For 36 years noone else has won league & that's not likely to change anytime soon. Celtic/Rangers , combined average crowd is 100K. The other combined 40 , yes 40 , teams in SFL is 115K. Away games for them are like home games with them outnumbering fans. It is a joke & the authorities do nothing to change the inequality.
This shows that having strong competition in your domestic league makes you better in Europe.
PSG should take note
Who’s strong in SPL, Celtic!? France has Lyon, Lillie, Mersille, Bourdoux etc.
@@miamitten1123 you need at least one opponent that is on par with you. When Celtic were the best by themselves in the SPL, they didn’t do anything in Europe.
PSG don’t have a rival like that.
Look at La Liga, Barca had Real Madrid and vice versa. Whereas, when Juventus were steamrolling everyone in Serie A, they never got over the line in the CL. You have to be used to the pressure to get over the line in these European competitions.
EPL take note also. 7 domestic team's in Europe and only 1 European finalist.
@@lsr3794 mate, Rangers have been back competing for 4 years now and Celtic still haven't done anything in Europe. Booted out of ALL 3 competitions at the 1st hurdle in 1 season.
Bayern Munich been champions since 2013!One team league then.It doesn’t help in Scotland when religion plays a massive part in who you support that’s a massive factor why Rangers and Celtic are so big.
Everyone is talking about Scottish Football. We are GLASGOW RANGERS . We are the people. We don’t care about Scottish Football, it’s about us. 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
Glasgow is in Scotland. Scottish people should support Scotland.
Koewn and Jordan are absolutely spot on, Hearts fan here and the financial gulf between my club who are 3rd in the Spl btw and rangers and celtic is massive, in terms of wages and resources they have about 10 x that of anyone outside them, everything up here revolves around the Old Firm
in Scotland as they have the biggest supports, the prize money and tv money needs to be distributed equally throughout the league to help give other teams more income instead of the lions share going to the Old Firm who are already rich and will now be pulling away further due to them both potentially being in the Champs league groups next season. We haven't had a winner outside Rangers and celtic since aberdeen in 85 (37 years ago)
What an atmosphere.....was as good as anywhere
Money has made it more competitive... Because if you look at the teams in Europe and how far they go. That's more competitive
Being a rangers fan i love how jim trys to argue that the spl is the same as the pl lol he's wrong but i love it
I think you would be better off having 3 divisions instead of two, but thats just because i find the 5 game split table end confusing.
Big up Aberdeen though, went to my first ever football match at Pittodrie
Two horse race. Bang on Jim. The English don't want to face reality.
Considering this guy is a rangers fan, as a Tim I think he actually brings some good neutral points
More energy required in Scotland than England, EPL compared to SPL is far slower than Scotland
The EPL is incomparable. But look at the other leagues in Europe. France - 1 horse race. Germany - 1 horse race. Spain - 2, maybe 3 horse race. Italy - 2/3 horse race. That's just the norm for 2/3 teams to be above everyone else in the league. I don't think the fact England has an arguably competitive top 6 makes any European achievement any more credible. The resources Man City have they could buy two champions league winning squads. What it comes down to is for any team on any season, do the players and the manager have what it takes to win in europe? Rangers and Frankfurt have both proved in their own ways they can knock out European giants with 100m squads beating 600m squads and it's nothing to do with what league they are in
The fact an Aberdeen player made a comment online about rangers doing well and being forced to delete it is an absolute disgrace, it's about time everybody got together when it comes to Europe as it benefits other clubs.
Rangers have made it to the europa leauge final with a 13 mil team of Scottish prem had more money would be more competitive
the league is getting better and better every yea
Going by the way their EPL are snapping up, young Scottish talent, i would say so.
The allocation for the supporters of both sides is a disgrace.
The problem with he SPL is it's only rangers and Celtic that do anything towards promoting the league, the SFA only sell the league on rangers and Celtic and the old firm, they don't do enough to promote the league and the rest other competitions Hearts, Hibs and Aberdeen arn't promoted enough when it comes to selling the rights to the TV companies the SFA undersell the league.
Unbearable listening to Jim here. Rangers have done fantastically well but Simon is right, the bottom needs dragged up. While model needs changing. No competition whatsoever
They have changed it a half dozen times in the last 30 years or so it makes no difference. Scotland has a small population 6M. Equivalent to maybe Denmark, Finland or Norway. In the past there was talk of an Atlantic_League_(football) ///google that/// with the top teams from these smaller nations creating a more competitive competition in the hope it could attract bigger investment and tv money. But UEFA have always been against the idea as they see it as a threat to their stranglehold on euro league competition.
English exceptionalism. The Scottish top tier are consistently in European finals. No team from the Welsh or Irish leagues are. Show some respect.
Nearly every league in Europe outside the top few are a yearly two horse race.
Win it and we can talk. But the real deal is a team that can do it long term. Any team can have their day in the sun. I have plenty of sides that have a great season. But in the end normality normally resumes. Having said that, it is a fantastic achievement and honestly, fan wise both Rangers and Celtic should be challenging every year.
The bottom has been brought up to the top... the very top.
It was only 9 years ago that Rangers lifted the League 2 title in Scotland. Now they're in the final of a European Cup.
It’s a funny old game , a large section of the Rangers support were screaming for Gio’s head after they got beat 3 - 0 by Celtic not so long ago.
Here's the difference. Take any 6 fixtures in each league. To win the league in Scotland you have to win Celtic / rangers, Hearts Hibs, Aberdeen St Mirren. In England you need to beat City, LFC, UTD, Arsenal, Chelsea Spurs. NO COMPARISON. Scottish League is a joke, pub league
correct from an Aberdeen fan. standard is worse than it's been for a long time
Mark Warburton signed James Tavernier. Stevie G inherited him Martin. Haha.
Gerrard was great for us and I wish him well but Gio has taken us a step further. A real class act.
Since 1890 all but 19 top flight championships have been won by Rangers or Celtic. 130 championships but only 19 not won by two teams - Jim that’s the very definition of a two horse race
No English club has better support than Rangers.
Gio is a real top manager .
We have proved spending millions doesnt compare to spirit, guts, and determination.
C'mon Hearts in the Europa play-offs! This is great for Scottish football generally, but would be even more amazing if all the attention wasn't split 50:50 amongst the Old Firm.
It's not even a good devil's advocate argument. Livingston has a plastic pitch in a stadium nicknamed The SpaghEtihad because they are sponsored by an Italian restaurant and they get 3,000 at most. Other teams have crowds of less than 5,000. Few Scottish Premier teams, including my own, without big crowds & TV money, would survive in the English Championship. Other than the Old Firm Scottish teams rarely getting past European pre-qualifying for group stages. Scotland needs investment at Hearts, Aberdeen & Hibs and they need to eliminate plastic pitches.
I do not mind plastic pitches. In Europe we sometimes play on plastic pitches, in away games, so it is good to have some in Scotland that we can test ourselves on.
Wouldn't say on the rise necessarily. I'd say the quality and aspirations of the traditional teams just off the positions in the league compared to rangers and Celtic is better. Also Celtic are good domestically but not in Europe. Rangers however are exciting domestically as well as in Europe. That being said it needs to be done year on year. All that in consideration the measure still is would either Celtic or rangers make it in the premier League? Rangers have given many indications such as aspirations and team depth I think they would. Celtic many are on the fence about , that being a doubt realistically means no they would not!
Got to give credit to gerrard but it’s gio who has brung on lundstrum tavernier bassey.
Brilliant for rangers. Brilliant for Scottish football. Hopefully 2 teamas are in champions league next year
bad for scottish football. best thing that happened in scottish football was when rangers were relegated. it flourished for a while till they returned.
As a rangers fan I 100% agree with Simon.
I dont think we are comparing it to English football, whats annoying is its sometimes regarded as a psih poor league, it not. It not up there with Eng, Ger, Spa, Fra etc... but I believe it a top ten European league.
There was a time I would've agreed with Simon but recently the standard of the lower half premier league teams has been very poor, Man City and Liverpool don't break sweat beating Norwich and co. In a big knockout European game I wouldn't like West Ham, Man Untied or Leicesters chances in Glasgow either
Jim is just driving conversation here. He cannot be serious.
I'm a Rangers fan. Im of the opinion that Rangers and Celtic, if they're playing in the English leagues, eventually, at least one of two of them, will be competing for the title - EVENTUALLY.
But it's just silly to boil down comparisons of the two leagues to "Well, they're both one horse races".
Mon the Gers! 🏴🇬🇧💙
Jim's correct here.