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Daily Record
Daily Record
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Robbie Copeland

Charlie Nicholas in scathing Rangers assessment and need FIVE new signings to compete with 'Hollywood' Celtic

Charlie Nicholas reckons Rangers are FIVE signings away from competing with Celtic next season.

And the former Parkhead striker insists his old team had the better season last year, with their Premiership win topping Rangers' run to the Europa League final.

Ange Postecoglou had a massive job on his hands when he came in last summer but he made himself an instant hero by wrestling the title back at the first time of asking.

They also won the Premier Sports Cup and one year into the Postecoglou project, things are looking rosy again.

Having won the Premiership, Celtic will go straight into the Champions League group stage next season.

And Nicholas reckons that's part of the reason their season trumps Rangers'.

Nicholas, speaking to BonusCodeBets , said: “Celtic winning the league title was a bigger achievement than Rangers reaching the Europa League final because just over a year ago, Celtic were in turmoil.

"There was a mix of coaches and managers who would only answer to the board, and then they finally got in a man who said ‘stop, don’t get involved’.

“Also, Ange Postecoglou got them straight back into the giant pit of Champions League. Not qualifiers, no embarrassment, just straight in.

“He’s brought Hollywood back to Celtic Park. When I was a kid and followed Celtic, I followed the Lisbon Lions and in the latter years I remember them beating Rangers on many occasions.

"The European names were so fantastic. Liverpool, Celtic and Borussia Dortmund have something special about European midweek nights under the lights.

"The atmosphere is unbelievable, and Celtic have always had that. I can’t wait for those games to come back. There’s something that gives me the vibe that Celtic are ready to take the big scalp again at Celtic Park and memorable nights.”

Nicholas knows Rangers will be stronger next season but reckons they need "five or six" new signings if they are to take Celtic the distance.

They've already signed John Souttar and retained the bulk of last season's squad but he insists there is plenty of work for Gio van Bronckhorst to do in the transfer market.

Nicholas went on: “Rangers will absolutely be stronger next season under Giovanni Bronckhorst. Van Bronckhorst has done well as a new coach, and it’s okay saying the fundamentals are okay but Rangers were just in freefall at the time and Celtic started to overtake them in the Scottish Premiership.

“It stabilised it a little bit during the season, but Van Bronckhorst didn’t have a number nine. He wasn’t trying to play like Pep, Morelos was just injured, and no one else was available.

“Kemar Roofe, in all honesty, is not a brilliant number nine, but he does do a job for you. Van Bronckhorst stabilised the squad, got it together after a few injuries, and some movement in the transfer window.

“I thought he did a magnificent job taking them to a final in the Europa League and they will get stronger next season. He needs five or six players to make this a strong squad, challenging Celtic and in the Europa League.”

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