A challenge to Celtic

Rangers aim to dethrone rivals as Scottish season nears

GLASGOW, Scotland (Reuters) -- Having won the Scottish title by the proverbial mile for the past two seasons, Celtic manager Martin O'Neill could easily wear a smug expression on the cusp of a new campaign.

His side left bitter city rivals Rangers trailing as they secured the Scottish Premier League crown by a gaping 18 points last season and 15 the one before.

But the erudite Northern Irishman cannot afford to relax too much as the quest for a third consecutive championship begins Saturday.

O'Neill could have opted to succeed David O'Leary as Leeds manager this summer. But he stayed and now the heat is again on him to deliver for the 60,000 fans who attend Celtic Park.

After winning the league with a 5-1 demolition of Livingston and losing only one game last season, he heaped praise on Rangers.

"Rangers never gave up the chase and that it took us until the fifth-last game of the season to seal the title with our record shows their consistency," he said.

It should be a much closer battle this season.

The theory that Alex McLeish can lead Rangers out of a mini-wilderness and reclaim the domestic title for the blue half of Glasgow was given credibility in the death throes of the last campaign.

Larsson's threat

With his Dutch predecessor Dick Advocaat unable to match O'Neill, McLeish was appointed in January after managing Hibernian with some success.

The former Scotland defender coped admirably well in snuffing out Celtic's bid for historic back-to-back trebles.

Dutch defender Bert Konterman's extra-time howitzer in a 2-1 semifinal victory against Celtic was the key to Rangers plundering the Scottish League Cup.

Danish winger Peter Lovenkrands punctured another Celtic dream with his last-minute goal in May's pulsating 3-2 Scottish Cup final win at Hampden.

McLeish's side finished unbeaten in their Old Firm contests with Celtic but it is the league title that Rangers crave most after two barren seasons.

Celtic's success under O'Neill is down to a formidable team spirit and a diet of strength and speed in key areas.

Sweden striker Henrik Larsson remains their most potent attacking threat. He has scored more than 100 goals in five seasons, earning the nickname "The king of kings" among the club's fans.

At his best, Larsson is a devastating striker and his three goals at the World Cup in June justified his rating as one of Europe's top predators.

It has been a relatively quiet close season for both Glasgow clubs, with more players sold than bought.

European horizon

The collapse of the proposed SPL television channel and the absence of a new deal with satellite broadcasters Sky has forced Scottish clubs to fall into line with much of Europe and cut their cloth accordingly.

Rangers' 6.5-million-pound ($10.27-million) purchase of Spanish midfielder Mikel Arteta from Paris St. Germain was their biggest move of the summer.

Wolverhampton Wanderer's combative Australian defender Kevin Muscat has also been snared on a free transfer.

Celtic have spent 1 million pounds in signing another talented Spaniard, David Fernandez, from Livingston.

Livingston, who have signed Argentine Sergio Berti, will aim to consolidate their position as the third force in Scotland and will also contest the UEFA Cup with Aberdeen and Rangers.

Celtic must again qualify for the Champions League group stages but will be buoyed by the memory of ousting Ajax Amsterdam from the competition last year and their three home wins against Porto, Rosenborg Trondheim and Juventus.

Their hopes of enjoying a run in Europe will depend upon their ability to collect points away from home, though, and on key players avoiding injuries.

The two-tier nature of Scotland's top flight is emphasised by the fact that, after Celtic and Rangers, bookmakers Ladbrokes are offering gigantic odds of 150-1 on Aberdeen and Livingston as the third favorites to win the title.

Among the clubs who deem finishing inside Scotland's top six a success are Dunfermline Athletic, Dundee, Dundee United, Kilmarnock and the Edinburgh clubs of Hearts and Hibernian.

Motherwell, managed by former England captain Terry Butcher, and newly-promoted Partick Thistle look likely to struggle.

 

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