John Hartson has delivered a blistering reality check on the day that Steven Gerrard finally checked in at Murray Park.
Sevco announced the signing of Connor Goldston to accompany the arrival of the former Liverpool youth team coach but that move hasn’t impressed the former Celtic striker.
A year ago Bruno Alves claimed that he had checked in at Ibrox to take Celtic’s title but the ageing defender has only succeeded in draining Sevco of £28,000 per week.
Hartson has listened to all of the noise that has been generated by the Warburton and Caixinha revolutions while Celtic have quietly and efficiently powered ahead- trashing the tribute act at every turn.
A bus-load of pundits, mainly English based, have talked up Gerrard the manager over the last month but Hartson hasn’t messed about as he delivered a hard hitting verdict while handing over a £20,000 cheque from his foundation to the Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity’s Schiehallion Appeal.
“There’s not a cat in hell’s chance Rangers will catch Celtic,” Hartson told the Sun. “They are a million miles away on and off the park. If Brendan Rodgers let that happen it would be a travesty.
“Celtic are double Treble winners with £50million of Champions League money and they have assets. Celtic will step up to the challenge.
“Brendan will get them in and say ‘Look, last two years we’ve been up against a poor Rangers.
“Stevie will improve them, now is the acid test, we need to go again’.
Wonderful morning at the Glasgow Children’s Hospital.. very proud of the jh foundation that we can support these amazing Doctors, Nurses, Staff and beautiful children in this way.. £20.000 ???????? pic.twitter.com/pFXq4OZ6Ug
— John Hartson (@JohnHartson10) June 13, 2018
“Rangers have signed six players and the proof will be in the pudding but are the rest of their players going to step up? They have been so far behind.
“Look at what Pedro Caixinha did. How on earth did he get to sign players? If the man who allowed it to happen is still in a job it’s bizarre.
“How could he get to sign the players on the wages they are on? It’s almost ruined the football club.
“The fans were getting excited then as well, weren’t they? They were thinking ‘We’ve got in Bruno Alves, what a player he is’.
“At 35 he was like an old man limping onto the pitch. My dad could have played there and done better.
“He’s got great experience, yeah, but don’t sign a guy knocking on 35 to deal with Moussa Dembele and Leigh Griffiths. What chance have you got?
“Now Rangers have a class act in Steven and this will raise the level of everyone’s game when he walks in the dressing room.
“He’s a magnificent person and knows what he wants. He’s never failed at anything in his life.
“I’m interested to see how it plays out, but Rangers’ biggest worry is getting close to Celtic rather than beating Celtic.
“Aberdeen have been second for three years and they won’t roll over for Rangers.
“It looks like Steven is signing decent players, but they have a long way to go.
“Listen, we might be shocked if he wins his first ten games, Celtic lose a couple and suddenly Rangers are six in front.
“We’d have a race and it might happen, but I don’t see it.
“If Rangers finish ten points behind Celtic it’s a success. If they can beat Celtic once and maybe win a cup that would be looked at as progress.”