Six months ago, Tom English was in full cheerleader mode. Fortunately with his television appearances severely limited viewers were spared the sight of him in ra-ra skirt and pom-poms as he banged the drum for the Ibrox regime.
The 2021/22 treble was done and dusted with only the number of successive titles to be won up for discussion. Such was the strength in depth that Mister Gerrard has developed that the chief sports writer at the state broadcaster believed that the back-up squad could well finish as runners-up to the First XI.
Drooling about the season ahead on July 28, English explained what was in store on the BBC Scotland website.
In the most emphatic way, they dynamited the chat about Celtic’s 10 in a row and sparked a debate of their own – how many titles can they win on the bounce and what represents the next level for them this season?
With their stability and remarkable squad depth – in Scottish football terms – they’re holding every ace. They actually have two strong teams – one that would be hot favourites to win the league and a second that could well finish runner-up if they were given a shot at it.
Where Celtic are struggling desperately for players, Rangers have, if anything, too many. George Edmundson has now left but at centre-half they still have Connor Goldson, Filip Helander, Nikola Katic, Leon Balogun and Jack Simpson. Experience, a bit of defensive dog and touches of class. That list is also an illustration of their numbers and it’s repeated throughout the squad.
They have a battalion of midfielders, which has been supplemented by the arrival of the experienced Premier League player John Lundstram. At centre-forward they have Alfredo Morelos, Kemar Roofe, Cedric Itten, the everlasting Jermain Defoe and the intriguing Fashion Sakala, who scored 16 league goals for Oostende in Belgium last season and got one against Real Madrid at the weekend.
Later on:
They’ve now earned a shot at the Champions League group stage and all the glamour and pound signs that come with it. All of this is clearly within their grasp. More trophies at home and a place with the big boys in Europe – those are the next goals.
We expected some high-profile departures from the club but none have materialised. Not yet at any rate. Rangers, through their managing director Stewart Robertson, have gone on the record about their need to sell a player or two to address their financial situation – they can’t keep relying on soft loans from supportive directors – but there’s no sign of a notable exit.
They have numerous marketable assets on their hands and, in most cases, decent back-up. They’re in a good place even if they do end up selling Morelos, Kamara or Aribo. A ton of Champions League loot wouldn’t half alter the fiscal picture at Ibrox.
He concluded with:
Gerrard has an opportunity to emulate Rangers’ city neighbours this season. A treble and a Champions League adventure has to be the target. They don’t have to win the league by 25 points again. They don’t have to go unbeaten in the Premiership. They don’t have to threaten any goalscoring or conceding records. The clean sweep and the European run is what it’s all about.
Celtic are beginning a painful transition, Aberdeen, Hibs and St Johnstone are building and the hope is they’ll get some European loot to kick them on even further, but Rangers retain a massive advantage domestically and serious optimism continentally.
Rangers have already conceded five more league goals than in all of last season. Goalkeeper, centre-backs and defensive midfielders all a bit flaky
— Tom English (@TEnglishSport) January 29, 2022
House Paddy, as he is affectionately known as within BBC Scotland, is now sharing his knowledge and sporting insight into the egg-chasing season when gets underway next week and which almost no-one in Scotland cares about unless you have a double surname.
Back in the 2011/12 season he continued his blind support for Craig Whyte, pointing out that he owned a castle, even after James Traynor and the Daily Record had turned on the former billionaire. Soon afterwards English left The Scotsman for the tax-funded cushion provided by BBC Scotland.
The really interesting thing to take from this email, is the collaboration in fabricating a narrative to get a point across.
It’s all staged.“Tom English has said he’ll have a pop at Paul Murray… Scotsman used his comments on the back page with our responses ie. irrelevant.” pic.twitter.com/UQz9KDfDZQ
— Lint (@Zeshankenzo) August 20, 2019
?? ‘It’s not going to be as easy as people think…’
Steven Thompson and @TEnglishSport speak to @Alasdair_Lamont ahead of Scotland’s game in Moldova ?? pic.twitter.com/PELCMSrNRE
— BBC Sport Scotland (@BBCSportScot) November 12, 2021
What a tit!
So,hows that treble/clean sweep/Champions League adventure going ? ?
A pathetic arse-licking attempt at football analysis from Tom Brown-Nose-English.
Bet that fud had a st***er writing that original article. He’ll be shitting himself now, just like the rest of the Sevco zombies.
Tom English xxxx xxxx xx… this guy is just a pure fxxy of a writer he’s not even a journalist he’s a celtic hater just like boyd and alex ebt rae shower of rats who need a boot in the bxxx honest.