Neil Warnock states where he thinks Rangers and Celtic would finish in the English Premier League should they leave the Scottish Premiership.
This has been a topic long debated for, many have had a say on the two Old Firm clubs leaving Scottish football and moving down south to join English football, and the Premier League, it ever happened.
That conversation seemed to have more integrity in the early 2000s, however recently appointed Middlesbrough manager Neil Warnock reckons that the two clubs would still compete with the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United.
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He suggests that Celtic and Rangers would be top six Premier League clubs with just 18 months worth of the mega money sides in England’s top tier earn.
“If you put Celtic and Rangers down in England, you’re talking about the top six. Those two clubs, if they got the money that the English clubs have coming in, they would spend it,” the 71-year-old told the BBC Scottish Football podcast.
“They’d spend it on good players and they would then compete.
“I look at Celtic and Rangers – I don’t think about Man City or Liverpool, I think they’re way ahead – but I think the rest below that, Man United, Chelsea, I think Rangers and Celtic would more than cope with that.
“The money that the Premier League [clubs] get, it wouldn’t take long (for Celtic and Rangers to compete) – within 18 months, two years.”
Celtic have been crowned the league champions for a total of nine times in-a-row in Scotland and began their attempt to become the first side to win 10 in-a-row at the weekend, with a 5-1 thrashing over Hamilton Academical.
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Fierce rivals Rangers have experienced relegation to the bottom tier of Scottish football due to the financial problems, making it all to easy for Bhoys for a number of years as the Gers eventually made their way back to the big time.
2011/12 saw Rangers finish 2nd in the table, though the following season, they were playing Scottish Third Division football.
They won promotion in consecutive seasons, finished 3rd in the First Division for 2014/15, then secured their place back in top flight in 2016.
Since then they’ve finished 3rd twice and 2nd twice, and now with Steven Gerrard in his third season in charge (and still in the Europa League – round of 16), they look to go ever closer or even pipping Celtic to the title. It should make for a very interesting campaign.
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Despite success in the league, Celtic have struggled in Europe, only getting out of the Champions League group stages once in that time and even having trouble make it that far on four occasions.
The Hoops have had some famous wins in Europe over the years, beating teams like Manchester United in 2006 along with Liverpool and Blackburn Rovers back in 2003.
Manchester City also failed to pick up wins in two occasions in 2017 and of course we all remember their famous win over Barcelona in 2012. Time for that obligatory match stats photo…
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Despite all that expecting them to compete week in, week out, with the likes of Leicester City and Wolves, never mind the traditional top six, would seem far fetched.
Where do you think Celtic and Rangers would finish in the English Premier League? Let us know your thoughts by commenting HERE.
talkSPORT pundit Jamie O’Hara caused outrage when he made the bizarre claim that managing Bournemouth is bigger than being in charge of Rangers.
The former Premier League player – who is currently in charge of National League South outfit Billericay Town – also stated that Steven Gerrard would be better swapping Ibrox for the recently relegated club.
Eddie Howe departed AFC Bournemouth over the weekend after they finished 18th in the table, one point behind Aston Villa.
O’Hara reckons that getting the Cherries back in the top flight would be better for Gerrard’s career than winning in Scotland.
Speaking on talkSPORT, O’Hara suggested that it’s a higher profile job in the English Championship than it is with Rangers challenging for the Premiership title and playing European football each year.
He claimed that if Gerrard was offered the job at Bournemouth, he should jump at it.
He added: “I wouldn’t want to disrespect the Rangers people because they are a huge football club but it’s a bigger job to potentially be the Bournemouth manager.
“Rangers are a huge, huge football club but for me there’s only two clubs in Scotland.
“With Bournemouth, they’ve just dropped out of the Premier League, to get them back into the Premier League, they are a higher profile football team.
“I would take the Bournemouth job, it’s a bigger job.”
Bournemouth is a bigger job than Rangers?!!
There are only two clubs in Scotland?!!
Jamie O’Hara must have been on it all weekend ?
— The Twelfth Man (@TwelfthManXII) August 3, 2020
Rangers star Defoe brands O’Hara’s Bournemouth comparison ‘laughable’ while Ally McCoist took him to task live on talkSPORT.
The former Cherries striker said: “To be totally honest, when I saw it I laughed. I just couldn’t believe it.
“I played for Bournemouth but to be honest there is no comparison. What he said was laughable.”
Ally McCoist slaughtered ‘diddy’ Jamie, saying: “If ever there was a case for a talkSPORT broadcaster to be breathalysed and drug-tested in the same movement, for having an opinion as stupid as that, yesterday was that particular occasion.
“In all seriousness, I’m all for everybody having an opinion. Unless it’s Jamie O’Hara talking about Rangers and Bournemouth. Have you ever heard anything as ridiculous in your life? The Billericay Town manager trying to work out who the biggest club is between Rangers and Bournemouth. Holy moly guacamole..
“I never heard it but as soon as he opened his mouth, my phone started bleeping. Saying, ‘Who is this diddy?’ I was going to go right above Jamie’s head, certainly a public apology of some description should be made the following day.”
? “If ever there was a case for a talkSPORT broadcaster to be breathalysed for an opinion!”
? “I’m all for people having an opinion… unless it’s O’Hara on Rangers.”
Ally McCoist on @MrJamieOHara1 claiming the #AFCB job is bigger than managing #RangersFC is brilliant! ? pic.twitter.com/2yt7wt3TPg
— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) August 4, 2020
Fans gave their reaction as Neil Warnock states where Rangers and Celtic would finish in the Premier League, fair to say it caused quite a stir on various social media sites…
They would struggle to finish top 6 in Championship.
— Phil Bradish (@BradOwl) August 6, 2020
Neil ?♂️ Lay off the drugs son ? They would be mid table Championship at best ?
— FI LollipopMan Steve ?♂️ (@steven44444444) August 6, 2020
No chance ?
— Jords (@jjmills_91) August 6, 2020
Currently no chance. With several years of PL money, sponsorship etc then I’m sure a lot of teams could potentially finish in the top 6. Wolves, for instance, have finished 7th for the past 2 seasons.
— Sir Trev’s Diving Header (@Paul38115570) August 6, 2020
oh Neil has dementia set in already not a chance are they top 6 they would be luck to be 17th and 18th
— barry carter (@bazcarter15) August 6, 2020
Warnock reckons Rangers & Celtic would be top 6 in the Premoer League. Not a chance ?. Genuinely think top 6 in the championship would be more realistic.
— Keiran Evans (@keevs_89) August 6, 2020
Villa have a huge fan base and lots of money but we’re still shit, Scott Sinclair was on of celtics best players for a while
— josh (@_JoshAV) August 6, 2020
Not a chance to begin with?. Probably championship level at the mo. But their buying power would improve and eventually they would challenge.. they have the fan base and would be a great addition to the PL. ??♂️
— Tony Hutchinson (@TonyAhsearch) August 6, 2020
No they wouldn’t, only have to get up for 3 games a season, another 35 would screw them up big time, mid table for a few years, but reckon a lot of Championship clubs would give them a better game than most of the spfl
— Glen (@glenr76) August 6, 2020
Struggle for top 6 in EFL Championship
— Aaron Showler (@growler_10) August 6, 2020
Not with their current squads, maybe with significant investment.
Not sure eaither would stay up, with present squads.— mike pinkerton (@mikepink85) August 6, 2020
Neil has forgotten his meds
— Michael Racovalis (@racca1983) August 6, 2020
No, Liverpool, Arsenal, Man City, Man United, Tottenham, Chelsea, Leicester and Wolves would easily finish above them for a start. Then there’s teams like Sheffield United, Burnley, Everton that would all have a shout as well. They would probably be just above relegation.
— Tangerine ? ? ? (@tangerinebabe1) August 6, 2020
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