We keep hearing this nonsense in the media about ‘excitement’ from Rangers fans over the idea of Stavros leaving Celtic for the Premier League.

We’re getting fed up with it, for one simple reason – even Ronny Deila won the league at Parkhead, even Lennon did, and he crumbled when Rangers finally had a bit of cash under Steven Gerrard.

Celtic, and Rangers, are money-based clubs – whichever side has the cash and the best players wins the league.

It’s not any more complicated than that.

Forget all the nonsense you’re hearing about how great a manager Stavros is, and we’re not fools who think he’s a bad manager, but we know the quality of manager at either side of the Old Firm is now infinitely less important to who has the cash.

Steven Gerrard, absolute fail in management, even managed to win 55 with us because he got £35M to spend over three years. He won one of 9 trophies at Ibrox and absolutely flunked at Villa, and yet even this hopeless coach was still able to secure a league title with the Famous.

So no, if Stavros was to leave, he’d be replaced by a clone, another one who will still have the money. And the only way to match that is twofold:

Either by matching it with cash, and spending the kind of money Gerrard (and Gio) did on players who actually become first team players, or by incredible luck in the Bosman market hoovering up a bunch of lucrative out of contract players or unhappy players. Both Cantwell and Raskin fall into the latter – they wanted away from their clubs and they cost Rangers nominal fees as a result.

But forget the piffle about how Stavros is a magnificent boss and it’s all down to him. If Ronny frigging Deila can win everything at Parkhead, anyone with a blank chequebook can.

It’s been the case with the Old Firm ever since big money came in during the mid-90s. The exception was of course Walter, who could work miracles with buttons. But even he had cash to spend as well.

So no, we’re not ‘excited’ by the idea of Stavros leaving them, the reality is we need to improve our lot rather than hoping they will lose what they have.

Rangers need to get better, that’s first and foremost. The rest takes care of itself.