THE ease with which Rangers were brushed aside in the final Glasgow derby match of last season was of absolutely no concern to those Celtic supporters who had crammed into Parkhead to witness their heroes sew up their seventh consecutive Scottish title.

The mismatch in the contests with their city rivals – the 2016 Scottish Cup semi-final aside – since their well-publicised financial meltdown six years ago now has done nothing to lessen the joy they experience when they are triumphant.

Every one of the five goals that Brendan Rodgers’s players netted in the East End on that humid afternoon in April was celebrated joyously, every mistake by their hapless visitors was goaded, every minute of their abject misery was revelled in.

There was zero sympathy expressed about their own troubles during the 1990s when the Ibrox club lorded it over them so why should they care about them now?

But for those who are concerned about the health of the game in this country, who would like to see a competitive top flight, who have grown weary of witnessing a one-sided league that is invariably done and dusted by Christmas, the scenes were depressing.

Nothing could be taken away from Celtic for their achievement. They were a joy to watch and richly deserved their triumph. It was a minor miracle they didn’t better their record 7-0 win.

But was this really where Rangers were at all this time after their implosion? It beggared belief. The drama and excitement of those final day deciders back in 2003 and 2005 were a world away.

Since Rangers won promotion to the Premiership two years ago they have squared up to Celtic on 11 occasions in all competitions. Their record in those fixtures makes for desperate reading. They have lost nine times, drawn twice. They have conceded 30 goals and scored just six. Hamilton Academical have fared better.

It is unlikely, if not impossible, that the Govan club will depose their age-old Parkhead adversaries as the best team in the country in the coming months despite bringing in a high-profile figure in Steven Gerrard as manager in May and the extensive strengthening of their squad they have carried out since.

Celtic continue to operate in a different stratosphere both on the field of play and in the transfer market. The signing of Odsonne Edouard from Paris Saint-Germain for a club record £9 million fee last month underlined that. The French striker cost more than Rangers have spent on all 11 of the players they have recruited.

But it is to hoped, by those of us who long for a little intrigue, that Gerrard and his charges can, at the very least, make the 2018/19 Ladbrokes Premiership campaign a little more interesting than it has been during the past seven years.

The England and Liverpool great, whose appointment stunned British football due to his lack of coaching experience, has undoubtedly made some quality acquisitions and improved his squad greatly. Not that that would be hard.

Bringing in the unknown Portuguese manager Pedro Caixinha last year and then handing him just shy of £10m to splash out on players despite the fact he had presided over some dreadful performances and heavy losses were both acts of folly by the Rangers directors. They are still paying a heavy price.

However, Scott Arfield, Kean Bryan, Lassana Coulibaly, Jon Flanagan, Ovie Ejaria, Connor Goldson, Nikola Katic, Ryan Kent, Allan McGregor, Jamie Murphy and Umar Sadiq should be a considerable step up on Fabio Cardoso, Dalcio, Eduardo Herrera and Carlos Pena.

Nobody at Rangers will demand that they bring Celtic’s run of league successes to an end this term and Gerrard appears to be in no danger of being sacked if first place isn’t secured. But applying more pressure to the holders than they have in the past two seasons and finishing runners-up above Aberdeen would be definite steps in the right direction for them.

Much has been made of the contest between Rodgers and Gerrard given their former positions as manager and captain at Liverpool respectively. But to suggest, as some have, that the coming months will see the master come up against his apprentice is stretching things just a bit.

Gerrard was 32 when Rodgers arrived at Anfield and was Champions League winner and an established England internationalist. Still, to see the two men pit their wits against each other will make for compelling viewing. It will be a terrible shame if, as has been the case in the past two seasons, there isn’t, for a while at least, a meaningful contest.

Convincing sponsors and broadcasters to invest sizeable sums of money in the sport here amid an economic downturn is by no means straightforward. The Scottish Professional Football League have done well to secure backers for the Premiership and League Cup. They will be hoping to rake in significantly more income when they renegotiate their television deal imminently. Having a captivating title race this season will help their cause no end.

The head-to-head between Celtic and Rangers, though, isn't the only contest of interest. What of Aberdeen and Hearts and Hibernian? Will any member of that trio be able to shoehorn their way between the two biggest clubs in the country despite having only a fraction of the budget?

Derek McInnes will, having turned down chances to take over at both Sunderland and Rangers last year, be looking to maintain the remarkable run of success he has enjoyed at Pittodrie and clinch second place for the fifth year in a row. It won't be easy.

But Aberdeen have started the season well with an admirable 1-1 draw with English Premier League club Burnley in the Europa League on Thursday night. The performance and result against visitors who finished seventh in the Premier League last season augurs well for the future.

McInnes hasn’t done a huge amount of business in the close season and Kari Arnason, Anthony O’Connor and Adam Rooney have all departed. But he has retained most of the players who featured last term. Will his side have enough about them to come best of the rest once again?

They kick-off their campaign with a mouthwatering match against Rangers at Pittodrie a week today. A lot of questions will be answered about both combatants in what is sure to be another explosive encounter.

Hibs were outstanding on their return to the Premiership last season. They beat Rangers at Ibrox twice and Celtic at Easter Road once and also drew with the Scottish champions twice at Parkhead.

Yet, Neil Lennon has lost Dylan McGeouch to Sunderland since. Securing the services of Florian Kamberi, who shone during a loan spell in the capital last season, and Stevie Mallan has increased their chances of reproducing their heroics. Much, though, depends on whether John McGinn can be retained.

They can expect a far stiffer challenge from across Edinburgh than they got last term when Craig Levein found himself back in the dugout following the sacking of Ian Cathro in August. Hearts have some outstanding youngsters who have shown they have bright futures ahead of them. They have brought in 13 players in recent weeks. Crucially, Steven Naismith has returned on loan.

Seeing how Alan Stubbs fares at promoted St Mirren will be interesting. Keeping the Paisley club up would be a fine accomplishment. The same goes for Kenny Miller at Livingston. The former Scotland striker has been appointed player/manager. Will he be able to combine the roles and keep the West Lothian club up? It would be a tall order for a seasoned manager never mind a novice.

Can Steve Clarke, the SFWA Manager of the Year, do as well with Kilmarnock? Will Tommy Wright be able to lead St Johnstone back into the top six? Can Dundee do better than avoid the drop under Neil McCann? How does Stephen Robinson improve on leading Motherwell to two cup finals? Will Hamilton Academical be able to confound their critics once again under Martin Canning?

There will be many things to keep supporters and neutral observers entertained. Hopefully, a title race will be one of them.