‘Strange times’ – Walter Smith urges Rangers to focus on stopping Celtic hit ten
Walter Smith has urged Rangers to accept Celtic as champions and put all their efforts into stopping them getting to ten-in-a-row.
Celtic were awarded the title after the SPFL deiced to abandon the league early, despite tiers one and two looking like they will play on in England.
The Rangers stance was that it was too early to call the season off and there will always be a question mark over the title despite Celtic’s big lead.
Talking in the Times, Smith said, “Hopefully it will spur them [Rangers] on. Rangers have had a lot of years now where Celtic have been uppermost in the league and had a really good team. They’ve managed to win nine championships in a row… well, eight championships in a row and now this one for the ninth.
“I think we’re in strange times. All the smaller countries in Europe have decided to finish their leagues and do the same thing as we’ve done in Scotland. So I think, whether we like it or whether we don’t, we just have to accept it and get on with it.
“Hopefully Rangers, who have been making progress under Steven Gerrard over the last couple of seasons, can get together and try and prevent Celtic getting ten.”
Celtic getting handed the title the way they did leaves a very bitter taste in the mouth.
And the whole debacle over the handling of the season end has made things a lot worse for Rangers.
However, Smith is right. The important thing now is to ensure that Celtic don’t do what Smith himself couldn’t and land a historic ten-in-a-row.
Rangers have made big strides under Steven Gerrard but now it’s time for him and his players to step up.
It would be poetic if Gerrard wins his first title by stopping ten-in-a-row and all our efforts have to go that way now.
An imminent permanent deal for Ianis Hagi is a good way to put the disappointment of the 19/20 season behind us.
Whatever we think and whatever we say as Rangers fans, the record books will read that Celtic are the 19/20 champions.
Nothing we can say will change that and no asterisk will stop Celtic fans from celebrating ten if they win the title again next season.
It’s Gerrard’s biggest test of his managerial career and we think he’s up to the task.
In other Rangers news, Ibrox Exclusive: Alex Bruce claims reported Gers target Dykes is a ‘real handful’.