Rangers legend Walter Smith has a pop at Celtic after nine-in-a-row feat
‘They’ve managed to win nine championships in-a-row… well, eight championships in-a-row and now this one.’
by The42 Team
RANGERS LEGEND WALTER Smith appears to have aimed a dig at Celtic’s nine-in-a-row achievement — and predicts it will motivate his former side next season.
Neil Lennon’s Hoops were crowned Scottish Premiership champions on a points-per-game basis after the Covid-19 pandemic ultimately brought the season to a close.
“Hopefully it will spur them on,” the former Rangers boss said of the Ibrox outfit on Sky Sports
“I don’t think there’s any doubt that for Rangers they’ve 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. We’re looking at all the smaller countries in Europe have decided to finish their leagues, and do the same thing as we’ve done in Scotland so therefore I think whether we like it or whether we don’t we just have to accept it get on with it.
“And 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 10.”
Having become the third team to achieve the nine-in-a-row feat following Jock Stein’s Celtic in the 1960s and 70s and the Rangers team of the late 1980s and 90s — managed by Graeme Souness and, later, Smith — Celtic are now aiming for an unprecedented 10-in-a-row.
No club in the Scottish top-flight have achieved this with Rangers stopping Celtic at nine in 1974/75 and Celtic stopping Smith’s Gers in 1997/98.
“When we were at nine-in-a-row, Celtic won the 10th, they celebrated and we were disappointed,” Smith added.
They had great celebrations for one-in-a-row, that was it. That’s the way it is in Scotland. That’s going to be that way next season.
“And Steven and the people that run Rangers will know that and hopefully they can have the same reaction as Celtic had to Rangers in doing that.
“But you can’t take away from the fact that Steven’s doing a really good job.”
“They’ve shown this season they can challenge, they just had that blip after the break, and hopefully next season that challenge can bring a tangible result for them at the end of the day.”