Ex-Rangers chairman King says sunk Celtic reaching for a lifeboat

Dave King has accused Celtic of reaching for a lifeboat after seeing their 10-in-a-row dreams sink.

The former Rangers chairman famously predicted Celtic’s grip on the Scottish game would “collapse like a deck of cards” if Steven Gerrard’s Ibrox side could win just one title.

And the jubilant Ibrox faithful are lapping things up as the forecast seems to be coming true.

While Gerrard’s newlycrowned champions are eyeing up their first Champions League bid in a decade, an overhaul is taking place at Parkhead.

New chief executive Dominic McKay has been hired to replace Peter Lawwell, who stepped down following furious supporter protests.

His first job once he takes up his new role on July 1 will be to secure a replacement for Neil Lennon, who resigned last month after clinging on for months when it was clear his team was heading for a disastrous campaign.

On top of that, former Scottish Rugby Union executive McKay has to fill a new director of football role – and King believes all that upheaval offers scope for Rangers to extend their dominance into a second season.

“I actually think that we can,” he said. “If I look at what is happening on the other side of the city, clearly they are not taking

this as being a one-off. They could say it was a one-off, they had a bad season and that happens and they would regroup and go again. But they haven’t done that.

“It has been kind of lifeboat stuff. I have been through that and see what it is like when you go through managerial and executive changes. It is not easy. There will be player changes, pressure on financial resources that hasn’t been there before, and they won’t have access to Champions League money they had previously.

“So I see this as being a very, very challenging season for Celtic as they will want to stop us defending the title. It’s going to be very interesting to see how they respond.

“They have decisions to make.

“Irrespective of the decisions, there is a level of uncertainty on the other side that I think can only benefit Rangers.”

Dave King.