If this league continues to be totally bossed by Celtic, then there will be no hope for the national team

that. There will be the hardcore Celtic supporters who just want to rub Rangers’ noses in it.

“My view, though, for the good of the country, is different because, if this league continues to be totally bossed by Celtic, then there will be no hope for the national team either. Celtic are producing a lot of players for Scotland at the moment but it could soon be that the best players in Brendan’s side aren’t Scottish.”

Only a significant cash investment will make Rangers competitive again and Nicholas doesn’t think that is imminent.

“We’re talking about a big gap [to Celtic],” he added. “You can’t bring in two guys from Accrington Stanley and another two from Wigan – who were on their way down – plus a guy from Preston, who looked as though he’d run out of ideas at the end of his time there. They can’t be brought in and expected to understand the special pressure there is at Ibrox.

“Celtic gambled with Martin O’Neill and it got them to a European final. Tommy Burns didn’t have a budget under Fergus McCann. Then, eventually, Fergus realised that he needed to spend – and that’s when the likes of Andy Thom, Pierre van Hooijdonk arrived.

“Celtic had to break the mould and that’s what Rangers now need to do.”

Celtic remain on course to reach the fabled 10-in-a-row, while Rangers’ world record of 55 top-division titles may also be under threat. But Nicholas doesn’t see either as a big deal in comparison with the club winning the European Cup.

“What does 10 in a row mean to me, as a Celtic fan? Would that be a greater achievement than what Jock Stein did? No, not even close, compared to what the Lisbon Lions produced and the players he brought through.”