Ex-Celts boss Liam hopes Gerrard can battle for title all season long and not suffer the same fate he did

BY GAVIN BERRY team and got done at Hampden. I remember the 1992 Scottish Cup semifinal we battered Rangers in the wind and rain at Hampden but they got over the line and it’s all about those fine margins.

“The reality of the situation in Scotland is finishing second is no good. Steven needs to show he can win as the season is going along.

“If it doesn’t go right it gets really difficult and I don’t wish that on anyone – even if it is the manager of Rangers.

“Steven is doing a terrific job for his first job in management but the problem at the Old Firm as I discovered, is second is no good.

“And it doesn’t matter how well your team is playing. If you’re second then you’re a loser and that’s life in Glasgow.

“Steven was at a big club in Liverpool and I was at Arsenal and Juventus so you know what you’re going into but even Celtic-Rangers is a bit different.”

Gerrard has called for more cash to bridge the gap with Celtic’s £9million spend on Odsonne Edouard more than his entire playing budget.

In the summer of Brady’s final season in charge it was Rangers who set a then British transfer record when they signed £4m Duncan Ferguson and that came on the back of a season where they won the Treble. Brady said: “Nobody has to tell me allowances aren’t made for the financial disparity. As young as I was, and as young as Steven is, perhaps we didn’t realise going into it people don’t take that into account.

“That’s why his situation resonates with me and there is a real comparison between the circumstances in which we both were in charge at the Old Firm.

“Celtic are as strong now as Rangers were in my day and it’s difficult for any manager to overcome that kind of strength that’s in the opposition hands.

“What Rangers had going for them when I was at Parkhead was a lot more than I had going for me at Celtic. Steven has had the same kind of problem in he doesn’t have the squad of players or means to compete with the finances. I was new to management as Steven is but the biggest issue is it was difficult to compete with the financial power.

“Celtic already had a very good squad when Steven took over at Rangers and he’s trying to make the best of a difficult situation with the finances available. That was the same in my time with Celtic.”

LIAM BRADY