ENDING CELTIC’S TITLE DOMINATION WILL MAKE GERRARD IBROX LEGEND
STEVEN GERRARD went into this season knowing he had to STOP Celtic completing a decade of dominance, says Rangers legend Stuart McCall.
Celtic boss Neil Lennon admitted, after the midweek draw at Livingston, that a 10th successive Scottish Premiership title may now be beyond his team.
That result made it four games without a win for Celtic – their worst run of form for two decades – and it has left Lennon fighting for his job.
The abject run included a 1-0 defeat at Ibrox earlier this month and their Old Firm rivals Rangers now have one hand on the league trophy.
McCall was part of the Rangers team who were denied a 10th straight Scottish title by Celtic in 1997-98 – and knows how much it will mean to his former club that Gerrard can in turn deny their neighbours the landmark.
McCall said: “This was always going to be a big season for Steven. The test was always going to be this campaign. When he came, he had three seasons to win the title... and this is the third.
“He has improved them, and this season they have to finish above Lennon’s Celtic.
“They beat Celtic a couple of times last season, but when they came back from the winter break they fizzled out.
“I know Celtic players were heroes for stopping us when I was there – and these Rangers players can be heroes too.
“If Gerrard’s side went out of every cup competition in the first round to a non-league side, fans would still be happy as long as they can stop ‘10 in a row’.”
McCall, who recently left the Bradford City hotseat with the club struggling at the foot of League Two, joined Rangers from Everton in a £1.2million deal in 1991.
He helped bring 10 major trophies to Ibrox as a player – including six titles in a row.
He was part of the side that went 44 games unbeaten under Walter Smith in 199293 and only narrowly missed out on a place in the UEFA Champions League final. McCall knows that Gerrard’s appointment as Rangers boss in 2018 was considered by some to be a serious gamble.
Though he had won the Champions League, UEFA Cup, two FA Cups and three League Cups with Liverpool, and captained England as a player, Gerrard had never managed before.
McCall says he’s had faith in the Anfield legend ever since Gerrard took over at Ibrox, but says the clock’s been ticking right from the start too – and the time to deliver is now or never.
Gerrard got the job after Celtic had hammered Rangers 5-0 to secure their seventh successive title and McCall said: “This has been building up since Steven was made manager.
“Celtic fans have been talking about it for the last three or four years and Rangers fans have been talking about stopping them for the last few years.
“It’s bigger than anything in
Scottish football for a long time, it’s absolutely huge. But Steven was the right man. He’s got that leadership and he sets high standards.”