As the title race between Celtic and Rangers continues to hot up, it will eventually go down to who has the mental strength to see this battle over the line.
After surrendering a healthy lead at the top of the table in December, Celtic dropped points in back-to-back defeats to Kilmarnock and Hearts allowing Rangers to eventually climb above them at the top of the Scottish Premiership.
So we are set for a really tight battle this season but it’s not one that the Celtic fans are not used to. Well, not unless you listen to former Rangers player, Lee McCulloch’s comments.
When asked who he thought could win the league, McCulloch admits he couldn’t call it but made a bizarre claim about Celtic’s experience in title races that just doesn’t make sense.
McCulloch casts doubts on Celtic’s title-winning experience
McCulloch said [Football Scotland], “It is so tight. Really, really tight. Rangers need everybody fit.
“They have been a wee bit unlucky in the last couple of weeks with injuries, so I think it could go right to the wire. Is it a concern that so few of Rangers’ title-winners remain? Not for me.
“I don’t think Celtic have got much experience when it comes to going to the wire to win a league – and Rangers don’t either.
“That’s just the way the Scottish game has been lately. Whether that experience comes from the manager, the players in the dressing room, or the leaders in there, it’s just about keeping your composure and, most importantly, going one game at a time.”
Let’s just take his comments at face value at first. Let’s just forget that in Brendan Rodgers, Celtic have a manager who won an Invincibles Treble in his first season at the club.
He then also went on to win a second treble the following season. Albeit, not another invincible one, but a treble all the same.
During that first period at Celtic, Rodgers had the likes of Callum McGregor, James Forrest and Anthony Ralston at the club with him.
Now we have established that Celtic have credible title winners, lets look at what he means by not taking a title down to the wire.
Whilst Rodgers ran away with league titles in his first spell, Neil Lennon also did as well. However, Ange Postecoglou didn’t and it took him a bit of time to seal both his title wins at Celtic.
In his first season, Ange didn’t get to the top of the table until February of that year. Having spent much of the season playing catch-up due to a rebuild and injury, Postecoglou officially sealed the title on matchday 37 in his maiden season.
With one game to spare, Celtic won the title. And in that team Callum McGregor was captain, James Forrest, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Greg Taylor, Kyogo Furuhashi and Matt O’Riley all featured. And let’s not forget Joe Hart.
In Ange’s second season, the title wasn’t officially won until the 7th of May. Slightly quicker than the season before on matchday 34 but hardly a runaway title success. [Transfermarkt]
Again, the players listed above all took part in that title success too and you can add Hyeonyu Oh to that list.
Each title Postecoglou won it was hard fought and not sealed until the end of the season. It looks like the same story is about to happen this season too.
So don’t worry Lee, when it comes to battling for the Scottish Premiership crown, this Celtic team is full of winners with more than enough bottle to see it through.
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