Former Celtic striker Chris Sutton doesn’t understand Gareth McAuley’s criticism of Celtic after the club celebrated a ninth title in a row last week, speaking to the Record Celtic Podcast.
The former Ibrox defender has described the Hoops’ title victory as ‘hollow and tainted’, telling radio station talkSPORT he feels sorry for the players and the manager, apparently in an effort to cheapen the club’s achievements.
Sutton hit back at that assertion last night on Twitter and he’s gone further today, taking McAuley’s comments to task more robustly.
The BBC Radio 5 Live regular doesn’t sound like a happy man.
Speaking to the Record Celtic Podcast, he said: “It actually surprised me a little bit. I haven’t met Gareth but I’ve followed his career, he’s had a good career as a player, he always seemed like a pretty solid guy to me.
“I have to say I was surprised at his comments, I mean his comments were s****housery of the highest order. It absolutely was.
“I mean the ‘hollow and tainted’ stuff I didn’t get at all, if it was the other way round and Rangers had been awarded the title then I am absolutely positive he wouldn’t be saying that sort of stuff.
“I was reading through what he said, talking about Neil Lennon saying on television that the title win was one of the greatest of his management, and that it was to wind-up Rangers fans. Gareth McAuley isn’t entitled to speak for Neil Lennon, Neil Lennon knows what he is saying, so I didn’t get that one.”
Celtic were by far the best team in the country at the time of football’s suspension and had already amassed a 13-point lead at the top of the table.
Had games continued it’s a gap that would have been more likely to widen than narrow and all this moaning from Ibrox-leaning media men is a bit desperate.
Celtic deserved to win the title, deserved to win nine-in-a-row and just because we didn’t get the opportunity to celebrate on the pitch doesn’t take that away.
Thankfully figures like Sutton are around to take this narrative to task and ensure the right things are being said about Lennon and his squad.
No-one is expecting the Ibrox side to be happy we’re shooting for ten next season. However, that’s reality.
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
