Brendan Rodgers has a cigar in hand once again as the season is set to draw to a close for Celtic.
As the big trophies are up for grabs in Scotland, it’s Celtic dominating the domestic stage, and Rangers looking for another manager.
As of this moment, Barry Ferguson is in interim charge of the Ibrox club at the end of the season, after he replaced Philippe Clement in March.
To nobody’s surprise, nothing much has changed, as Rangers continue to drop points, and Celtic push towards another Treble.
On Sunday, Celtic thrashed St Johnstone in the Scottish Cup semi-final and booked their Hampden final ticket against Aberdeen.
Michael Stewart and Neil Lennon then spoke about the difference between Celtic and Rangers, as the Hoops continue to march on.
Michael Stewart and Neil Lennon state what Celtic have that ‘mentally weak’ Rangers don’t
At the end of the day, the bread and butter is the domestic matters, and Celtic have that down to a tee, not just this season, but for nearly two decades now.
Stewart wanted to highlight some of the core players within the Celtic squad, such as captain Callum McGregor, and the best defender in Scotland, Cameron Carter-Vickers, and how they are players Rangers simply ‘don’t have’.
Lennon agreed and also added that Celtic have the ‘consistency’ to win titles, but Rangers are simply ‘mentally weak’, as he told Premier Sports.
“Do you think that’s the stark difference between Celtic and Rangers, in regard to you talk about, the spine and the mainstays of the team,” said Stewart.
“The guys that drive the changing room for you. Do you think, the likes of Carter-Vickers, Callum McGregor, these guys, that Rangers simply don’t have.”
Lennon responded: “Yeah, I totally agree. In the Rangers dugout, at the minute, you have got three guys in Barry (Ferguson), Neil (McCann) and Billy Dodds, who know Rangers inside out. They know the DNA of the club. They know what the driving force is. They have been very successful as players. And Barry, of course, has been a captain.
“He would have been driving that narrative. But he isn’t getting a response. They are far too inconsistent. I don’t see Rangers blowing teams away, the way Celtic do when they really want to. They are a cut above anyone else in the league.
“The closest team to them is Rangers and, on their day, they can match Celtic, if not better them. But they have too many off days. The secret to this squad is getting a consistency from them, which is what Celtic do have.
“There is an air of inevitability when Celtic rock up to the game against St Johnstone. Yeah, the mentality is going to be ‘we are going to crush this team’, and that’s the way it turned out, with Rangers, at the minute, you can toss a coin to see what type of team is going to turn up.
“They consistently concede goals. They are mentally weak. And they don’t have a spine of a team.”
Celtic’s trophies since 2000
From Martin O’Neill to Ronny Deila, they have all played a part in adding to Celtic’s trophy room, and there is no sign of stopping with Rodgers in the dugout.
Celtic are officially Scotland’s most successful club, and that’s not including the Premiership title, which is around the corner, including a possible Scottish Cup crown in May.
But since 2000, Celtic have picked up a ridiculous number of trophies.
Premiership titles since 2000 (18) – 2000-01, 2001-02, 2003-04, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2011-12, 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24
Scottish Cup (12) – 2000-01, 2003-04, 2004-05, 2006-07, 2010-11, 2012-13, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20, 2022-23, 2023-24.
Scottish League Cup (11) – 2000-01, 2005-06, 2008-09, 2014-15, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2024-25.
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