Charlie Mulgrew has urged Celtic to hang in the title race as things could quickly turn around. The Scottish defender recalls playing under Neil Lennon back in November 2011 when a draw against Hibs left Celtic trailing Rangers by a 15 points with two games in hand.
The Hoops travelled to Motherwell after being held by the Hibees and fell behind early on, however, goals from Hooper and Stokes turned it around and Lennon then guided the team to a 17-game winning run.
Astonishingly, the Bhoys had overturned the deficit by New Year and romped the league by 20 points (Rangers had a 10 points deduction). Charlie Mulgrew was an almost ever-present in that Hoops side which dug deeper than most to ensure they finished the season top of the pile.
Speaking of the parallels between the first of this nine-in-a-row and the current season, Mulgrew told the Daily Record: “I remember that game at Motherwell, Hooper scored a winner near the end after a long, mazy run from Paddy McCourt. That was a crucial moment. Massive. There was quite a gap and we were in a bit of bother. But at Celtic you need to step up.
“It was incredible because by 28 December we managed to jump above Rangers by a point after winning the Old Firm game 1-0 at Celtic Park. Joe Ledley headed home my corner that day and we never looked back.
“We really dug in that season. It was a real team effort. Every player took care of their own job and it came together brilliantly.
“Neil is good in these situations. He knows it’s crisis time and that Celtic need a winning run to pile the pressure on Rangers. This Rangers side has never really been in a winning position in a title race, they don’t have people who have experienced it. Celtic need to pile pressure on them sooner rather than later. It’s hard but it’s why being at Celtic and Rangers is so special because you have to be able to play under this sort of pressure.”
Back in 2011/2012, Celtic only dropped seven points in their last 26 league games and got 19 clean sheets. A similar run is likely to be required this time around.
Mulgrew said: “No matter how ugly the wins are you just have to keep picking up three points and get back to basics. Churn out win after win.
“Neil knew how to get us up for games and we as players had to find a way to deliver. I was playing at the back at the time and I remember thinking ‘right, my job is to stop goals and anything else is a bonus’. I just focused on defending because we had players who could score. I knew if we got it right at the back then we could go on a winning run. That’s what happened – 17 wins – and it’s amazing how the pressure mounts when you are in the lead and you see a team clawing you back.”
With 25 games still to play, Mulgrew is not writing off Lennon
The 34-year-old, now at Fleetwood, added: “It can definitely be done. There’s enough Old Firm games left and points to be played for. There’s going to be tough games for both sides. Celtic need to believe. Naturally I’m desperate for Celtic to pull through and get the 10.
“I know what it’s like in these races. One wobble from Rangers and they will start to feel it. It’ll be tight, that’s for sure.”
