Charlie Mulgrew isn’t convinced that the current league leaders theRangers have the experience or the necessary bottle to see themselves get over the line and win the club’s first ever major trophy this season. “I’m still quite optimistic,” former Celt Mulgrew stated on the excellent Huddle podcast when asked if the race for the Scottish Premiership is too far gone for his old club after the disappointing 1-0 defeat at Ibrox last Saturday.
If Celtic can go on a run and win their remaining games a couple of slip-ups elsewhere could see the advantage swing back to favour the Hoops. Celtic have nothing to lose as they set about trying to overhaul an incredible 19 point deficit – albeit with 3 games in hand – while seeing that lead shrink could have an unsettling effect on theRangers who have zero experience of getting silverware wins over the line.
“I know we keep saying it needs to start now, but if Celtic can go on a run and (the)Rangers slip up a few times… none of them have won anything in that team.
“(the)Rangers have not won anything and I don’t know if they will be able to sustain that.”When you’re getting chased, no matter how many points ahead, if you lose one and they win one you start to double guess yourself a wee bit and the pressure starts mounting.
“(the)Rangers have not really been in front and been chased and haven’t won any trophies.
“It’s going to be hard but Celtic need a long run of games winning and hopefully (the)Rangers slip up a couple of times and we’ll see where (the)Rangers‘ bottle is then.”
And Mulgrew pointed out that those calling to replace Neil Lennon overlooked one key factor – the fact that no suitable candidate who could step in would have been available.
“Who is wanting to jump in and take a job at this time? Who is available? Who is going to do better than Neil Lennon goes?
“I think it would be daft to get rid of him now. I think they need to stick by him until the end of the season and get right behind him and let him make some signings in January and try and get them over the line because it’s going to be difficult now.
“At the end of the day, they are Quadruple Treble winners. In years to come we’re going to look back and say that’s unbelievable, and this team is getting stick.
“Everybody wanted Ten-in-a-Row and I’m still optimistic and think there’s a chance of that. But we’re talking about a team that has won a Quadruple Treble and Lennon played a big part in that.
“When nobody else stepped in, Lennon stepped in and got them over the line with the treble Treble and then he got them the Quadruple Treble.”
Here’s the first edition of The Celtic Huddle for 2021, presented by former Celtic right back Mark Wilson and also features Simon Donnelly and Scott McDonald as well as of course Charlie Mulgrew.