LEE McCulloch was at Murrayfield yesterday to promote Rangers’ glamor friendly against Manchester United in July – and was salivating at the prospect of the Scottish and English juggernauts facing off again.
The former Ibrox captain faced the Old Trafford club twice in the Champions League group stages in the 2010/11 season and thoroughly enjoyed his involvement in both matches.
He has no doubt that their summer meeting in Edinburgh, even if it is just a pre-season match, will be a closely fought affair and attract a crowd of 67,500. “It’ll be sold out,” he said. “What an atmosphere there will be.”
But McCulloch wasn’t so sure when asked if he thought Rangers could beat Celtic in what is the most even Scottish title race for 13 years? “I don’t know,” he said. “Will you?
However, the man who won the Premier League twice on the last day during his trophy-laden spell in Govan is quite sure of one thing. The cinch Premiership will go the full distance this season. “It’s so tight,” he said. “Really, very tight. It could go straight to the wire.
READ MORE: Manchester United prop tipped to reach new heights with Scotland
He is also confident that current Rangers manager Philippe Clement will be able to negotiate the final nine league games in the coming weeks despite the pressure he will face to deliver the silverware.
Having Walter Smith in the dugout proved crucial as McCulloch and his teammates battled closely with their city rivals in 2009 and 2011. The legendary Scot was in his second spell in charge and was a veteran of numerous successful campaigns.
The ex-Scottish internationalist sees similar qualities in the Belgian, who won the Pro League in his home country once with Genk and then twice with Club Brugge in the space of three years, and is confident his boyhood heroes are in good hands when entering into what promises. to be a loaded entry.
“We won against Dundee United away on the last day and then against Kilmarnock away,” he said. “The key is really to just win games. We had Walter as manager. What mattered was that we won with him in the first place.
“Focus on yourself, take each match at a time. It is clear that the better the matches go, the higher the pressure. But just concentrate on yourself and forget about what anyone else in the league is doing.”
McCulloch added: “Rangers need everyone to be fit. I think they’ve been a bit unlucky with injuries in recent weeks. They’re playing against players who are not out of position, but probably not out of their most natural position.”
“However, the current manager also has experience in winning competitions and knows what it takes. So I don’t see any major problems. It’s just about whether they can go game by game and win every game.
“The manager has played a huge role in getting the club to where it is today compared to, in my opinion, where it was at the start of the season, perhaps under the previous manager. So he has to claim enormous credit and be given enormous credit.
“I would have liked to play for him. I’ve only spoken to him a few times, but he reminds me a bit of Walter. I don’t compare them 100 percent. However, there is something steely about him, he has a presence, a seriousness. That’s how Walter was.
“If the team wins 1-0 or gets beaten 1-0, you couldn’t really tell when you looked at him on the sidelines. He’s a bit emotionless, which I quite like. And I can imagine that the players really respect him.
“He will be a big factor, just like Brendan Rodgers is for Celtic and Stevie Naismith is for Hearts. The manager is great, they are the leader. But it also depends on the dressing room. It’s about maintaining your confidence and staying focused. I’m excited about it.”
READ MORE: Scotland assistant admits ex-Rangers striker has been monitored
Like many supporters, McCulloch saw little prospect of Rangers winning the Premier League as they lost 3–1 at home to Aberdeen to fall seven points behind Celtic in late September in what turned out to be the final game of Michael Beale’s reign . .
He is surprised by the transformation they have undergone since Clement was appointed.
“The biggest positive for Rangers is that the manager comes in, changes the squad, gives them confidence and togetherness and shows he can change his playing style from game to game,” he said.
“Depending on the condition of the field, he can go more direct. I think it’s quite gutsy to have a manager who does that and gives confidence to his players, who have done extremely well.”
McCulloch continued: “Every year you win a title it’s obviously big. It’s your bread and butter. That’s the one you want. Now that Rangers are out of Europe, they can concentrate on Europe and their domestic form.
“So they have to take the positive from the negative. If Rangers win it will be a great achievement considering where they were at the start of the season. If Celtic won, they were expected to win, right?’
Only six of the Rangers players who won the Premier League in 2021 are still in the Ibrox squad: Leon Balogun, Borna Barisic, Connor Goldson, Kemar Roofe, James Tavernier and Scott Wright.
However, McCulloch does not believe the current leaders, who have played one more match than their nearest challengers, have any significant advantage over them having been crowned champions in the last two years.
“I don’t think Celtic have much experience when it comes to winning a competition,” he said. ‘And neither do Rangers. That’s exactly how the Scottish game has been of late.
“Whether that experience comes from the manager, from the players in the dressing room or from the leaders there, it’s about staying calm and, most importantly, taking it one game at a time.”