Andy Halliday has spoken to the Glasgow Evening Times about fierce rivals Celtic and the title race.
The diehard blue nose was Man of the Match when the Gers broke an Old Firm hoodoo with a 1-0 Ibrox win back in December.
However, he was also sent off in defeat at Parkhead in March for clashing with Scott Brown after the final whistle.
He recognises that the Hoops are still the team to beat, but that the Gers are moving in the right direction.
“Celtic are still favourites for the title,” Halliday told the Glasgow Evening Times. “They won the league again last year and had a bit of a cushion.”
“But I can only speak from a Rangers player’s point of view and say it’s the most confident I’ve been going into a season. We improved last year and with the signings we’ve made so far, we’re already improving the squad.
“I also know first hand that we’ve got the right man in the manager’s job and the right backroom staff to make a title challenge. I can’t speak for Celtic because I’m not in their changing room every day.
“I don’t know the relationships their players had with Brendan Rodgers compared to Neil Lennon. You have to give Neil credit because he came in and got them over the line. The two targets he had since taking over, he achieved it.”
Verdict
Halliday’s comments suggest that Rangers are happy to head into the coming season with the underdog tag.
It puts pressure on Celtic whose fans are expecting a ninth consecutive SPL title. Yet, there’s plenty of optimism from the blue half of Glasgow about the appointment of Neil Lennon.
As Halliday points out, he secured silverware last season. Yet, the Hoops played a much less expansive brand of football under the Northern Irishman and looked vulnerable even with a man advantage during the Parkhead Old Firm.
There’s a sense that if the Gers continue to recruit well, they will have a golden opportunity to return to the summit of Scottish football.
