Former Celtic captain Paul Lambert has tried to heap all the pressure on Rangers ahead of the new campaign with “mind games” about Celtic’s speculative claims to 10IAR.
Celtic are desperate to get their decade long mission of 10IAR over the line no matter how dubious the backdrop and the likes of Lambert and fellow ex-Celtic John Hartson were out upping the pressure on BBC Sportsound.
The former Parkhead midfield believes there is “horrendous” pressure on Rangers to stop Celtic’s seemingly unstoppable charge for next season’s crown.
Part of the Celtic team that stopped Rangers winning a legitimate 10IAR in 1998, Lambert believes all the pressure is on the Gers.
“There’s a lot more pressure on trying to stop it than winning it,” said Lambert [BBC Scotland].
“If you don’t win it, people are really disappointed, but you’ve still got nine and everybody’s the same.
“But if Rangers lose 10 in a row now, the history of Rangers is gone. That’s the pressure we had.
“John Clark, Billy McNeill, Bertie Auld, Ronnie Simpson, Jock Stein, Jimmy Johnstone, all those great guys… did you want to be known for losing their history?”
Whilst it’s an ongoing embarrassment to compare Celtic’s current charges to their own 9IAR team of the 60s and the Rangers’ side of the 90s, Lambert’s forgot that’s not how football works.
The achievements of the Rangers side of the 90s will always overshadow those of this Celtic side. There is no doubt about that, anywhere.
Lambert also believes that Gerrard – a Champions League-winning captain with Liverpool and World Cup captain with England – is about to feel immense pressure at Rangers.
“If Steven doesn’t know pressure, it will come now,” added Lambert, as the mind games continued.
“The Rangers fans will make it a furnace of a place if they don’t win.
“The Celtic pressure will be an enjoyable one. The Rangers pressure is going to be horrendous. It’s not the Rangers guys’ ability, it’s in the brain. Mentally can they handle it?
“Chasing a title is incredibly tough when your rivals are a good bit away from you.
“If you can’t handle that Rangers crowd baying for you to win every game to stop your oldest rivals taking away your history, players can capitulate in front of 50,000. They don’t want the ball because they’re scared.”
Lambert’s comments are the latest from those with Parkhead allegiances who want to shift the pressure onto the Gers head of the new season.
Celtic have built these dubious claims to 10IAR up so much, that if Ibrox would akin to a furnace then Celtic Park will be a volcano if things don’t go their way.
All Rangers need to do is turn the screw and prove they can be consistent across an entire season.
Some of the Ibrox club’s supporters have had plenty to say after Lambert’s comments, dismissing them as mind games:
https://twitter.com/PaulDunnachie/status/1282679533741711363
https://twitter.com/FalconerFotos/status/1282679981122912257
https://twitter.com/StevenSouness/status/1282682353685495808
https://twitter.com/Web0z/status/1282726459770118145
https://twitter.com/Baggie101/status/1282731773768667143
https://twitter.com/PaoloPriestelli/status/1282723813252313088
