Simon Jordan voiced criticism towards Rangers on talkSPORT, blaming their performance for enabling Celtic to secure their third consecutive Scottish Premiership title.
On a successful outing, Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic overwhelmed Kilmarnock with a 5-0 victory away from home last Wednesday, clinching the championship. Celtic’s recent results against the Gers, including a win and a draw, further tilted the championship odds in their favor.
During the discussion on talkSPORT (16 May), Jordan pointedly commented on Rangers’ lackluster efforts in the title race, a sentiment echoed by host Jim White. White emphasized, “He (Rodgers) couldn’t go back to Celtic and see Rangers win it. He couldn’t afford for that to happen.”
Jordan humorously remarked, “It’s fortunate that Rangers practically did their utmost to aid Celtic’s victory.” (Jim White laughs) “Indeed, you wouldn’t expect Rangers to lose to Ross County and draw with Dundee in two pivotal matches – it’s just not expected.”
White concurred crisply, saying, “No, you’re right.”
Did Rangers perform adequately in their contests against Celtic for the title?
Rangers’ challenging start to the season under Michael Beale provided Celtic with an early advantage in the title race, an edge that evidently played a role. The frustration intensified as Clement’s squad nearly closed the gap on their Old Firm rivals before falling back once more.
Rodgers’ team also faced their setbacks, including losses to Kilmarnock and Hearts, while a draw with Aberdeen allowed Rangers to make some gains. They were nearly at parity and knew that a victory in the Old Firm match at Ibrox (7 April) would have evened out the title race.
However, a draw fell short, and this shortfall was aggravated by a 2-1 defeat at Parkhead (11 May), a match where John Lundstram notably underperformed. Subsequent losses to Ross County and a draw with Dundee saw Rangers gradually lose their grip on the title.
In hindsight, there were critical moments where Rangers could have capitalized but ultimately, they faltered at crucial times during the season.