Neil Lennon condemns Walter Smith bitterness
Former Celtic boss Neil Lennon has condemned the comments made by former Rangers great, Walter Smith.
The latter has claimed that Scottish football, in general, has not treated Rangers well from the date of their liquidation. Smith added that there is bitterness present among the Rangers faithful and that it would take time to heal.
Neil Lennon has condemned these comments and stated that Smith and Rangers, in general, should focus on rebuilding their team. He believes that these comments are unnecessary and should be avoided especially ahead of such a critical match. Indeed, Celtic against Rangers are never a normal game, and we should expect intense rivalry between both set of supporters.
Neil Lennon believes that Rangers should be happy to be in the top flight next season and that they should concentrate on their team. He accepts that they were relegated following the liquidation of the team, but they had managed to build another team and started it all over again.
According to him, there is nothing to be bitter about and that they should now take care of their team.
He welcomed the arrival of Rangers in the Scottish Premier League, but he does not believe that Celtic has really suffered from the absence of Rangers. They have been consistent in their performance by winning 4 Premier League titles in a row in Scotland, and they have also done relatively well in Europe.
However, he did admit that the return of Rangers in the top flight could drive attendance again in the Scottish league especially in the derby matches. He also believes that playing 4 derbies per season could also help boost the popularity of the Scottish league and help bring more television money in the league. This can help grow the league in general and make it even more competitive.