‘No magic wand’ : The Rangers example Celtic legend says club must follow to catch Ibrox stars

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Rangers are potentially just weeks from being crowned champions

Sir Kenny Dalglish believes Celtic must learn from Rangers if they want to catch their rivals.

With the Ibrox side closing in on their first top-tier title since 2011, Parkhead legend Dalglish insists his former club need to be prepared to show patience when their new manager arrives.

Steven Gerrard arrived at Ibrox in 2018, and despite not lifting silverware in his first two seasons he made considerable improvements.

Those appear to have paid off in his third season, with his team currently 15 points clear of a Celtic side that has played one game more than Gerrard’s men.

If Celtic beat Dundee United on Sunday and Rangers win their next two games, the league leaders can be crowned champions at the home of their rivals on March 21.

Gerrard has also overseen significant improvement in Europe, with Thursday’s win over Royal Antwerp taking them through to the Europa League’s last 16 for the second successive season.

Writing in his Sunday Post column, Dalglish said Celtic should be emulating the patience shown at Ibrox.

He said: “I’m not privy as to who will be Neil’s replacement. But I do know that it will be a person of the highest calibre available.

“However, the new gaffer, and director of football, will not have a magic wand.

“There will be work to do on the current squad, including what happens to skipper, Scott Brown.

“They are also coming in at a period when Rangers have quite a start on them. Steven Gerrard has been building something at Rangers for nearly three years.

“It took him and his staff time to get it to where they are now, on the verge of winning the League title for the first time in a decade.

“So, taking all of this into account, there will need to be patience and understanding shown by the Celtic supporters for the new people in the boardroom, technical area and out on the pitch.

“Success may well not happen immediately. People may well need to be prepared for that. But there is a better chance of winning games and silverware if everyone is pulling in the same direction.

“At all levels, Rangers were patient with Steven and he has rewarded the club with a domestic title on the horizon and even more success on the European front.”