Rangers legend Alex Rae has rubbished suggestions that his former club have cruised to the Scottish Premiership title due to a lack of pressure from fans at Ibrox.
What a season Steven Gerrard has masterminded on the blue half of the Old Firm divide.
Rangers are 20 points clear of Celtic – who were going for 10 titles in a row before the season started – and are yet to lose a Premiership game, winning 29 and drawing just five.
The Gers have been frighteningly consistent all season long but Rae refuses to subscribe to the idea that an empty Ibrox every other week has positively contributed to their dominance.
The light Blues’ stadium holds a little over 50,000 people and the Rangers legend has debunked theories that the supporters might have made it more difficult for Gerrard’s side had they been allowed inside the stadium over the course of the 2020-21 campaign.
He said to the 10 Ten podcast: “I have heard this thrown at this Rangers team over the course of this year. Oh aye, how would they react? See if you’ve won 17 games on the bounce at Ibrox.
“If you have won 17 games on the bounce at Ibrox, what is this pressure comes from the crowd because you are winning week after week, they have confidence, the crowd is buzzing, they are new champions, can you imagine what would it have been at Ibrox.
“Oh unbelievable, everyone cannot get back to the ground quick enough. So I do not quite subscribe to, maybe in the earlier games where you are thinking this is a free rein, I am quite enjoying this, but can you imagine when you are on a roll at Rangers.”
Does Rae have a point? Absolutely he does.
Rangers fans don’t get on their teams’ back any more or less than Celtic supporters in a packed-out Parkhead when things aren’t going their way.
Gerrard’s troops are champions simply because they’ve been far more consistent than their neighbours and it’s just that simple.
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