Former Rangers boss claimed Scottish football needed new Gers boss Steven Gerrard, and Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers should take comments personally.
Former Rangers player and manager Ally McCoist was thrilled to see Rangers make a big name appointment earlier this month by naming Steven Gerrard as the new man in charge at Ibrox.
Yet McCoist’s comments about Gerrard putting Scottish football on the map should be taken personally by Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers.
Rodgers’ Celtic have just won a seventh straight title and last season they went the entire season unbeaten.
McCoist told BBC Sport: “It’s magic for Scottish football. A global name like Steven Gerrard will create interest throughout the world.”
To some extent this is very true, but Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers should take it as a personal slight that his Celtic side have not been able to drum up the interest Gerrard is perceived to be able to make.
If Celtic had succeeded in Europe under Rodgers, then Scottish football would already be ‘on the map’, and there would not be so much interest in seeing them face stronger domestic competitors.
Instead Celtic have flopped in the Champions League and Europa League under Rodgers.
They have won just one out of 12 group stage matches over the past two seasons and were knocked out in their one and only Europa tie over two legs.
Rodgers should take McCoist’s comments about Gerrard as a warning that he is short of where he needs to be, to take Celtic as far as they should go, and drum up interest in the Scottish game in the process.
Gerrard’s appointment may help Celtic’s motivation to really kick on, but they shouldn’t need it.
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