Former Celtic captain Scott Brown has criticised Rangers for being too loud and arrogant in their pursuit of the Scottish Premiership title. Brown, who played for both clubs in his illustrious career, said that Rangers have no chance of winning the league this season.
Brown, who retired from playing in 2019, spoke to BBC Sport ahead of the mid-season break. He said that Celtic are still the favourites to win the title, despite having two games less than Rangers.
“I think Celtic are still the favourites to win it. They have a better squad, they have more quality, they have more experience. They have been consistent all season and they have shown that they can beat anyone on their day,” he said.
Brown also praised Celtic’s attack, which has scored 38 goals in 18 games so far. He said that Celtic’s front three of Kyogo Furuhashi, Odsonne Edouard and James Forrest are a formidable trio that can press and get after the ball.
“The way they play is very exciting to watch. They are very aggressive, they are very hard-working, they are very clinical. They create a lot of chances and they finish them off. They are a nightmare for any defence,” he said.
Brown also dismissed Rangers’ claim that they have an advantage over Celtic because of their European involvement. He said that Celtic have had more rest time and more preparation time than Rangers, who will play in the Europa League quarter-finals next week.
“I don’t think it makes much difference. You still have to play 90 minutes every week against top teams. You still have to deal with the pressure and the expectations. You still have to cope with injuries and suspensions,” he said.
Brown also pointed out that Rangers’ manager Philippe Clement has not been able to make any significant signings since taking over from Steven Gerrard in November. He said that Rangers need a new striker who can score goals consistently.
“I don’t think Rangers have improved much since Clement came in. They still rely too much on Alfredo Morelos, who is not fit enough or sharp enough to be their main man. They need someone else who can score goals regularly and make a difference,” he said.
Brown also mocked Rangers for being noisy neighbours who talk themselves into title trouble against silent Celtic assassins. He said that Rangers should be more humble and realistic about their chances of winning the league.
“They should be quiet and respectful towards Celtic. They should not talk about titles or trophies when they are so far behind us. They should not get carried away by their own noise or their own fans,” he said.
“They should focus on improving themselves as a team and as individuals. They should learn from their mistakes and from our successes. They should realise that we are not going to give them anything easy or cheap,” he added.
