The Scottish Premiership season gets underway this afternoon, with Celtic hoping to achieve a remarkable first in Scottish football.
Neil Lennon's side are looking to win a ridiculous tenth league title on the spin, which would trump the mark set by the Celtic side of the 60s and 70s and the Rangers team of the 90s. They are heavy favourites to secure that title, despite Rangers managing to slightly close the gap between the sides last season.
There is still some uncertainty heading into the new campaign. Alfredo Morelos has been heavily linked with a move away from Rangers, while Neil Lennon could yet lose Odsonne Edouard. Both would be huge losses for their respective teams.
Now entering the third season of his Rangers tenure, the club's supporters will be expecting to see major progress from the team under Steven Gerrard. Some even believe this could finally be the year they best their Glasgow rivals.
Writing in his column for the Scottish Sun, Kris Boyd stated his belief that Rangers may finish ahead of a 'weaker' Celtic side this season:
There's been no stopping Celtic for the past nine seasons. But this is Rangers’ year.
If there is anyone at Ibrox who doesn’t believe that, they’re playing for the wrong football club and someone should show them the door.
If Steven Gerrard can get a group of players together who know what this next ten months is all about, I can see them winning the title.
Celtic aren’t as strong as they have been in recent years. For me, they’re definitely weaker.
On the flip side, Gerrard is a year older and wiser and I can genuinely see him leading my old club to something special.
There was nothing between the teams in last season’s Old Firm games and while I know that’s not the be-all and end-all when it comes to winning championships, I see it as a huge gauge for what’s lying ahead in the coming months...
I just look at the Celtic side and don’t think it’s as strong as it was.
Dressing room wall material.
