Although the Scottish Premiership Title was cut short with eight games to go due to lockdown, Celtic FC was a clear 13 points ahead of Rangers their nearest rival. Celtic have dominated Scottish football for almost ten years, and it would be a brave man or woman to bet against the Glasgow side becoming champions in 2021.
That said, sports betting sites are offering good odds on Rangers which are no longer the poor relation to Celtic.
With this in mind, let’s look at likely contenders for the Scottish title in 2021.
Celtic FC
Celtic’s manager, Neil Lennon, has seen success after success with the club. This is his second stint in charge of the giants of Scottish football. Under his reign, the club has consistently won the league. He managed Celtic from 2010 to 2014, and took over from Brenden Rogers in 2019.
From a squad perspective, the Glaswegian side has the best in the country and is able to compete in the Champions League. Stars such as Odsonne Édouard, Olivier Ntcham, Christopher Jullien and James Forrest are fan favourites, and the club has the clout to attract superstars from around the world.
Despite their dominance and obvious superiority, Celtic must have one eye on Rangers who seem to improve year on year. If they ever felt like they could cruise the Scottish Premiership, those days are rapidly coming to an end. Lennon will no doubt be expecting his players to step up when needed to clinch victories and further trophies.
Rangers FC
Although Rangers FC has arguably a long way to go before the ‘Old Firm’ derby can reignite, there can be no denying the year on year improvements the club have achieved since their rebirth in 2012. That said, there can be no denying that this is still Rangers and every Celtic victory always wounds them.
In 2012 after the club was found guilty of wrong doing and was fined to the point where they went into liquidation, the club has strived to get back on to the world stage. They achieved successive promotions (the club was kicked out of the league) and finished second to Celtic in 2020.
Although they arguably can’t match Celtic on talent, their young, ambitious squad isn’t too far away from their great rivals. Players such as Alfredo Morelos, Ianis Hagi, Ryan Kent and Nikola Katic are dazzling fans and are hungry for success.
In manager Steven Gerrard the Liverpool and England legend is also pursuing Scotland’s top trophy. A Champions League winner and famed for his never say die attitude, if there is a man that can spur and inspire a young squad to glory, he is undoubtedly it.
Rangers have a long way to go, yes, but the gap is closing fast.
Motherwell FC
Motherwell had a great season finishing third in the league albeit 34 points behind Celtic. That doesn’t matter though as they have qualified for the Europa League. If they can hold on to star midfielder David Turnbull and strengthen the side, Motherwell fans can expect a strong 2020-2021 season.
