Michael Beale struggling with Celtic 'hold' over Rangers as Parkhead hero flips the script on Nine In A Row record

Confident Celtic hero Simon Donnelly reckons Ange Postecoglou's side have a "hold" over Rangers this season.

And the former Parkhead hero reckons the dominant spell is a throwback to the success the Ibrox side enjoyed during their nine-in-a-row era. Donnelly was part of the side which stopped Rangers winning ten-in-a-row over 20 years ago, but remembers the struggle to get to that stage and the hammerings dished out by their rivals on derby day.

He reckons Postecoglou has flipped the script on those dark days at Parkhead as he pointed to a gap in quality between the Celtic and Rangers squads with the Scottish Cup semi-final between the Glasgow heavyweights rapidly approaching. With Celtic 13 points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership while the Viaplay Cup is already in the trophy cabinet, Rangers will look to end the champions-elect's hopes of a Treble at Hampden.

But Donnelly told Sky Sports that would be easier said than done, he added: "I played with a team in the nineties where Rangers had the hold over us, and it does effect you. The longer that run goes on it effects you.

"The only way to get overturn it is to try and get a result. That is the challenge that Rangers have just now.

"I just feel this Celtic team are strong. You look right through their squad. They have Hatate, Abada and Jota to come back to training this week.

"These are three players who have been really successful in recent times. If he (Ange Postecoglou) can get these three back, even from the bench, I think Celtic will just be too strong for them."

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