Ian Durrant has turned amateur psychologist to try and burst Celtic’s title winning run.
The midfielder played at Ibrox while David Murray pulled off various scams in a bid to become the second Glasgow club to lift the European Cup.
Surpassing the achievements of Celtic became the obsession at Ibrox, never more so than in the summer of 1997 as they attempted to make Scottish football history.
Celtic were in utter disarray, club icons Tommy Burns and Paul McStay had left while Paolo di Canio and Jorge Cadete discovered problems in their contracts.
Across the city (other peoples) money was no object for Walter Smith and Dave Murray as they plundered Italy to ensure a historic tenth title.
Brian Laudrup decided to stay for one more season and was joined by Sergio Porrini, Marco Negri, Rino Gattuso, Jonas Thern and Lorenzo Amoruso.
For extra security two left-backs were added to the nine-in-a-row legends in the shape of Tony Vidmar and Stale Stensaas.
Durrant revelled in the excitement while Celtic appointed Wim Jansen but pretty soon the pressure from the east end saw the tenth title slip from Smith’s grasp.
“Celtic, and their supporters, have got 10-in-a-row in their heads, and feel they want to charge on and achieve it,” the former Rangers (IL) midfielder told the Sunday Post. “They appear to be optimistic.
“For Rangers, it’s all about stopping Celtic as quickly as possible, because of the arrival of Stevie Gerrard as manager, there will be extra motivation.
“There appears to be a real feel-good factor around Ibrox, and with the club’s supporters, due to him being appointed as manager.
“He has made two or three signings already, and will look to build on that and keep improving the squad but he will be under no illusions as to the size of the task in front of him.
“Brendan Rodgers has more than a two-year start on him, and Celtic possesses that winning mentality.
“However, they are now entering a period they will have not have experienced before.”
Reflecting on how the nine-in-a-row heroes of 97 folded the following year Durrant added: “We got to nine, and that was a brilliant achievement because we were up against a really strong Celtic under Tommy Burns in the final two years of that run.
“Unfortunately we just couldn’t get over the final hurdle to win 10. It was one season too far for us but each championship brings its own pressure.
“If we hadn’t got to nine championships, then we may well have been remembered as the team that didn’t do nine titles, rather than the team that managed to win it for eight consecutive seasons.
“It can be quite cruel and unfair, but that’s football. The same rule will apply to Celtic over the next season or two.
“I was ever so proud to be with that Rangers team between 1989 and 1998. We had a great bond and we all worked for each other and the manager.
“Time has moved on and we are talking about a different era, albeit with a similar scenario. Overall, what we all want to see is Rangers providing stiff competition.
“They need to be up there, and there has been a budget provided to mount a more-than-decent challenge.
“It’s now up the manager and his staff to ensure the money is spent as wisely as possible.
“I’m sure Stevie Gerrard will want to move a few players on, and if he can do that to supplement his budget, then even better.”
Living within their means has been a painful exercise at Ibrox with just one Petrofac Cup to show from the last seven years of effort.
Every summer produces hopes and delusions that the next revolution will be a success but all the signs suggest that Gerrard is heading for the same crash that Mark Warburton and Pedro Caixinha discovered.
