Walter Smith has, more or less for the first time admitted the failure to win 10IAR was down to the players he’d relied on being effectively past it by the time 1999 came along.

Arguably the greatest manager of our club, aside Sir Struth, of course, Walter was a true Patriarch of the club during the 90s and during his second spell 2007-2011, but he came close to admitting that he’d made a mistake in not letting younger players give the 10IAR season a go, players like Barry Ferguson who was ready, and that in part cost the club the tenth title.

He said:

“From that Rangers perspective it was very difficult because the 9IAR and equalling Celtic’s record was a massive thing, but our team that had played, quite a number of the boys had played for a good few years for us, and we were, if anything, maybe coming to the end.”

It’s kind of old news, because all Rangers fans from that era knew the side was running on empty by the time 10IAR was upon us, but while he was an amazing manager who barely put a foot wrong as our boss, he probably should have given the likes of Barry the shirt, and maybe made a few younger signings who could do the grunt work the older lads were struggling with.

It’s all past history of course, what’s done is done, but there’s no doubt a couple of small alterations to the squad might just have seen Rangers lift the title for the 10th time in a row.

What ifs, buts, mibbes.