Gazza predicts Rangers resurgence

Paul Gascoigne has backed Walter Smith to lead Rangers to the Bank of Scotland Premier League title next season – because his players will be terrified of letting him down.

Gazza spent three years at Ibrox during Smith’s successful first spell at the club in the 1990s.

Smith returned to Rangers last month following the departure of Paul Le Guen, who lasted just seven months at the Ibrox helm.

Le Guen brought his short reign to an end following a rift with captain Barry Ferguson and reports of a split in the dressing room.

But Gascoigne told the Sunday Mail: “Walter will bring fear and a winning mentality to the dressing room.

“He used to grab me by the neck and put the fear of death in me.

“I used to **** myself when he spoke to me and that was when he was praising me.

“He’ll win the title next season.”

Meanwhile, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes Le Guen was “too cautious” with Ferguson.

Le Guen stripped Ferguson of the captain’s armband just two days before his own departure and Wenger insists he should have acted sooner.

He told Scotland on Sunday: “Paul is a deep thinker about the game.

“He is intelligent, courageous, but perhaps he was too cautious in this case.

“Perhaps he should have done two months earlier what he already felt had been necessary for some time.”