Rangers were handed a 3-0 drubbing by Celtic in the first Old Firm derby of the 2024/25 season at Celtic Park. It was a performance to forget for the Light Blues, and their legendary former striker, Ally McCoist, didn’t hold back in voicing his concerns.
In a candid interview after the match, McCoist lamented the widening gap between the two Glasgow rivals, admitting he “can’t remember” the last time there was such a stark contrast in quality.
Despite his frustrations with Rangers, he had no qualms about praising Celtic, saying the Bhoys “thoroughly deserved” their comprehensive victory.
Speaking on talkSPORT, McCoist said: “Poor, mate. Poor. I can’t remember looking at Rangers’ and Celtic’s teams and seeing as big of a gulf [between them], which is a major, major concern.
“Celtic have dominated and they’ve been better by a distance recently. I looked at the Cup final last year, could’ve gone either way, goalie makes a mistake and Celtic win it. I looked at this season and thought ‘we’ll see how it goes’ and then, poof.
“Celtic thoroughly deserved their victory. I looked at Rangers and [I think] they’re lacking leadership. Lacking direction. [It’s a] big concern. We’ve got problems.
“You’ve got to tell the truth. And the truth was that Celtic looked miles ahead of us all over the pitch, particularly in forward areas. For me, that’s the big difference in the sides at this moment in time.”
McCoist also touched on the financial struggles currently facing Rangers, acknowledging the difficulties the club faces in strengthening its squad.
He added: “There’s a lack of finance [at Rangers] at the moment. Sometimes these problems are unforeseen and there’s nothing you can do about them. I believe the one bit of good news is that Rangers will be back in the Ibrox, their own stadium, pretty soon.”
With the pressure mounting on the manager and a lack of leadership on the pitch, McCoist’s concerns echo those of many Rangers fans.