The weekend’s results brought a rollercoaster of emotions for Celtic fans, starting with a frustrating 2-2 draw against Aberdeen at Parkhead.
Despite being 2-0 up and cruising towards victory, the Bhoys were undone by a spirited fightback led by Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin, forcing Celtic to settle for just a point.
While the dropped points left supporters disappointed, their mood improved the following day as Rangers failed to capitalise. A shock 1-0 defeat at Kilmarnock meant the Hoops retained their six-point lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership table.
O’Neill and McCoist Reflect on Rangers’ Struggles:
Reacting to the weekend’s developments, former Celtic manager Martin O’Neill addressed the growing gap between the Glasgow rivals.
O’Neill described Rangers as “really ordinary,” prompting a frank discussion on talkSPORT with Ally McCoist, who reluctantly acknowledged the gulf between the two clubs.
When asked by Jeff Stelling if this is the worst Rangers side he has seen, McCoist said, “Well, that’s up for debate. The fact of the matter is obviously they went down to the second and third division, everything else he says is 100% right.
“It’s agony to hear, but he’s right in what he says. There is a massive gulf between the teams at this moment in time.
“He’s also right when he said Rangers are capable of going there and getting a result, or going anywhere and getting a result, but to do it consistently on a regular basis they are now miles off it.
“And I don’t think there’s going to be an immediate quick fix, sadly, Jeff, that’s the problem. And Martin, who generally nearly always, I think, speaks an awful lot of sense, is probably spot on there, sadly.”
McCoist Reflects on Celtic’s Dominance:
This isn’t the first time McCoist has been open about the growing disparity between the two sides.
After Celtic’s win over Slovan Bratislava, McCoist admitted: “Celtic’s recruitment in recent years has been very, very good and ours across the city has been nothing like it. That’s one of the big differences.”
Following Rangers’ heavy defeat in the first Glasgow Derby of the season, McCoist shared his frustration further: “Celtic didn’t even look like they got out of second gear, mate. You know, and we’re just lacking leadership.”
Reflecting on Rangers’ COVID title-winning season, McCoist added, “Do you know what somebody said to me? And I kind of brushed it off at the time, but the more I think about that particular season, which was a fantastic achievement, I just wonder if the fact that there were no people at the games actually really did help Rangers more than I thought.
“I thought to myself it wouldn’t have made that much of a difference. However, I look at some of the players nowadays, and I think they’re affected by handling the pressure. I think that particular season playing behind closed doors actually suited them.”
A Long Season Ahead for Rangers:
With Celtic pulling away and Rangers now looking nervously over their shoulder at Aberdeen, McCoist knows the season ahead could be a tough one.
Lopetegui’s side not only has to close the gap to their rivals across Glasgow but also stay ahead of Aberdeen, who are gaining ground.
For Rangers, the pressure is mounting with no easy solutions in sight, leaving McCoist and the Ibrox faithful bracing for a challenging campaign.