Celtic’s slip-up against Aberdeen at Parkhead provided Rangers with a golden chance to close the gap at the top of the Scottish Premiership, but both Glasgow giants faltered at the weekend.
Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic side let a 2-0 half-time lead slip, as Aberdeen battled back to earn a 2-2 draw with two quick-fire goals in the second half.
The result left Celtic frustrated, but Rangers failed to capitalise on the opportunity, suffering a 1-0 defeat to Kilmarnock at Rugby Park. With that loss, Rangers remain six points adrift of their arch-rivals in the title race.
Former Rangers striker Ally McCoist did not hold back in his criticism of the Ibrox club following their latest setback, labelling the team as “hopeless” and expressing his concerns about the state of the squad.
Speaking on talkSPORT, McCoist admitted Rangers are struggling and questioned the club’s structure and direction.
“What can I say, we’re hopeless. We’re not very good. We need to get a bit of stability at the top straight away,” McCoist lamented.
“What [Philippe Clement] said yesterday after the game is probably, definitely, factually correct, but the fact of the matter is the performance levels are poor. Really, really poor.”
While McCoist acknowledged Kilmarnock’s impressive display, he was blunt about Rangers’ failings.
“You’ve got to balance it out, and you’ve got to be fair about it—Kilmarnock were excellent, at home in particular. A good, good team, and Derek [McInnes] has them really well organised, difficult to beat, and more than a match for anybody.”
However, McCoist made it clear that Rangers’ issues run deeper than just one result. He criticised the lack of leadership within the club, adding:
“From Rangers’ point of view, the chairman John Gilligan is doing his very, very best, and he will continue to do that. But a lack of stability at the top—no chief executive, spine of the club is not right.”
McCoist also singled out the players for their poor performance against Kilmarnock. “Oh no, I don’t take that for a minute,” he said when asked if there was nothing more Rangers could have done.
“Players have got to look at themselves. Bang, shocking performance. It was a really poor performance. Don’t think I’m sidestepping the issue and not giving the players any stick. Poor midfield. Shocking goal to lose and never created nearly enough.”
When pressed on whether Clement is the right manager to lead Rangers, McCoist offered a guarded response.
“I don’t think the club are in any position to start getting rid of people, because I don’t think they could afford it financially,” he said.
“But the fact of the matter is this—he has to get better results. That’s clearly the case. But where I would stick up for him a little bit, I’m not sure he’s been dealt the best hand of cards with some of the players he’s been left with. The recruitment prior to him coming is absolutely, not nearly good enough.”
The upcoming fixtures could prove decisive for both Glasgow clubs. Celtic face Motherwell (A), Dundee (H), Hearts (A), Kilmarnock (H), and Ross County (A) in their next five league games.
In contrast, Rangers’ schedule appears more challenging, with matches against St Mirren (H), Aberdeen (A), Motherwell (A), Hearts (H), and Dundee United (H). Both United and Motherwell are in hot pursuit of Rangers in the league standings, adding pressure to their upcoming fixtures.
Should Rangers continue to drop points while Celtic maintain their early-season momentum, the title race could be all but over by the end of November.
Celtic’s attention now shifts to Europe, where they face a tough Champions League test against Atalanta.
The Italian side arrives in Glasgow on the back of their fourth Serie A win of the season, and Rodgers will be eager to secure a positive result to revive his side’s European hopes.
With domestic and European challenges ahead, both Celtic and Rangers are approaching a critical juncture in their seasons.