Celtic fans had plenty to celebrate over the weekend as their team extended their lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership.
Brendan Rodgers’ side now sit three points clear of Aberdeen and an impressive eleven points ahead of Rangers, further solidifying their dominance in the title race.
The weekend’s drama began with Celtic’s rivals faltering. Aberdeen stumbled to a 2-1 defeat at St Mirren, while Rangers could only manage a disappointing 1-1 draw against Dundee United at Ibrox.
The slip-ups left Celtic with a golden opportunity to widen the gap at the summit, and they did so in emphatic fashion, defeating Hearts 4-1 at Tynecastle.
The result not only maintained Celtic’s unbeaten start to the season but also left Rangers legend Ally McCoist visibly dejected.
Speaking on talkSPORT, McCoist admitted the growing gulf between Celtic and Rangers was a bitter pill to swallow.
Ally McCoist on Rangers’ Struggles
When asked by Jeff Stelling if Rangers might sack manager Philippe Clement in response to their poor form, McCoist was candid.
“It won’t happen, Jeff,” he said.
“I don’t think the club is in a financial place to do that anyway, but it’s been poor. The boys were at the game—I didn’t make it on Saturday—but they said it was really, really poor. Miles off it.”
Acknowledging the challenges ahead, McCoist was blunt about Rangers’ prospects this season.
“It’s going to be a struggle to finish second this year. A cup final coming up against Celtic—League Cup final against Celtic, who again had another great result over the weekend.
“To answer your question, it won’t happen for a number of reasons, Jeff. I don’t think they can afford to. They’ve not got any money to pay people off and things like that. So it’s going to be a long, long period, to be brutally honest.”
Heartbreaking Reality for McCoist
The former Rangers striker didn’t shy away from admitting his heartbreak over the growing gap between the Glasgow rivals.
“Sadly, Rangers are not catching Celtic this season,” McCoist continued.
“It breaks my heart to say that, as you know. The uncertainty above Philippe Clement hasn’t helped, but results haven’t been good enough either.”
McCoist hinted at potential changes behind the scenes at Ibrox.
“I think there’s going to be news breaking later today regarding changes in the board and personnel above him, which is long overdue. Hopefully, that will come and give them a bit of stability, but they ain’t catching Celtic this season sadly.”
Celtic’s Path to Glory
Celtic’s upcoming fixtures present a chance to further tighten their grip on the title. A trip to face Aberdeen at Pittodrie on December 4 could spell the end of the Dons’ hopes of challenging the Hoops.
Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin would need a miracle to overturn the gap, given his squad’s limitations.
On January 2, Celtic face Rangers at Ibrox in what could be a defining moment of the season. Should Rodgers’ men secure another victory in Glasgow, and both teams maintain perfect records until then, Celtic could open up a 14-point lead. Such a gap would all but extinguish Rangers’ faint title hopes.
Even McCoist, one of Rangers’ most passionate supporters, concedes that the league title is slipping away. With Celtic on track for a fourth consecutive Premiership crown, the focus for Rangers may now shift to damage control and planning for the future.