Rangers Ignite Title Challenge After Back-to-Back Wins Over Celtic
Rangers’ back‑to‑back wins over Celtic have done more than close the Scottish Premiership gap to two points – they’ve lit a fire under the support.
Two Old Firm victories in the space of a week have flipped the mood. Where there was doubt, there’s now defiance. Where there was frustration, there’s a team the fans recognise.
“The beginning for Rangers – and the beginning of the end for Celtic”
Derek doesn’t bother with half-measures. For him, this feels like a turning of the tide.
"It's the beginning for Rangers and the beginning of the end for Celtic," he says, seeing a side finally marrying belief with brute force. He talks about work rate and physicality, about a Rangers he can “identify with” again: direct, powerful, relentless runners with a visible togetherness.
At the heart of that shift, in his eyes, is Ryan Naderi. The forward has become the embodiment of the new message – all aggression, movement and purpose. Alongside him, Olwethu Makhanya is already being hailed as “an incredible signing” and “unflappable”, a defender whose composure under pressure has stood out in the white heat of these derbies.
A performance to silence Parkhead
Louise admits she wasn’t sure lightning would strike twice. Last weekend’s win felt big; doing it again on Celtic’s patch felt like something more.
“I had wondered if a repeat of last weekend was possible,” she says, “but what a performance again from Rangers.”
She picks out Makhanya and Naderi for special praise, while Dan Neil, in her view, “controlled the midfield”. Dujon Sterling, she adds, delivered “probably” his best display in a Rangers shirt.
The only regret? The scoreline. Louise is adamant the margin could have been brutal.
If Rangers had been more clinical in the final third, she believes, “it could have been a cricket score”. One goal, though, was enough – enough to quieten Parkhead and enough to show a Rangers side that suddenly looks hardened and streetwise.
“This team have grown up very quickly,” she says. They’ve shown what they’re capable of now, and she wants one thing above all: patience. Derek McInnes, she insists, has “made his mark” as manager, and whatever happens next, he must be allowed to build on it.
Midfield masters and a tactical repeat
Sally’s eyes were on the engine room. Last week, she saw Dan Neil dominate. This time, it was Nico Raskin who grabbed hold of the midfield.
“Last week it was Dan Neil running the midfield, this week it was Nico Raskin,” she notes, pointing to a Rangers side that suddenly has multiple players capable of dictating the biggest games.
Up front, she echoes the praise for Naderi – “outstanding” – and spares a thought for Djeidi Gassama, who she feels was “so unlucky” not to score with his effort on goal.
What really surprised her, though, was the lack of change. McInnes stuck with his approach. Celtic, from her perspective, failed to respond to the lessons of the previous week. Same plan, same outcome.
Makhanya wins over the doubters
Chris held his hands up. He wasn’t convinced when Makhanya arrived. That uncertainty is evaporating quickly.
“Wasn't too sure of Makhanya when he first signed,” he admits, but the defender’s latest display changed the conversation. The match, he says, looked “like a kick about in the back garden with the kids” for the South African, such was his comfort in the contest.
Even his disallowed goal left a mark. Chris calls the finish “absolutely stunning”, a flash of technique that hinted at a player brimming with confidence.
Two wins, two points in it, and a fanbase suddenly talking about power, identity and momentum. If this is only the beginning for Rangers, how far can this version of McInnes’ team really go?
