Martin O’Neill has launched a scathing assessment of Rangers ahead of this weekend’s Glasgow Derby, questioning their quality and consistency under Russell Martin.
Speaking on talkSPORT, the former Celtic boss didn’t hold back after watching Rangers stumble to a 1-1 draw with St Mirren in Paisley, just days after reversing a request to postpone the fixture in order to avoid slipping further behind in the title race, which ended up happening, anyway.
“I watched a good chunk of the game yesterday. They’re not very good, Rangers,” O’Neill said. “And they haven’t been very good for quite some considerable time.”
Rangers had hoped to keep the gap to Celtic at four points heading into the derby by playing the St Mirren match, but they now trail by six after failing to get the job done, despite their decision to reverse the postponement.
“They can actually match Celtic over a 90-minute period, as they proved last season,” O’Neill acknowledged. “But there is absolutely no guarantee at all about them travelling away from home, or even at Ibrox, winning games. And that’s been going on for some considerable time.”
The draw leaves Russell Martin still searching for his first league win as Rangers boss, and the pressure is intensifying ahead of Sunday’s showdown at Ibrox. A Celtic win would open up a nine-point gap before September – a nightmare start for Martin, who’s now under real scrutiny and pressure at Rangers.
O’Neill’s blunt verdict will resonate with Celtic fans already full of confidence heading into the derby. And with Rodgers’ side unbeaten and top of the table, the mood couldn’t be more different across the city.
