Martin O’Neill’s assessment of Rangers ahead of the Glasgow Derby felt brutally accurate because recent events back it up completely.
The Celtic manager suggested Rangers looked “spooked” after their collapse against Hearts, and it is difficult to argue otherwise after watching a side lose control of a match they had dominated.
And now Rangers are preparing for their Celtic Park visit, O’Neill has pinpointed a weakness he saw in Danny Rohl’s side in their defeat at Tynecastle.
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O’Neill said: “A very strong challenge, obviously. You mentioned this about the about the wounded animal. I think that if you look back last week, they played exceptionally well first half against Hearts within complete control of the game.
“Got the goal in front and the turnaround, Hearts were obviously going to have a reaction. You can’t be leading that league for that length of time and not have something and they did.
“And I think that it seemed as if it spooked Rangers a little bit.
“Okay, so that was that game last week. They’ve lost the match. They’re now seven points behind Hearts and from that viewpoint, certainly from a Hearts Rangers viewpoint, it looks a long way off then.
“You know, you’re looking for a lot of favours from people and as you say, there’ll be some drama to unfold at some stage or another.”
Rangers’ collapse against Hearts exposed a serious issue
Rangers had the match exactly where they wanted it after taking the lead through Dujon Sterling.
Hearts had offered very little in the opening 45 minutes, yet the entire momentum of the game changed after half-time as Derek McInnes’ side increased the pressure.
Stephen Kingsley equalised before Lawrence Shankland completed the turnaround, and Rangers never looked capable of calming the match down once things started going against them.
That defeat now leaves Rangers seven points behind Hearts and four behind Celtic with very little margin left for mistakes.
It also means they head into the Glasgow Derby after consecutive league defeats, which is hardly ideal preparation for the biggest match in Scottish football.
Danny Röhl’s response has only increased the scrutiny
Danny Röhl insisted after the Hearts defeat that “this is not about mentality”.
That response is understandable from a manager trying to protect his players publicly, but the outside perception is now very different after recent performances.
Rangers have struggled badly when momentum swings against them in matches. O’Neill effectively highlighted that exact issue without needing to overcomplicate the point.
The pressure of chasing both Hearts and Celtic is now obvious. Rangers are no longer controlling the title race and are depending on favours elsewhere.
Celtic now hold a psychological edge heading into the Glasgow Derby
Celtic still have to perform on the pitch, but they now head into this match with far greater stability around them.
Meanwhile, Rangers arrive at Celtic Park trying to recover from two damaging league defeats and growing scrutiny around their mentality under pressure.
That does not make them harmless. O’Neill was correct to describe them as a wounded animal because derby matches can quickly become emotional and unpredictable.
At the same time, Celtic will know Rangers are entering this fixture carrying visible pressure and recent scars from matches that slipped away from them.
O’Neill’s comments landed because they reflected reality. Rangers now look like a side fighting both their opponents and their own confidence heading into the Glasgow Derby.
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