Ally McCoist was taken aback by Brendan Rodgers’ “remarkable” record in Old Firm games, despite Celtic’s defeat to Rangers on Thursday.
The Gers defeated the Old Firm 3-0 at Ibrox on January 2, upsetting the Scottish Premiership form book.
The Gers still have an 11-point deficit to close, but Philippe Clement’s burden will be relieved after Rangers’ triumph.
Speaking live on talkSPORT (3 January, 08:38am), McCoist praised Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers, who has lost only two Old Firm derbies, and discussed Clement’s future at Rangers.
“Oh aye definitely [Clement will keep his job], I was delighted for him, I think that’s his first victory against Celtic after seven attempts and as you [Brazil] pointed out to me, Brendan’s record in those games is absolutely remarkable,” he told me.
“It was a massive win for Rangers, and I believe it was very important for the manager.
“I believe the surprise thing was the margin of victory and the disparity between the two teams. I know it’s only one game, so I’m not going to get carried away because Celtic will go on to win the championship.
“But even that performance surprised me, the level, the distance between the two teams.”
Brendan Rodgers has been a major contender for the Rangers in recent years.
Although the former Liverpool manager took a vacation from Celtic Park to return to English football a few seasons ago, Rodgers has always been a formidable opponent for the Gers.
The Northern Ireland boss has always taken the game to the Ibrox club and frequently outperformed them in all tournaments.
Of course, there have been moments when he has slipped up, such as Thursday’s game, but this should not detract from the form that Clement’s men demonstrated in the derby.
There is still more than half of the 2024/25 season to go, and while nothing is set in stone, it appears that the 11-point gap between first and second place is still too large for the Germans to overcome.
Only time will tell what the future holds, but unless Clement can find a way to keep things steady at Rangers so they don’t lose points against the likes of St Mirren and Motherwell, the Gers are unlikely to make a late push for the crown this season.
