‘Rangers right in mix’ – can they now go level with Celtic?

There was no possibility of a title charge when Danny Rohl assumed the Rangers’ helm on October 20.

They had only won once in the Scottish Premiership before falling behind Celtic by eight points, 13 adrift of league leaders Hearts, and had started the season poorly under Russell Martin.

You would have received a lot of laughter if you had suggested that Rangers could match Celtic with a win in the second league Old Firm derby on January 1st, not least of which was a despondent Ibrox fanbase.

And yet, that is what awaits Rohl and his players on Saturday when they travel to Parkhead, where they will share the 38-point advantage with Celtic.

With a squad that has drawn the ire of fans and pundits alike, Rohl has won eight of his 11 Premiership games, only to lose to Hearts once.

Since Martin O’Neill replaced by Wilfried Nancy, Celtic have gone backwards, in stark contrast to Rangers’ march up the table.

Steven Thompson, a pundit for Sportsound, described his former side as “they’re right in the mix.” “I don’t think many people would have seen it coming, but they’re right in the mix.”

Rangers were battling the challenge of St Mirren, who had earlier this month defeated Celtic at Hampden in the League Cup final while Nancy’s side were chasing Motherwell’s shadows.

Before half-time, Emmanuel Fernandez converted Youssef Chermiti’s excellent ball into the box and Jayden Meghoma headed home with a nod from Thelo Aasgaard.

With Marcus Fraser missing from the penalty spot, Mikael Mandron’s bundled goal made St Mirren counteract and frustrated them not to take a point.

Rohl applauded his team’s performance, but he also stressed that they must carry on their excellent form if they want to win.

The gap between Celtic and Hearts has been narrowed to three and six points, but it is not in football, he claimed.

“It’s about following next, following, following.” We will have a successful second half of the season if we can continue in this direction.

You get into positions where you can play for something if you take a lot of wins and do a lot of things right.

Rohl thinks Glasgow is prepared for the “hell” test when they travel across the city to face Celtic.

He said, “Our belief is there. We make decisions in confidence. We are prepared, but the game is a lot. We must be strong, though. We will have a fantastic game if we do this.

Chermiti’s performance was another positive for Rangers.

He signed for Everton for £8 million in the summer, but he hasn’t lived up to that high price tag, scoring only twice in his first 20 starts.

He superbly linked the play and created three chances, including Fernandez’s decisive goal, despite not really threatening to score against St Mirren by taking just one shot.

Youssef’s performance deserves praise, Rohl said. He provides exactly what we require.

He can keep the ball, link play, and all of those things while being on the last line.

Thompson thinks that a striker of that caliber could inspire them to advance to a new level in 2026.

He said, “A special mention should be made of Chermiti.” Before the game, I slaughtered him, but he was brilliant tonight.