NafisaBarry Ferguson has delivered a brutally clear assessment of the difference between Rangers and Celtic after watching Derek McInnes’ side claim another Old Firm victory at Parkhead.
The former Rangers captain was inside Celtic’s stadium on Sunday in his ambassadorial role as Rangers followed up their 3-0 Ibrox victory from the previous weekend with another win over their city rivals.
This time, Ryan Naderi’s first-half goal was enough.
But according to Ferguson, the result was not simply about one moment of quality or a narrow margin.
Having watched the contest from inside the stadium, the former Scotland midfielder believed Rangers were superior across the pitch.
And his verdict was particularly striking given the surroundings.
Rangers refuse to be intimidated
Celtic went into the match knowing that another defeat would leave them facing serious questions after the previous week’s 3-0 loss to Rangers.
Martin O’Neill also made changes to his starting XI as he looked to find a response and prevent another disappointing afternoon against their biggest rivals.
Ferguson noticed the difference in Celtic’s approach immediately.
But rather than allowing the altered setup to disrupt Rangers, he felt McInnes’ players adapted comfortably and remained committed to their own game.
“They realised Celtic’s approach had changed but they didn’t let it spook them or alter their own way of playing.”
That, Ferguson suggested, was one of the defining features of Rangers’ performance.
Playing in front of a full Celtic support was always going to present a different atmosphere to the previous meeting at Ibrox, particularly with Rangers supporters excluded from the stadium for the fixture.
Yet Ferguson believed Rangers quickly settled into the occasion.
And once they did, he felt the balance of the contest became increasingly clear.
Ferguson’s verdict on the two teams
The former Rangers captain did not limit his praise to one particular department.
Instead, his assessment covered the entire team.
Writing for the Daily Record, Ferguson said:
“From that point on, it became a real team performance and I felt Rangers were stronger than their fiercest rivals in all areas.”
It is a particularly significant assessment after a match that finished with only one goal separating the sides.
Rangers may have won 1-0, but Ferguson felt the performance deserved to be viewed beyond the final scoreline.
The result also meant Rangers had now beaten Celtic twice inside seven days.
First came the emphatic 3-0 victory at Ibrox in the League Cup.
Then came Sunday’s 1-0 triumph in the league.
For Celtic, the back-to-back defeats were particularly damaging because of what they did to the Premiership table.
Celtic’s lead cut dramatically
Before the latest Old Firm meeting, Celtic had been in a position where a victory could have opened up a sizeable advantage at the top of the table.
Instead, Rangers left Parkhead with all three points.
Their latest victory cut what could have been an eight-point Celtic advantage to just two.
The significance was not lost on Ferguson, although the former Rangers captain was also careful not to suggest that the title race had already been decided.
Rangers had certainly changed the picture in the space of a week.
Two derby victories had transformed the atmosphere around McInnes’ side, while Celtic were left trying to find answers after consecutive losses to their city rivals.
And Ferguson had experienced the intensity surrounding the fixture before the match had even begun.
“They must have missed me!”
Because away supporters were banned from this season’s Old Firm fixtures at Celtic Park, Ferguson did not arrive alongside a travelling Rangers support.
Instead, he travelled as part of a small Rangers delegation.
Even so, his arrival did not go unnoticed.
The former Rangers captain revealed that the reception waiting for him outside Parkhead was rather less welcoming than the hospitality normally associated with an ambassadorial visit.
“Yes, the welcome from the Celtic fans outside the front door was, how should I say, a bit tasty.”
Ferguson was clearly aware of the reaction his presence would provoke.
But rather than allowing it to bother him, the former Rangers midfielder responded with a line that was always likely to amuse the Rangers support.
“They must have missed me!”
It was a light-hearted response from a player whose name remains synonymous with Rangers and the Old Firm rivalry.
And by the time Ferguson left the stadium, he had another reason to smile.
His former club had once again beaten Celtic.
Rangers still have work to do
Despite his glowing assessment, Ferguson was not suggesting that Rangers had already accomplished anything significant in the title race.
The two victories have certainly changed the landscape, but there remains a long season ahead.
For Celtic, the immediate priority is to stop the slide.
Three consecutive defeats across all competitions, including two against Rangers inside eight days, have put increased focus on O’Neill and his team.
For Rangers, meanwhile, the challenge is to turn this extraordinary run of Old Firm results into sustained form.
But Ferguson’s verdict from inside Parkhead was emphatic.
After watching Rangers handle Celtic’s changed approach, settle into an intimidating atmosphere and eventually leave with another three points, he believed the difference between the teams went far beyond the solitary goal on the scoreboard.
In Ferguson’s words, Rangers were “stronger than their fiercest rivals in all areas.”
And after two Old Firm victories in seven days, that assessment will certainly make for uncomfortable reading around Celtic Park.
Nafisa
