Celtic’s Dominance Leaves Rangers Reeling as Alex Rae Reflects on ‘Unbearable’ Pressure
Celtic have long held the upper hand in Scottish football, with Rangers struggling to emerge from their rivals’ shadow. Brendan Rodgers recently guided the Parkhead side to their fourth consecutive league title, sealing the triumph with a win over Dundee United that left them 18 points ahead at the top. Although Rangers’ later draw with St Mirren trimmed the gap to 17, the league had already been all but decided — Celtic had lost only four of their 33 games.
This relentless success has had serious repercussions at Ibrox. The pressure of trying to compete led to the sacking of manager Philippe Clement and his entire coaching team after a humiliating Scottish Cup exit at the hands of Queen’s Park. Former Rangers assistant coach Alex Rae has since spoken candidly about the difficulty of challenging Celtic’s dominance and the mental toll it took.
In a revealing interview with Superscoreboard, Rae shared what he told former Rangers striker Ally McCoist during his coaching stint at the club.
“Celtic have been on this kind of form for years,” Rae admitted. “Last season, we managed to pull ourselves back into the title race, but it slipped away again towards the end. This season, we didn’t start well and when the team on the other side is firing on all cylinders, it becomes extremely tough.”
He recalled a recent conversation with McCoist: “We bumped into each other at a Tottenham game, and I remember saying to him, ‘How many tin helmets do you need here?’ because the pressure was just relentless. When you’re not getting results and your rivals are winning everything, it becomes incredibly difficult to cope with the scrutiny.”
Rae, who left Rangers following Clement’s dismissal in February, also gave insight into the club’s failed attempt to replicate Celtic’s long-term strategy of developing young talent for future success.
“The club was trying to build a more sustainable model — bringing in younger players and developing them, like Celtic have done,” he said. “But in doing so, they removed a lot of experience from the squad, which left the younger lads to learn under pressure, and that’s not easy.”
Celtic have been refining this youth-driven strategy for years, combining player development with consistent silverware. According to Rae, trying to mimic that blueprint without the proper foundation is what ultimately cost Clement his job.
While Celtic eye yet another domestic treble under Rodgers, Rangers continue their search for a new manager — and a formula to close the growing gap. For now, the green-and-white half of Glasgow remains firmly in control, and Hoops supporters will hope it stays that way for the foreseeable future.
