Simon Jordan “sad” over Rangers’ state of affairs as title theory is dismissed.

Celtic’s recent decline has opened the door in the Scottish Premiership, but Rangers have so far failed to take complete advantage of the opportunity.

The title race was expected to be a two-team contest involving Celtic and Rangers, meaning the rivalry remains under intense scrutiny from supporters.

Rangers must also be especially careful not to waste their game in hand, because their recent league form has prevented them from making the decisive move.

Their supporters will expect the team to respond immediately, especially with Celtic continuing to struggle and dropping points at an alarming rate.

Falkirk inflicted another setback on Celtic on Sunday, securing their first victory over the Glasgow giants in 19 years.

Celtic’s worrying run continues

Celtic have managed only three victories across their last 10 matches in all competitions, a spell that has highlighted serious concerns about their consistency.

Their league form is even more troubling. The Scottish champions have collected just one point from their last six Premiership matches, allowing their position at the top of the table to become increasingly vulnerable.

Rangers, however, have not been able to turn Celtic’s problems into a major advantage. The Ibrox side made a slow start to the campaign and currently sit four points behind the leaders, although they have a game in hand.

They have won just one of their last three Premiership matches, leaving the title race far more open than it might otherwise have been.

Jordan questions Rangers’ progress

Jordan was speaking after Celtic’s latest setback when the subject of Rangers potentially challenging their city rivals was raised on talkSPORT.

Rather than celebrating the possibility of Rangers returning to the top of Scottish football, the former Crystal Palace chairman questioned why simply competing with Celtic should be viewed as significant progress.

Derek McInnes is now responsible for leading Rangers back towards the summit. The manager came close to achieving an unlikely title success with Hearts last season, but the campaign ultimately ended without the championship.

He now faces a different challenge at Ibrox. Instead of trying to finish above both Rangers and Celtic, as he did while competing with the Glasgow clubs, McInnes must now attempt to take Rangers above Celtic and restore the club’s position at the top.

Jordan was particularly critical when discussing McInnes’ previous title challenge with Hearts.

“Derek McInnes showed last season, when he had Hearts in the box seat, he bottled it,” Jordan said.

He then argued that the situation at Rangers should not be presented as a major achievement simply because the club is becoming competitive again.

“With due respect to the circumstances that surround him at Rangers, it’s got to a sad set of circumstances that Rangers are just getting competitive again, rather than the dominant force of Scottish football, and rivalling Celtic.”

Rangers must turn pressure into results

There is a clear argument behind Jordan’s wider point. Rangers have spent much of the season trying to close the distance to Celtic, but challenging for the title means more than remaining within touching distance.

The opportunity is there because Celtic are struggling. However, Rangers need to produce a sustained winning run if they want to transform that opportunity into genuine control of the title race.

Winning their game in hand would move Rangers to within one point of Celtic at the summit. That would immediately increase the pressure on their rivals and make the remainder of the campaign considerably more interesting.

But closing the gap is only the first part of the challenge. Rangers would then have to maintain their form, win the key meetings between the two sides and remain at the top once they get there.

The title race needs greater intensity

Rangers know exactly what is required. Celtic’s recent results have created an opening, but opportunities of this size do not remain available forever.

At the same stage 12 months ago, Rangers had played one more match and had 18 points, six fewer than their current total.

For McInnes and his players, the challenge now is to make that advantage count. Celtic have given Rangers an opening through their poor run, but Rangers must provide the consistency required to exploit it.

Ultimately, the next stage of the season will determine whether Rangers can genuinely challenge Celtic or merely remain competitive. The Ibrox club cannot afford to focus solely on Celtic’s struggles. Their own performances must improve, their winning run must become longer, and their results must match the expectations surrounding them.

If Rangers can close the gap, overtake Celtic and remain there, Jordan’s criticism will quickly become less relevant. Until then, the frustration surrounding their failure to capitalise on Celtic’s problems is likely to continue.