Wilfried Nancy issued warning already with Celtic vs Rangers on the horizon
Rangers will face Celtic in the next Old Firm derby at the start of 2026, and it will be the first time Wilfried Nancy has experienced the historic contest.
Danny Rohl has already had his first taste of the clash, back at the start of November in the Premier Sports Cup semi-final defeat.
On that day, Rangers were beaten 3-1 by Martin O’Neill’s Celtic, with the Hoops grabbing two extra-time goals to secure their route to the final against 10 men.
Both sides have already lost managers this season, with Russell Martin dismissed by Ibrox chiefs and Brendan Rodgers handing in his resignation.
Wilfried Nancy must beware of Rangers
Celtic were beaten 2-1 by Hearts in Nancy’s first game in charge on Sunday, with Derek McInnes’ side now three points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership.
Defeat for the Hoops, as well as Rangers’ 3-0 win over Kilmarnock on Saturday, means that Rohl’s side have closed the gap to their Glasgow rivals.
The Gers are now just six points adrift of Nancy’s side, as the busy Christmas period begins.
Speaking on BBC Sportscene after Celtic’s defeat to Hearts, former Rangers winger Neil McCann warned Nancy that he has some difficult times ahead.
McCann said: “They’ve got an Old Firm game coming up, and if Wilfried Nancy didn’t really understand the demands of Celtic Park, he would’ve got a little touch of it today, but there’s a lot more coming.
“He just needs to get in and start winning games.”
Rangers can take advantage of Celtic wobble
Nancy has come in at Celtic and immediately opted to implement a 3-5-2 system, which could leave the Hoops struggling to transition.
Rangers have already been tipped to challenge Celtic this season, and Rohl’s side must be ready to take advantage if their local rivals start wobbling again.
The Gers will need to be flawless between now and the Old Firm derby at the start of 2026 to put some pressure on Nancy and potentially go above the Hoops when they play them.
With Hibernian and Hearts next up, that won’t be easy.
| Date | Opponent |
| 11 December | Ferencvaros (A) |
| 15 December | Hibernian (H) |
| 21 December | Hearts (A) |
| 27 December | Motherwell (H) |
| 30 December | St Mirren (H) |
| 3 January | Celtic (A) |
There is no doubt that Rangers now have a great opportunity to kick on under Rohl and mount a real challenge for the Scottish Premiership title in the second half of the season.
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