Former Celtic striker Derek Riordan has delivered a blunt assessment of the title race by insisting the Hoops are “100 per cent better than Rangers” despite their recent outings.
Celtic have endured a challenging period, but Riordan remains confident they can recover under Martin O’Neill and return to winning football.
The former Scotland international believes there is little reason for Celtic supporters to panic at this stage of the season, pointing to O’Neill's experience as a major reason for optimism.
“I mean, that’s football. You can’t win every week. It’s very early in the season,” Riordan said.
“I think Celtic are still very strong and Martin O’Neill’s a brilliant manager, he's been there and done it every time. They'll get back to winning football.
“I think Celtic are the stronger team,” he said. “I think Celtic are better than Rangers, that’s 100 per cent and Hearts.
“Martin O’Neill’s a brilliant manager; he's been there and done it every time.”
Rangers make opposite statement on the park
However, Rangers have already provided a strong response on the pitch this season, with Derek McInnes' side securing back-to-back victories over Celtic.
Those consecutive Old Firm wins give Rangers a clear piece of evidence to point to when Riordan's assessment is put under the microscope, particularly with McInnes having overseen victories against their city rivals.
Rangers defeated Celtic 3-0 at Ibrox in the Premier Sports Cup, with Dan Neil netting twice either side of a Kevin Kelsy strike, before Ryan Naderi secured a 1-0 Scottish Premiership victory at Celtic Park just a week later.
While Riordan remains adamant that Celtic are the stronger side, Rangers' recent record in the fixture provides a very different perspective as the two clubs continue their battle at the top end of Scottish football.
The former Celtic striker expects O’Neill to get his side back to winning ways, but Rangers have already shown they can get the better of Celtic when the two sides meet.
Celtic remain two points clear of Rangers, who can go top on Saturday with a win over Kilmarnock, with their rivals not in action until Sunday.
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