Former Rangers striker Kris Boyd delivered a brutally frank assessment of Rangers title hopes following their defeat at Tynecastle, insisting the Ibrox club are now “finished” in the Scottish Premiership race and backing Derek McInnes’s Hearts to go all the way.
Speaking post-match on Sky Sports, Boyd pulled no punches as he reflected on a damaging afternoon for Rangers, who now sit fourth in the table - behind Motherwell on goal difference - despite having a game in hand.
The gap to leaders Hearts has stretched to twelve points, a margin Boyd believes is already decisive.
He said: “This Hearts team is here. They have arrived. They are here.
“They’re going to go all the way. And as I said Rangers are out it.
“Rangers are finished now. They can forget it. Twelve points, it’s too much for them to claw back.”
Boyd’s comments underline the scale of the challenge facing Rangers as they struggle to keep pace at the top end of the table.
While Danny Röhl’s side showed flashes of promise at Tynecastle, familiar issues resurfaced, and the former striker believes the damage has already been done.
Rangers position in fourth - behind Motherwell on goal difference in December - only added weight to Boyd’s argument, with consistency continuing to elude the Ibrox side.
Even with a game in hand, Boyd sees little evidence Rangers can mount a sustained run capable of reeling in the leaders.
His praise, instead, was reserved for Heart of Midlothian, who he feels have crossed a psychological threshold.
He said: “Hearts, if they can capitalise on that, they, right now, are favourites to lift the league title for me.”
Boyd also pointed to uncertainty elsewhere in the title picture, suggesting the pressure is not confined to Ibrox.
Attention now turns to Celtic, who he referenced as facing their own defining test.
Boyd explained: “Celtic have a big afternoon right now. It’s not all rosy on the east end of Glasgow either.”
Celtic take on Aberdeen today as they look to claw the gap between themselves and Hearts back to six.
For Rangers, the reality is stark. Twelve points adrift, fourth in the table, and facing growing scrutiny over squad depth and resilience, the margin for error has all but vanished.
With January approaching, Boyd’s verdict will resonate loudly among supporters: unless something drastic changes, the title race may already be beyond them.