---
title: "Ally McCoist: Rangers exposed Celtic confidence issue in derby win"
canonical: "https://readrangers.com/2026/09/25/mccoist-rangers-celtic-confidence-issue-mcinnes/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
section: "Rangers News"
published: "2026-09-25T14:19:09Z"
modified: "2026-09-25T14:19:09Z"
---

# Ally McCoist: Rangers exposed Celtic confidence issue in derby win

**The Ally McCoist Rangers Celtic verdict is exactly what the Ibrox support wanted to hear this week.**

Derek McInnes has now beaten Celtic in back-to-back derbies, and the second of those wins came at Parkhead.

That result still feels like a landmark, given Celtic’s recent dominance in this fixture.

Ally McCoist watched both games closely and believes something has genuinely shifted in the Old Firm balance.

Speaking to Come On, he explained why Rangers left that derby double with real belief, and why Celtic face serious questions to be answered after the international break.

Derek McInnes will hope that platform sets the tone for the fixtures still to come this season.

“A win was massive for Rangers. A draw wouldn’t have been the worst result, without being defeatist,” said McCoist, reflecting on where Rangers stood before kickoff and what the eventual win meant.

He added that supporters would have understood a draw given the scale of the challenge.

“You’ve obviously got to go to the game looking to win, but if you walk away with a draw, I don’t think you’d get too many Rangers fans complaining or turning on him.”

## Old Firm Shift Drives McCoist Assessment

McInnes set out to attack at Parkhead rather than sit in and protect a point. McCoist believes that intent was obvious from kickoff, with Rangers pushing forward and refusing to let Celtic dictate the tempo in their own backyard.

“I think Derek went in to go and attack and play the same way as he did last weekend, very much on the front foot.

“Celtic were as poor as I’ve seen them in the cup and in the Europa League,” added McCoist.

## Parkhead Plan Unlocks Celtic Vulnerability Under McInnes

That front-foot approach echoes the setup Rangers used a week earlier, something we covered in [our tactical breakdown against Celtic](https://readrangers.com/2026/09/13/confirmed-rangers-team-lineup-celtic-ibrox/), where McInnes’ willingness to commit men forward against Celtic’s press proved decisive.

It’s consistent with the midfield principles the manager has built this season, detailed in our piece on [McInnes’ tactical setup in midfield](https://readrangers.com/2026/08/30/derek-mcinnes-massive-clue-rangers-midfield/).

McInnes and Rangers found gaps in a Celtic side that has looked short of its usual control.

The vulnerability of recent weeks has been very obvious and Rangers took full advantage.

For McCoist, the manner of the win mattered as much as the scoreline, because it showed Rangers could impose themselves on a ground where the pressure is normally reversed.

Two wins from two doesn’t rewrite the balance of power by itself, but it gives McInnes and his players real evidence that their plan works.

## McCoist Breakdown Pins Spot on Parkhead Confidence Stumble

McCoist stopped short of calling it a crisis, choosing his words carefully when asked what has gone wrong at Celtic.

His read is more specific, and arguably more useful for anyone trying to work out what happens next.

“It looks to me as if there’s a bit of a confidence issue, I’m not sure the word is crisis, but there’s a certain lack of confidence at this moment in time over at Celtic Park,” he said.

McCoist also pointed to the mentality behind the tactics at Ibrox Stadium, explaining that rattling the Celtic support was as much a target as the scoreline itself. “Getting the crowd to turn would have been Derek’s and the team’s objective. From Celtic’s point of view, I fully expect them to respond.”