In a season that once looked over, scottish premiership games have suddenly become a test of belief as much as points. Rangers were written off after their worst start to a league campaign in 47 years, but the picture has changed sharply under Danny Rohl. They now stand within reach of the summit, with the scale of their summer spending, the form they have built and the remaining fixtures combining to give this title race a different edge.
Why the title race matters now
Rangers are two points above Celtic and three behind leaders Hearts, with seven league matches left and only two before the split. That makes Saturday’s home meeting with Dundee United a pivotal moment. A win would take Rangers above Hearts on goal difference for at least 24 hours, shifting the pressure onto the leaders and onto Celtic, who also have to respond. In practical terms, the next round of scottish premiership games could redraw the top of the table again before the split even arrives.
The scale of the turnaround at Ibrox
The numbers behind Rangers’ recovery are stark. On October 5, a 1-1 draw at Falkirk left them eighth, 11 points behind Hearts and nine adrift of Celtic, after Russell Martin’s brief reign ended following seven matches. At that stage, many had already judged the summer signings and the title challenge as dead. Bookmakers had them at 11/1. Now, Rangers are chasing a first time back on top of the Premiership in 749 days, since Philippe Clement last took them there in February 2024.
That turnaround has not happened in a vacuum. Rohl has steadied players who had been struggling, including Emmanuel Fernandez and Youssef Chermiti, while January recruits have had a positive impact. The broader point, though, is that the climb has been powered by a very expensive rebuild. Rangers have spent £36 million in transfer fees this season, far more than Hearts’ £3 million and above Celtic’s roughly £13 million. In a league race this tight, that spending does not guarantee a title, but it does explain why Rangers are still in striking distance after such a poor start.
The £36 million factor and what it reveals
The financial gap matters because it changes the margin for error. Rangers’ new ownership structure, led by Andrew Cavenagh and 49ers Enterprises, has underwritten an aggressive summer outlay, and that investment is now part of the football argument. The point is not simply that money buys quality; it is that it can buy recovery time. When a team is 11 points off the pace, the ability to strengthen again in January and keep pushing through the spring becomes decisive.
That is why Rangers’ position in scottish premiership games now feels so different from where it stood in October. Their form over the past 10 matches is the best in the division, and that is the clearest sporting reason to treat their title chance seriously. If they get ahead at any stage in the run-in, the combination of momentum, confidence and squad depth could make them difficult to catch.
Expert reading of the run-in
Danny Rohl summed up the challenge in measured terms, saying: “When I arrived it was clear for me it’s a long way to go, a lot of games to play. ” That is the correct lens for the race. Nothing is decided by one weekend, even if the weekend can change the direction of the contest. Hearts must protect top spot while under pressure for the first time since September, and Celtic must keep themselves alive with results of their own. Rangers, meanwhile, have already proved they can close ground quickly.
The deeper strategic question is whether they can sustain the same intensity when the fixture pressure rises further. Their recent revival suggests the answer is yes, but that claim has to be tested in the next stretch of scottish premiership games, not assumed. The title race has moved from rescue mission to genuine contest.
Regional stakes and what comes next
This is no longer just a story about one club’s recovery. It is also about how quickly power can swing in a three-way race when momentum, spending and timing line up. Hearts have the cushion of the summit, but they now face the burden that comes with leading. Celtic, despite still being involved, are forced into reaction mode. Rangers, once dismissed, are now the side most likely to dictate the narrative if they win on Saturday.
For the league as a whole, that creates a run-in with higher tension and wider interest, because the balance at the top is being shaped by every result, every response and every goal difference swing. If Rangers do move above Hearts, even briefly, the psychological effect could be significant. And if they fail, the question becomes whether the comeback already peaked too soon. In the next scottish premiership games, that answer may finally begin to emerge.
