“SHAMBLES; Billy Dodds and Michael Stewart in disagreement after Rangers debacle

“SHAMBLES; Billy Dodds and Michael Stewart in disagreement after Rangers debacle

Billy Dodds and Michael Stewart have clashed over Rangers’ chances of winning the William Hill Premiership title this season.

Dodds, a former Rangers striker, believes there’s still quiet optimism within the club that they can chase down Hearts despite sitting 12 points behind the league leaders.

The Light Blues’ recent 3-1 victory over Dundee on 9 November marked their third consecutive league win — the first time they’ve achieved such a run this campaign under manager Danny Rohl.

Hearts, meanwhile, have enjoyed a strong start under Derek McInnes, who has transformed the Edinburgh side into genuine title contenders.

Divided opinions on Rangers’ title hopes

While Dodds still sees a potential title race, former Manchester United midfielder Michael Stewart isn’t convinced.

Speaking on the Scottish Football Podcast (10 November), Stewart said that discussions about the title are missing the bigger picture — namely, Rangers’ steady progress under Rohl since his appointment at Ibrox.

“I don’t think Rangers will win the title,” Stewart said. “But you have to focus less on whether they’ll win it and more on how far they’ve come from the chaos that was happening before. There’s no question there’s been an improvement.”

Dodds, however, remains hopeful: “I think in the building they’ll be saying to themselves, ‘we’re still in this’. But they’ve still got a lot of problems to fix.”

Hearts have dropped points in recent weeks, giving both Rangers and Celtic a small window of opportunity to close the gap at the top.

Rohl expected to push for January reinforcements

Looking ahead, Danny Rohl is likely to press the club’s hierarchy for new signings in the January transfer window. With American investors now overseeing the club, sporting director Kevin Thelwell faces growing scrutiny over his recruitment decisions.

Despite spending around £20 million in the summer, Rangers’ performances have been inconsistent — leading many to question whether further investment is needed to strengthen the squad.

Hearts may be in a strong position now, but it’s a long season. If Rangers can build momentum and take advantage of any slip-ups, there’s still a chance — however slim — that they could reignite the title race in the months ahead.