Rangers and Celtic just got another nod in the never-ending debate over football’s fiercest rivalries.

Some well-known pundits down in England have been weighing in, trying to settle the question of which derby tops them all. Roy Keane and Jamie Carragher, for example, sat down on The Overlap to share their picks. The Old Firm Rangers vs Celtic came up fast. Everyone knows their meetings in Glasgow are some of the most intense in world football, and you can tell the folks south of the border get how much it means when those two meet in the Premiership.

Ian Wright went with the North London derby, his old team Arsenal against Spurs, right out of the gate. Jill Scott gave a shout-out to Sunderland vs Newcastle. But Carragher didn’t hesitate, insisting nothing matches the atmosphere of Rangers vs Celtic. You can almost hear the crowd just thinking about it.

And Roy Keane? He jumped in and said it’s Celtic vs Rangers, especially when both are pushing for the top. Ange Postecoglou, who’s managed both Celtic and Tottenham, backed the Old Firm too, even as Gary Neville turned the spotlight back to North London, or Sunderland vs Newcastle. Still, a bunch of the panel agreed: Old Firm day is the one you don’t want to miss.

Right now, Rangers sit second in the league with Livingston up next on Sunday. Their manager, Danny Rohl, sounded upbeat: “We just need to keep it up, one game at a time. Last week’s win over Hearts was a great statement. The training the next day was sharp; guys who didn’t play were still fired up. It’s one of the first normal weeks since I arrived, so we’re keeping the intensity but also letting the players recharge. We’re ready for Sunday, but these games demand full focus. We have to win, simple as that; otherwise, last week means nothing.”

Celtic, meanwhile, is gearing up to face Hibs. They’re in third and looking to close the gap at the top. Martin O’Neill looked back at his earlier meetings with Hibs: “It’s always a tough game. We faced them early in my first spell, and they really gave us trouble. They just beat St Mirren and played very well against Hearts too, so we have to be prepared.”

Midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain added, “Playing at home, in front of your fans, it’s always special. You get that little edge. Every game’s a chance, but you really have to make the most of home fixtures. That’s where you need to lock down all three points, because away games only get harder.”

That was some debut for Vitor Pereira as Nottingham Forest’s new boss. After three managers came and went, maybe the fourth time really is the charm.

Pereira didn’t get an easy start, either. Fenerbahce away in a high-stakes Europa League play-off? That’s a baptism by fire. He’s the fourth man in the hot seat this season, stepping in after Forest sent Sean Dyche packing.

Funny thing is, people said the same things about Dyche when he took over. He steadied the team right away, especially after Ange Postecoglou left things in a mess. Dyche brought back the basics: tight defence and no-nonsense football. And honestly, it worked for a bit, just like it did under Nuno Espirito Santo.

But then the wheels started to come off. Forest looked like they were steering straight for relegation with Dyche in charge.

Marinakis, the owner, decided Pereira was the man to avoid disaster. First job: survive Fenerbahçe away. No one expected it to be easy.

Forest actually started well. They kept the ball, used it smartly, and looked sharp. Pereira made a bold call starting two quick wingers, Omari Hutchinson and Callum Hudson-Odoi, with Morgan Gibbs-White playing just behind Igor Jesus, who’s been unstoppable in the Europa League.

It paid off. Gibbs-White and Jesus linked up for Forest’s second goal after Murillo rampaged forward and finally smashed the ball past Ederson (yes, that Ederson). Jesus barely had to do anything for his seventh Europa League goal in as many games, thanks to a wild headed assist from Gibbs-White – a move you don’t usually get from your playmaker, twisting at the front post and somehow finding the Brazilian.

Then Gibbs-White scored himself in the second half. 3-0 in Istanbul. Forest has one foot in the last 16 already.

Now, let’s be honest, Fenerbahçe aren’t exactly European giants. They haven’t won their league in ages. But with a midfield of Kante, Guendouzi, and Talisca? Semedo and Asensio on the flanks? Is Domenico Tedesco in charge? On paper, they should’ve put up a real fight.

Instead, they were just… awful. Shockingly bad. Honestly, they looked as poor as Qarabag did yesterday.

Forest could’ve slipped up or failed to take advantage, but they didn’t. They bossed the match from start to finish. Never in doubt.

So yeah, it’s a great start for Pereira. But we’ve seen this before. Dyche’s first game looked good, too. We’re not getting carried away just yet.

And let’s be real about Dyche; people call him a firefighter, but how many relegation scraps has he actually won? One with Everton, if you count last season, though most thought they’d survive anyway. He got sacked by Burnley before the end of their last relegation battle, and they went down the season before that, too.

Pereira’s got a better record. He took over Wolves when they were 19th in the Premier League, nine points from 16 games, basically dead and buried. Four months later, they were safe, 12 points clear, and had beaten Manchester United twice. Not bad.

Things eventually went south for him at Wolves, but Forest still saw enough to hand him the keys to their burning house or, if you prefer, the sinking ship. This is the same club that sacked Nuno, hired Ange, then Dyche, so logic isn’t really their thing, but here we are.

Maybe the fourth manager will finally get it right. Forest were excellent against Fenerbahçe and look set for the Europa League last 16. If they keep playing like this, the chaos might finally pay off.