Motherwell manager Mark McGhee believes the Scottish Premier League title is again a two-horse race between the Old Firm after his side's Wednesday defeat.
"Now that they are six points ahead of us with two games in hand, we are never going to catch Rangers," he said after the 3-1 loss to the Ibrox side.
McGhee had hoped that his team could at least separate Celtic and Rangers.
But he said: "I think we would be kidding ourselves on. The rest of us are now playing for third spot."
Motherwell remain third but are now six points adrift of Rangers and a further two behind leaders Celtic, who have played two more games than their Glasgow rivals.
But McGhee praised his players for their performance against Walter Smith's side, the result having flattered the team sitting second.
"This is a difficult window to make any signings that are going to really make a contribution"
"We needed to win, or at least, not get beaten," said McGhee.
"They will win one of those games, so for us to win three more games than Rangers between now and the end of the season is unlikely."
Meanwhile, McGhee says he needs half a dozen new faces to bolster his own ranks.
"By the start of next season, I would like to have signed six players," he said.
"The January window is a bit of a myth. People are saying to me maybe I could get people on loan.
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"If anybody knows any players who are good enough to get into my team that I can get on loan, would they please phone me and tell me? Because there aren't players out there just sitting on shelves waiting to be plucked.
"This is a difficult window to make any signings that are going to really make a contribution unless you pay over the odds and we are not in a position to do that.
"We will try to make some signings, but whether we will or not remains to be seen."
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