Warbs There’s no gulf
Defiant Rangers boss Mark Warburton insists there’s NO gulf in class between his team and Celtic.
Despite a 5-1 loss in the first Old Firm game of the season at Pa rk he a d yesterday – Warburton quest ioned if he’d pick any of Celtic’s players for his own squad.
Brendan Rodgers’ men sealed an emphatic victory thank s to Mous s a Dembele’s hat- trick and goals from Scott Sinclair and Stuart Armstrong.
Rangers’ reply came from Joe Garner’s header but the Ibrox men were well beaten.
But Warburton said: “My job is to ask ‘ Who would I take from their squad and swap?’ And I don’t see a major gulf there.
“We got beat 5-1 so they have the bragging rights and
deserved to win – but there’s no major gulf between us.”
Warburton opted to start big-name summer signings Joey Barton and Niko Kranjcar at the expense of Andy Halliday in his engine room.
But the move backfired. Barton failed to influence the game while Kranjcar was hooked at half time.
Warburton said: “We gave Celtic a bit too much respect at times. Niko didn’t have a lot of time and they snapped at him.
“He was on a yellow and the crowd was baying for blood. I couldn’t take a risk so it was a tactical change.
“He was frustrated. He’ll find it disappointing for a player of his level.
“Our thought was always to give Nico a good hour today. We felt he could make an impact.
“It was a big decision to leave Andy out but he’d be the first to accept that it’s about the squad.
“He was excellent a year ago against Celtic but that was last season – it doesn’t work that way.
“As for Joey, every question seems to be about him. We’ve just lost 5-1 so how was every player?
“It’s about all the players, not one individual. But did we have the same swagger we had against Celtic at Hampden last season? Probably not.”
Warbur ton knows picking up just eight points out of 15 in the Premiership isn’t good enough but he refuses to accept that the title is Celtic’s already.
He said: “I’m obviously disappointed. We started the game fine and it was nip and tuck. But goals change games and they were poor ones to lose.
“We expected more than eight points at this stage – we’d like 12 or 13. But we’re still gelling. We’re only five games into the season. Judge us in May.”