Lambo’s amazed over Old Firm gulf

PAUL LAMBERT said he was amazed at the gulf that now existed between Celtic and Rangers.

The former Parkhead title-winning skipper made his observation after watching Celtic ease to a comfortable 2-0 win in yesterday’s Old Firm Hampden showdown.

And he reckons it will take years for Pedro Caixinha’s team to match their Glasgow rivals on and off the pitch.

He said: “Even I am surprised by how big the gulf is between the teams now. I think it will be a number of years before that gulf is bridged.”

Lambert praised Celtic’s winning mentality for bringing Brendan Rodgers to within one game of a historic Treble when they face off against Aberdeen in the final on May 27.

He said: “I think they are used to winning. They have treated every game the season whether it a league game or a cup semi-final. For me the two best teams in the country are in the final.”

He admitted being less than impressed by Gers as they allowed Celtic to dominate the game, especially first half.

But he warned Celtic to expect a different Rangers when the sides clash on league duty this weekend.

The former Scotland star told Sky Sports: “I think they were poor. They started poorly at the back, no pressure on the ball and gave Celtic too much freedom.

“To beat Celtic you need to be in their face and hard to beat, Rangers weren’t. They changed the shape and they were better.

“Rangers didn’t turn up. Fans will have been expecting a lot more than they but they just didn’t show up. It showed in the first half, they were nowhere near Celtic.”

“I don’t think they’ll sit off next time, I don’t think they’ll allow Celtic to pass the ball like that.

“I can guarantee they won’t play like that [today]. They will have to be on the front foot. Rangers will have to get in their faces and make it the derby that it is – not pretty, these games are all about winning.”