Rangers prove Chris Sutton’s harsh comments spot on in Celtic defeat

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Rangers players showed they simply weren’t at Celtic’s level.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers with Rangers manager Pedro Caixinha before the match

Former Celtic striker and pundit Chris Sutton had harsh words for Rangers ahead of their semi-final clash – but the Gers dismal display did nothing to prove him wrong.

Sutton likened Rangers to an ‘old banger’, who new boss Pedro Caixinha had been attempting to restore in recent weeks.

He told the Daily Record: “Caixinha has to talk his team up but Rangers fans shouldn’t be fooled as they were after that false dawn.

“It’s fundamentally the same group of players. Rangers were like an unreliable old banger under Mark Warburton. Pedro has come in and serviced it, spray painted it and put a Rolls Royce badge on it.

“It is looking good and making all the right noises with Pedro as the driver but it is still an old banger and could start falling apart in the coming weeks or early next season.”

Too good

Sutton may have taken glee in his mocking analysis of Celtic’s bitter rivals, but he was spot on.

Rangers could try dozens of managers and systems with this squad of players and end up with the same result.

Rangers’ Myles Beerman in action with Celtic’s Patrick Roberts

This is the fourth win for Celtic out of five matches this season, with the Gers scraping a 1-1 draw at Ibrox last month under Graeme Murty courtesy of a last minute goal.

Until Rangers overhaul their squad, they will continue to be a step behind their rivals, and this summer is crucially important. At present they are an ‘old banger’ in terms of players. There simply isn’t enough quality in there.

Brendan Rodgers took Celtic to another level with his transfer moves last summer. Pedro Caixinha needs to be given the chance to do the same this time around.

In time, Rangers can get to where they want to be. The big problem will be that Celtic will not be intent on standing still this summer.

They will want to kick on and build a squad capable of challenging in the Champions League, and have the finances to leave Rangers even further behind if they get it right.