Rangers manager Steven Gerrard has delivered his verdict on the first Old Firm derby of the season, saying that if that was Celtic’s best then he’s happy with his team’s second half display.
Olivier Ntcham’s second half strike was enough to settle the derby in the champion’s favour, but Gerrard was encouraged by how his team dealt with Celtic in the second period.
“I was pleased we came out in the second half and gave a better account of ourselves in terms of making the game a contest and showing what we were about and it was even stevens,” he told the Daily Record. “Next time it [Old Firm] comes around we’ll have been together a lot longer and we’ll be a better team.
“Brendan said they were excellent on the day. Celtic players seemed as if they were really happy about how they played. If that’s Celtic’s best, I am satisfied with how it looked second half, but there is certainly a lot for us to work on before getting ready for the next fixture,” he said.
OPINION
Gerrard’s assertion that his Rangers team weren’t far off Celtic was understandable in the immediate aftermath of the Old Firm game earlier this month, but rather less so now. The Ibrox outfit were second best throughout, and just because they performed better in the second half doesn’t mean they ever looked like beating the Hoops. Rangers have improved under Gerrard, and they showed that on occasion at Parkhead, but Brendan Rodgers’s side were clearly the better team from start to finish. For Gerrard to continue to say that his team weren’t far off is slightly baffling. Clearly he wasn’t too impressed with Celtic, but he should know having watched the game that his team were thoroughly outplayed. He’s probably just trying to encourage his players and the fanbase, but it just sounds like sour grapes at this point. There’s no doubt that Gers will be better the next time they meet the champions, but for now Gerrard needs to admit that his team were second best.