Rangers defender Connor Goldson has mocked the gap between his side and Celtic.
The former Brighton defender had his first taste of the Old Firm yesterday at Celtic Park. Despite only losing by one goal in a narrow 1-0 defeat, it was the performance that infuriated supporters.
A lack of bite and tenacity from the midfield as well as a desire to sit deep allowed Celtic total control. It was poor performance in Rangers’ biggest match of the season.
Goldson, however, refutes the idea his side didn’t play well. Stating that he was “proud” of the performance at Parkhead, the centre-back then mocked the idea of a big gap between the Old Firm sides.
Speaking to the press after the match, Goldson stated that the difference in the sides isn’t what people perceive it to be.
MORE RANGERS STORIES
I thought they were going to be like Barcelona. I am not just saying that. There was such a downer in our football club about how big the gap had become it was like some of our players, who are maybe not here anymore, were looking at them like they were nowhere near catchable. I am not going to say they are not a good team. They are a good team and we respect them. But we are getting closer and the players the manager has brought in have been together for two, three months. We will get closer.
A Golden display
Goldson was one of few to come out of Celtic Park with his head held high. Putting in a terrific shift alongside Nikola Katic, the centre-back limited Celtic to few openings throughout the contest.
But his verdict on the game is an odd one to say the least. If Goldson and his team-mates were so confident of the gap being narrow, why was the approach so negative at Celtic Park for so long?
Brendan Rodgers’ side do have players who can hurt on the counter, and even scored from one. But Rangers could’ve done a lot more to hurt Celtic down the flanks.
Instead, the Gers often just booted the ball back up the pitch and straight back to their rivals, particularly in the first 45.
When Rangers got at them after Olivier Ntcham’s goal, there was a desire to get right back into the game. Rangers finally started to show how Celtic could be hurt, particularly by exploiting Mikael Lustig’s side.
But in truth, Goldson and his men should’ve been more positive from the start. Rangers allowed Celtic to dictate the tempo, and ultimately paid the price for it.