Barrie McKay claimed Rangers could have dished out a derby “doing” to Celtic and insists they must now do everything to avoid only a third Old Firm whitewash in half a century.
The Light Blues fell a staggering 19 points behind their bitter rivals – who still have a game in hand – and five-in-a-row champions after a 2-1 Hogmanay defeat at Ibrox.
It was Rangers’ third loss in a row against the Hoops this season and ended a 15-month unbeaten run at Ibrox but McKay is adamant the gap between the Glasgow giants isn’t as big as the league table suggests.
And McKay believes Mark Warburton’s men – who took the lead through Kenny Miller before Moussa Dembele and Scott Sinclair netted for the visitors – could even have reversed the 5-1 hammering at Parkhead from earlier in the season if they’d taken their chances.
Asked about the gulf the winger – who impressed for Gers despite the defeat – said “I don’t think it is as big as people make out. If we took our chances we could have given them a doing.
“They took their chances in the last league game and obviously scored five. If we had taken our chances this time and kept them at bay we could have done the same to them.”
Record Sport columnist Chris Sutton scored a last-gasp winner as Celtic beat their bitter rivals five times out of five in 2003-04 and that was only the second Old Firm whitewash in 50 years after Rangers managed it in 1963-64.
After three defeats to Celtic this season – two in the Scottish Premiership and the Betfred Cup semi-final at Hampden – and with at least two Old Firm games to come McKay doesn’t want it to happen again.
Asked about the prospect, the 22-year-old said: “We definitely don’t want that to happen. The fans want to see us beat them so it up to us as players to deliver that. They turn in up numbers and go to away games in numbers.
“We proved on Saturday we can match them and if we had taken our chances it could have been a different game. We have got a great squad and a lot of great talents in the team.”
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Gers vlogger Jonny McFarlane’s Old Firm verdict