Martin O'Neill slates 'poorest Rangers side' as Graeme Souness told Celtic ARE a class above

Martin O'Neill insists the current Rangers side is the POOREST version of an Ibrox team he's seen in years.

Celtic continued their complete and utter dominance of Scottish football by clinching three-in-a-row with a thumping 5-0 win at Rugby Park on Wednesday night. The latest triumph means the Hoops have now been crowned champions in 12 of the last 13 years - with Gers winning just one championship since 2011.

O'Neill was in the Parkhead stands on Saturday as Celts swept aside their bitter rivals to end Philippe Clement's faint dreams of leading Rangers to a Treble. And the Northern Irishman delivered a scathing assessment of what he witnessed from the Light Blues as he rubbished Graeme Souness' claims that "there’s not a lot between" the Glasgow giants.

He told talkSPORT: "I think there is a gulf. I'm sorry I have to dispute this with Graeme. Rangers were desperately poor, really, really poor the other day in a game that was very important for them. They could have been out of sight by half-time, [John] Lundstram gets himself sent off - absolutely ridiculous [challenge]. That's as poor a Rangers side that I've seen in years - that's my view. The side that Rangers had in the year 2000/01 would have beaten this Rangers side about 6-0.

"I think there is a genuine difference, there's no question about it. I think there is quite obviously a gulf at this minute. And Rangers have to do something about it. Rangers need better players, it's as simple as that."