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Daily Record
Daily Record
Sport
Mark Pirie

Neil McCann in blistering Rangers defence as combined Celtic XI claim receives spiky on air response

Unimpressed Neil McCann has shut down claims that NO Rangers player would make it into a combined XI with Celtic despite a slump in form for Gio van Bronckhorst's side.

It's been a tough period for the Ibrox side having slumped to three consecutive defeats to Celtic, Ajax and Napoli with 11 goals shipped by The Light Blues ahead of their clash with Scottish Premiership strugglers Dundee United. Meanwhile, Ange Postecoglou's men have surged five points clear at the top of the table and claimed their first point of the Champions League group stage in midweek against Shakhtar Donesk.

The contrasting early season fortunes between the two sides sparked a debate on BBC Sportsound if any Rangers player would manage to make it into the Celtic starting line-up. Former Rangers star McCann wouldn't accept any takes that no player from the Ibrox dressing room would make the cut for an Old Firm select team.

When comments previously made on Sportsound that no Rangers player could get into the Celtic team, McCann said: "You're telling me James Tavernier couldn't? What is the quote, are you talking about now or are you talking about ever?"

It was then explained that fellow pundit Tom English had meant on current form after the 3-0 defeat to Napoli, before McCann continued: "Right well we are talking about current form, about an Old Firm select shall we say. They are not doing what they are good at right now. Against Ajax and against Celtic their application levels were questioned. They are not doing what their coaches are telling them to do, it's nothing to do with ability.

"If you are not at it you are not sharp, you take longer than a split second to make a decision. Celtic players are not even thinking about it right now. Sometimes it's instinctive. So many of those players are doing it on instinct. This is a Rangers team playing with a lack of confidence, harmony and rhythm. Giovanni is changing players, over and over, to try and find a formula and form.

'That will come by winning games. Once these players are firing then players have to really work to get into that side, or it's a change over tactically like what Ange Postecoglou is doing. I disagree totally with anyone who says none of this Rangers team could get into the Celtic team. Rubbish."

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