Paul Lambert floats Rangers worse case scenario for Michael Beale and lays out Celtic route to total dominance

Rangers boss Michael Beale goes into Saturday’s clash with Celtic at Parkhead with an astonishing 90 per cent win ratio since taking over from Gio van Bronckhorst before Christmas.

But former Celtic star Paul Lambert warns him that his record won’t protect him if he loses. There have already been protests from sections of the support due to the club’s failure to catch the runaway league leaders, who have beaten their closest rivals 4-0 and 3-0 at home in the last 14 months. Lambert insists that – even with his impressive start at Ibrox – Beale can’t afford another demolition derby, especially with a Scottish Cup semi-final against Ange Postecoglou’s side looming at the end of the month.

The ex-Celt said: “Michael has come in and won 18 games out of his first 20, winning one and losing one. That’s a great start for any boss but his defeat was against Rangers in the League Cup Final and the draw was against them at home, when they failed to reduce their nine-point lead.

“That’s his marker. It’s all very well beating Hibs, Aberdeen and Motherwell but Celtic will also win against them – and probably by more goals. I was at the League Cup Final and, looking at this Rangers team, they have a long, long way to go before they can think about catching Celtic.”

That nine-point gap was there when Beale returned to Glasgow but the goal difference has increased as the league leaders have been blowing teams away during Rangers’ wins under the Londoner. Lambert knows how to turn the tables in Old Firm battles. He had been part of the Celtic teams who lagged behind Dick Advocaat’s Rangers until Martin O’Neill arrived in 2000 to turn things around.

“I remember Martin always used to say, ‘Rangers are the benchmark – they’re the