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Daily Record
Daily Record
Sport
Graeme Young

Charlie Nicholas claims Celtic vs Rangers is better without 'smug' Neil Lennon as he makes frank confession

Pundit Charlie Nicholas has saluted Gio van Bronckhorst and Ange Postecoglou's warm embrace in the wake of Sunday's draw between Celtic and Rangers.

And the former Parkhead star claims Scottish football's marquee fixture is all the better without Neil Lennon 's "smugness or anger."

Postecoglou and Van Bronckhorst congratulated each other in the immediate aftermath of Sunday's 1-1 draw with the pair exchanging pleasantries.

And the 60-year-old sees the Australian just like a pair of Celtic 's most beloved managers in the way he goes about his business.

Speaking to the Express, he said: "What I did appreciate at the end of the Celtic v Rangers match was two coaches who showed each other great respect by shaking hands and embracing on the pitch.

"Ange Postecoglou looked like a proper Celtic manager, it was like a Jock Stein or Tommy Burns scenario.

"Giovanni van Bronckhorst also deserves enormous credit. Even their comments after the game, especially Ange's, were great.

"There was none of that stuff of old with Neil Lennon's smugness or anger.

"I loved the humility, representing clubs who are wholehearted all in."

Nicholas has been a vocal advocate of Postecoglou but not at expense of van Bronckhorst and his Rangers side who are 90 minutes away from a Europa League Final.

The former Soccer Saturday pundit admits it's a big ask for the Ibrox side but he's not ruling them out against RB Leipzig.

He added: "Given their midweek Euro exertions, Rangers should have been the more tired team at the end on Sunday, but they actually finished the game stronger - and that was despite going into the game without a recognised centre-forward.

"That should give them hope going into Thursday's semi-final.

"And if Aaron Ramsey and Kemar Roofe are fit enough to come back into the team after injury that would give them a helluva chance.

"But they need to be a lot better on the ball than they were in the first leg in Germany. And when they do have possession, James Tavernier and Borna Barisic need to get as high as they can to create the ammunition for their team.

"I still fancy RB Leipzig to progress but you can't write off this Rangers team."

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