23.06.2017 17:44 h

Griffiths slams 'ludicrous' Rangers jibe at Celtic

Leigh Griffiths said claims by Rangers chairman Dave King that Celtic were not as far ahead of their Glasgow rivals as they could be were "ludicrous".

Celtic went through the whole of their 47-game domestic season unbeaten last term as they completed a first treble since 2001.

The campaign ended with Celtic a huge 39 points ahead of Rangers, still dealing with the fall-out from financial problems that saw them demoted to the bottom tier of Scottish football before they climbed back up through the leagues to the elite Premiership.

Nevertheless King, who has provided Rangers manager Pedro Caixinha with funds to bring in eight new players ahead of the news season, was reported by several newspapers as saying: "Given that we were in the wilderness for four years, I don't think Celtic did as much in that four years as they could have done.

"We are clearly behind them squad-wise but I really would expect to give them a run."

But Celtic striker Griffiths, speaking at Friday's fixture launch, said: "What was the gulf, 30-odd points? How big does he expect it to be?

"They were touting at the start of this year that they were going to win the league and this and that. Joey Barton was coming up to be the best player in Scotland.

"He only lasted a few months. The first game they got hammered 5-1, they got hammered 5-1 in the last game of the season. The gulf couldn't be any bigger.

"They will be trying this season to bridge the gap but for (King) to come out and say we should be further ahead is ludicrous really.

"Thirty-odd points is mad and if you said to somebody at the start of last season that Rangers would finish that far behind, they'd be raging.

"We just want to concentrate on our job and that is to defend that title."

Celtic will begin their bid for a seventh straight Scottish title at home to Hearts on August 5.

The first Old Firm clash of the season will see Celtic travel to Rangers' Ibrox ground on September 23.