Michael Beale insists that Rangers have outperformed Celtic in Europe in recent seasons.

The Ibrox club reached the Europa League final under the leadership of Giovanni van Bronckhorst last season before they registered the worst Champions League group stage record ever this term.

The achievements were contrasting but watching on from afar Beale insists that Celtic were equally as poor during their Champions League group stage campaign.

The Hoops only managed two draws against Shakhtar Donetsk as they failed to beat Real Madrid and RB Leipzig.

Asked if Rangers are currently the chasing team in the Glasgow rivalry, Beale conceded: "I would agree. At this moment in time we can’t expect anything because the last couple of games in that fixture have not got anywhere near what we wanted.

"So how do you get that back? Well that takes time. You can’t just click your fingers and say ‘remember that time where we won there?’ and everyone falls back into it.

"It takes time to build that up. It certainly took us a couple of years to build it up. I think where we are now is really disappointing compared to where we were sat a year ago in all fairness, in the domestic game.

"The European side, we’ve outperformed them because we reached a European final and didn’t we both bomb out of Europe? I didn’t think one was much better than the other.

"The perception maybe because of the interviews that were taken after the games by the respective coaches. Maybe one was a bit more honest and the other was staying on the positive.

"I think not all is broken around here. I’ve just got to get to work."

Despite this, Beale was full of admiration for the work Ange Postecoglou has conducted across the city since he joined Celtic.

He added: "They have momentum haven’t they? I think Ange talks hugely positive. He came in, he rode the wave of where we were and just got down to his work.

"He’s seen the fruits of his labour. I’ve got to go on that journey and I want that journey to be very short.

"But the one thing is I’ve got to start moving towards the identity we want to move in. I think if everyone is fit and available - you start talking about Hagi, Lawrence, Roofe, Sakala, Morelos, Kent, Wright, Tillman, Colak - there’s enough in the building.

"We’ve just got to get them on the pitch playing together with a smile on their face and expecting nothing but grabbing and taking everything."

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