Rangers not running scared of Celtic, says Martyn Waghorn

Rangers striker Martyn Waghorn insists there is no fear factor gripping Ibrox as his side prepare for this season's final attempt at shooting down Celtic.

The Old Firm adversaries have gone to battle five times already this term but the best the Light Blues have managed was last month's 1-1 draw at Parkhead.

The other four clashes have been relatively straightforward triumphs for Brendan Rodgers' rampant Hoops, with the most recent - Sunday's 2-0 victory in the William Hill Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden - another example of the growing gulf separating the teams.

With their bitter rivals sprinting towards not only a treble but also an undefeated Ladbrokes Premiership campaign, Gers have every reason to fear yet another derby encounter.

But Waghorn insists Pedro Caixinha's men will run out in Govan believing they are the team who will finally halt Celtic's 42-game streak without loss.

Asked if beating Rodgers' men was starting to feel like an impossible task, the Englishman said: "If you think like that it will become that. It will be in the back of your mind the whole time.

"The thing about this team is that we have a lot of big personalities, a lot of big characters.

"We're all disappointed from the weekend but we can use that the right way.

"We're going into Saturday in front of 50,000 at Ibrox, it's the last Old Firm of the season and we've got a point to prove. It's set up to be, hopefully, a good game.

"I understand we've not won against Celtic yet this season.

"But there is always going to be a time and there is always going to be someone who is going to beat them and you have to be positive going into these big games."

If Caixinha's team are to get anything at all from this weekend's clash, they will have to put the visitors under more scruitiny than they managed at the National Stadium last week.

The Portuguese coach sent his team out with instructions to pressurise Mikael Lustig and Scott Brown in the hope of forcing mistakes that could open up opportunities to counter-attack.

But frontmen Waghorn, Kenny Miller and Joe Garner never got anywhere near close enough to the Hoops duo, leaving their team to watch on as Celtic cantered to victory.

The stinging reviews from pundits and supporters which followed have spared few of the players nor the manager, but Waghorn is keen to make amends.

"Last weekend was difficult and hard to take but one of the positives is that we have another Old Firm game so soon after and it gives us the chance to rectify our mistakes," said the former Sunderland, Leicester and Wigan hitman.

"You have to try and avoid the critcism but if you do see it, deal with it. That's part and parcel of playing up here. I've had it before and it's important you try not to let it affect you too much.

"We just need to get on with our jobs. What's important is what the manager and my team-mates think.

"It's been hard because you never want to lose these games. When you feel like you've come up short a bit it is hard to speak to the fans.

"I'm my own worst critic. I don't even speak to myself after a defeat never mind other people.

"That's part and parcel of the game but we've worked hard this week. We've had meetings, we've learned from last week and we're going to take that into Saturday's game.

"We knew the gameplan and knew what had to happen. It was just that Celtic exploited the areas better than we probably thought they would.

"That's what happens when you play a top side and you're one or two yards out of position. They hurt you.

"We have learned from that. We adjusted that in the second half at Hampden. We got in amongst them better. Now it's important we build on that and take it into Saturday's game.

"In these big games anything can happen at any time. You have to stay in, stay in touch and when the chance comes you have to take it.

"It's been a good week of training and we are all excited for Saturday, if you are not excited for these games then you are in the wrong sport.

"You don't need any motivation for Saturday, at home in front of the fans, and we will be getting at them."

• superscoreboard