Mark Warburton hits out at Rangers criticism in wake of Celtic defeat

Rangers boss Mark Warburton claims the media's negative comments on his side's Old Firm defeat have left him feeling depressed.

The Ibrox manager is still stinging from last weekend's 5-1 mauling by Celtic, but he has also been angered by some of the criticism aimed his way in the wake of that Parkhead defeat.

Speaking at his pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday's Ladbrokes Premiership clash with Ross County, the former Brentford boss accused the media of casting a cloud of doom over the game in Scotland.

He said: I felt some of the comments were inappropriate. The whole media aspect up here is so negative. I'm an Englishman working in Scotland and I find it depressing that some of the comments, some of the programmes on TV, are so negative.

"Well I'd rather have a positive outlook. I'm not going to say you enjoy losing but I'd rather have a positive outlook on football than a negative one.

"Too many aspects of the Scottish media are negative and it would be good for everybody in the game if there was a little bit positivity when the situation arises.

"I'm told it's part of the culture. I can't understand it.

Celtic's derby stroll has handed them a four-point cushion over their Glasgow rivals with a game in hand.

But Warburton insists he and his team will be able to bounce back.

"I'm not understating the importance of the result but no-one has died," he said. "We've got to get on with it.

"People keep asking me if I'm okay. Of course we're okay. We are professionals. The result hurt so many people, none more so than us, but we have to get on with it."

And Warburton stressed there will be no knee-jerk reaction to his side's nightmare at Celtic Park.

Asked if he would consider changing his attacking philosophy, he joked: "We didn't really attack that well on Saturday so that philosophy didn't work.

"We lost a game on Saturday but it's not a reason to reconstruct the whole programme. Far from it.

"It's a job in progress. We're five games in. Judge us at the end of the season."

Brendan Rodger's Hoops had just 72 hours to lap up their win before they themselves suffered a bruising 7-0 drubbing from red-hot Barcelona in the Champions League.

Given his own side's weekend failings, Warburton was in no mood to eulogise on where that result leaves Scottish football's international standing but did offer sympathy to his Hoops counterpart and the scheduling they faced before taking on one of the strongest attacking forces the game has ever known.

"It's not for me to talk about another Glasgow team or another SPFL team," he said. "But the story there should be how intense was the Old Firm game.

"Celtic and Rangers had a very intense match at Parkhead, it took a lot out of both teams. They then have to travel to Spain and play one of the best teams in the world, who are smarting from a 2-1 home defeat to Alaves, a team who for the first time in 140-odd days have Neymar, Messi and Suarez back together again. You couldn't get more pieces going wrong.

"I'm the Rangers manager but anyone in football will tell you that's a horrible equation coming together. Within two minutes you saw how good they can be and thought as a neutral, that's going to be a long night.

"It's a tough place to go at the best of times without the other pieces coming together."