SPFL boss gives very candid answer as he is asked to compare the top two

David Martindale has debunked one of the great myths of the Scottish media that the two Glasgow sides are almost on entity.

While the two clubs have shared the top two places for the last five years only a fool would fail to notice that at present both teams are in very different stages of their evolution.

Although they reached the final of the Europa League last season there is a very obvious feeling of a team that has peaked and is now on a downward spiral as their Champions League results reflect.

Under Ange Postecoglou Celtic have been reborn with almost a whole new tam playing with confidence and coming up with goals from a variety of positions on the park.

Martindale came under fire from some for being overly familiar with some Ibrox players at the start of the season but after playing each club in successive weeks he is well placed to appreciate that Celtic are a far more formidable prospect.

The Livingston boss told the Daily Record:

Celtic (are the difference), at this point time. I am not going to say are a far better team than Rangers, they are in a far better place as a team, in terms of momentum and confidence.

I think the league is Celtic’s to lose, I think we were coming up against a better opponent, I don’t mean that disrespectful to Rangers, I think we were coming up against a different opponent today.

I knew that coming into the game. Last week going to Ibrox I genuinely felt we could take something from the game. I knew we needed a little bit of luck at times to stay in the game, a lot of different variables, it’s a big ask.

The difference between the two games? Celtic’s the difference. They are in a really good place as a club, they are the best team in the league at this point of time, they are the team to stop, basically Celtic were the difference today.

Celtic restored their four point lead with today’s win, their 11^th in 12 SPFL Premiership fixtures.