Ray Parlour earns Rangers slapdown from Mark Hateley as Arsenal legend set straight over Euro swipe

Mark Hateley defended Rangers’ recent European record during a radio debate with fellow Englishman and Arsenal legend Ray Parlour - as the Ibrox hero also refuted a claim by Alan Brazil about Saturday’s Old Firm derby.

During the talkSPORT breakfast show, Hateley was invited on to discuss the huge top of the table Scottish Premiership clash at Celtic Park this weekend. However, Parlour chipped in by pointing to Greek side Olympiacos reaching the Europa Conference League final against Fiorentina after they hammered English Premier League outfit Aston Villa over two legs.

The former England international asked why why the Old Firm haven’t performed better at that level but Hateley was quick to slapdown the Gunners' hero. Hateley let him know Rangers reached the final of the Europa League just two years ago under Giovanni van Bronckhorst and also reached the last-16 the previous season where they lost to Slavia Prague.

Parlour said: “We were talking earlier about Olympiacos being in the final of the Europa Conference League, beating Aston Villa, and I’m amazed that Celtic and Rangers don’t have really good runs in Europe at that sort of level because they’ve got the history over the years.”

Hateley said: “I don't think you can aim that at Rangers over the last three of four years because we’ve been to a final, quarter finals and last-16s and all that sort of stuff so we’ve been there or thereabouts.”

Moving onto Saturday’s clash and Brazil then spoke of Rangers’ slow start in the last Old Firm derby when they were a goal down after 21 seconds and conceded a second before half-time. They fought back and the epic game eventually ended 3-3.

Celtic-daft Brazil said: “Rangers were murder in that first half. If I was manager of Rangers I’d be telling them to get at Celtic from the first whistle. If they sit back then Celtic will batter, I’m sure they will.”

But Hateley said: “I disagree with what you’ve said there. Rangers are better geared up to play away from home. That’s why they've done so well in Europe over the past two or three seasons.

"They’ve been defensively very good and possibly one of Britain’s best goalkeepers in Jack Butland. He’s been outstanding this season. Where Celtic have done well is in exposing the weakness - as you would do - of Rangers’ defending. They did that at Ibrox when bang, bang they were 2-0 up on the right hand side - behind our top goalscorer James Tavernier. As a striker you look for weaknesses in defence and that’s what happened in that first half.”

They then discussed the standard of the league this season with Hateley agreeing with Brazil it has declined. Hateley: “It’s an indictment on the league when you see the level it’s gone down this season and the teams that are chasing. Both teams have probably conceded more goals than in the past two or three seasons. They are good going forward from midfield and forward but just jump back to the last game - the 3-3 - and that backs everything up.

“But it’s great having a back four and keeping clean sheets but clean sheets don’t win you games - it keeps you in games. Goals win you games and we don’t have enough goalscorer in the team at the moment. It’s a striker’s game because you get a few chances.

"I came from European football where it was more technical and the Milan Derby or Monaco derby against Marseille. As Walter always said, in the first 15 minutes if any of my midfield players put their foot on the ball they won’t be on on the park long! Just help the ball on. Over the top of the back four, get them turned round and get them pushed up the park and win the second ball up there. It’s not rocket science in trying to take the game to a team.”