Sunday’s Scottish Cup semi-final between Celtic and Rangers at Hampden Park merely highlighted the huge gulf in class that currently exists between the two fierce rivals.

Celtic cruised to a comfortable 4-0 victory and, in the process, booked their place in next month’s final against Motherwell.

Goals from Tom Rogic and Callum McGregor put Celtic 2-0 up at half-time. Rangers were then reduced to 10 men shortly after the break when Ross McCrorie was shown a straight red card.

Brendan Rodgers’ men then added gloss to the scoreline by scoring two second-half penalties.

Moussa Dembele converted from the spot in the 52nd minute before Olivier Ntcham also found the back of the net from 12 years in the closing stages of the match.

It later emerged that it kicked off inside the Rangers dressing room after the match.

Kenny Miller and Lee Wallace have both been suspended by the Scottish giants and may never play for the club again.

John Hartson drops truth bomb on Rangers' players

Former Celtic striker John Hartson has now come out and delivered a truth bomb about the performance of Rangers’ players, who seemed to show more fight in the dressing room than they did out on the pitch.

“Rangers were battered. It could have been seven or eight,” Hartson is quoted as saying by the Express. “It’s an Old Firm game. It was embarrassing. They showed no desire. They didn’t get close to them, they didn’t even close down, it was as if they were in awe. They were just sitting back.

“Rangers beat Celtic on penalties a couple of years ago when Ronny Deila was the manager and they never let Celtic settle for one second.

“From the first whistle they were right in their faces, up against them. They showed everything that day – hard work, commitment – and they got the result. There was none of that at the weekend. I was sitting back thinking, ‘Is this a testimonial?’."

'Rangers players need to look at themselves'

“Celtic were bumping it to each other and no-one laid a glove on Scott Brown,” he continued. “The performance was shocking. The Rangers players need to go away and look at themselves. They play for a big club.

“The fans want better than that and Graeme Murty wants better than that.

“You can point to decisions and having rows but players have to go and play.

“I knew my role and responsibility when it was an Old Firm game and what it meant to the fans – it is everything to them.

“When you pull that blue shirt on for Rangers you are playing for the badge, you are playing for the fans, you are playing for your family.”

Hartson backs Murty after players turned on him

Hartson also believes that people - certain Rangers players included - are wrong to pin the blame on manager Graeme Murty.

“They showed nothing and they’ve got a lot to answer for,” he added. “It’s easy to point the blame at Murty and say he’s inexperienced and picked the wrong team but that’s nonsense.

“It’s the players. I wouldn’t go as far as to say they are not good enough but they couldn’t deal with the crowd or the pressure. They were not psychologically tough enough, no character.

“None of them turned up and that’s the problem. They have to look at themselves.”

And Hartson also reckons that Rangers’ decision to suspend Miller and Wallace indicates the club have confidence in the inexperienced Murty, who turned 43 in November.

“I don’t know what happened with Murty. I don’t know if it’s been physical or verbals,” Hartson concluded. “If it’s a senior player with the manager, do you expect that?

“If they’ve sided with Graeme Murty then somebody on the board must like him. Somebody must be backing him.

“Murty has obviously gone to the board of directors and the chairman and said, ‘Look, I want this boy out’. It’s his decisions.

“That tells me Graeme Murty might not be out in the summer.

“People are saying Rangers are looking for a new manager but he might be stronger there than people think.”