Kenny Miller has expressed his dismay at the current disparity between Celtic and Rangers, admitting that it “hurts” to see the Hoops so far ahead of their rivals.

Miller, who is now coaching in the UAE with Ronny Deila, attributed Rangers’ struggles to poor decisions at various levels of the club, contrasting sharply with Celtic’s assertive moves in the transfer market and their strong start to the season.

Celtic have kicked off their campaign flawlessly, including a decisive victory in the Glasgow Derby, which has left Rangers reeling and already five points behind in the league standings.

Miller highlighted Celtic’s aggressive investment in the squad, citing the recent signings of players like Arne Engels, Adam Idah and Auston Trusty for substantial fees, which he sees as a clear demonstration of Celtic’s financial muscle and ambition.

Reflecting on the broader management issues at Rangers, Miller criticized the club’s recruitment strategy and the lack of immediate impact signings, stressing the need for starting quality players rather than projects or squad depth. He lamented the constant state of catch-up Rangers finds themselves in, urging the club to find a way to improve and regain competitiveness.

“I don’t think the team or the club are in a great way. It’s not been a great start to the season. It was the worst time to get that Old Firm game,” he said, quite by Record Sport. 

“If you lose that then you’ve got two weeks of chat that people need to fill and they are all going to be talking about that last result. Unfortunately for Rangers at the moment, Celtic are moving away. That’s my genuine opinion and it hurts me to say it.

“When you look at the last couple of days of the transfer window, Celtic just flexed their muscles. They spent £11m then another £6m on the lad Auston Trusty as well. And then they are on the bench for the game they are already winning 3-0 in, and by the way, it could have been more.

“They flexed their muscles at that moment and unfortunately from the top down, there’s been mistakes made (at Rangers). Whether it be people in certain important positions, it then leads to more bad decisions because they are maybe not the right person for that role. Again, recruitment is massive. It’s been talked about for the last three seasons. It’s not to say it’s not going to come good, but it needs to be good now.

“When Michael Beale did his recruitment last year it didn’t look great. He obviously then loses his job and now Philippe’s come in and the recruitment’s been done again. It was clear to everybody that Rangers needed at least six starting footballers, not projects or squad players. We need to hit the ground running now. There’s not a lot that’s gone right over the first few months of the season. When you’re five points behind after just four games, it’s not a great look. Nothing is won or lost in August or September, but you’re five points back. It looks like a long way back.

“Everything needs to improve and you need to find a way to claw it back again but it just seems like this is what we are always talking about. Even at this stage last season, we were seven points back early doors and Rangers are just having to play catch up an awful lot. Sometimes you need to just roll your sleeves up and start improving and that’s probably where the fans are feeling a bit frustrated at the moment.

“I hate this term ‘the gap’. It’s not about that for me. Celtic look like they are moving in a certain direction and we’re not really moving forward. Whether it be off-the-field stuff or recruitment in the team, improvements have stalled a wee bit whereas Celtic look like they are moving in the one direction. I never thought I’d see Celtic or Rangers spend £11m on one player. I think Odsonne Edouard was the highest before that. I just thought they’ll never spend that, and then they go and spend it.”

Simply put, Celtic set the standards, and Rangers have to try their very best to catch up. But, if you’re always playing catch up, you’ll never be in front.

Celtic are so strong on and off the pitch currently, it’s hard to see their dominance coming to an end anytime soon.