NACHO NOVO last night accused Artur Boruc of displaying a lack of respect to football after the Polish goalkeeper declined the offer of a handshake from Barry Ferguson, David Weir and Lee McCulloch at the final whistle of yesterday's Old Firm game.

He is not the first nor will he be the last player to refuse to shake hands at the end of a meeting between the two Glasgow giants, but the episode - coupled with the nine-two scoreline in terms of names cautioned in referee Mike McCurry's notebook - only emphasised how Celtic had let Rangers knock them off their stride.

To paraphrase Gordon Strachan afterwards, even he felt his team - and particularly his newer players - would have been best advised to spend less time getting mad, and more time getting even.

"I think that was a disrespect to football," the Spaniard said last night, after Rangers' biggest Old Firm win in seven years, "although it doesn't bother me now, because at the end of the day we have three points, and I enjoyed myself for the winner."

Boruc is no debutante, and in fact has previous in this fixture - including a police caution for a gesture to the Rangers fans, and taking a flag out of the Celtic end after defeat on the last Old Firm game of last season - but it was interesting afterwards to note how Strachan felt his Old Firm virgins had suffered in comparison to their counterparts. Celtic had named just three - none of whom, in the form of Scott Brown, Scott McDonald or Massimo Donati - can hardly be accused of being too wet behind the ears.

By the end Rangers had used five more, with Strachan committing his side to some more work addressing their shortcomings in "close contact" situations for the next meeting between the two teams on January 2.

"I think that one or two were surprised by the nature of the game," Strachan said afterwards. "So maybe we didn't explain that enough to them, although I'm sure we did mention it to them that it might get a bit tasty.

"I think that if you are angry, then tackle harder, run faster, jump higher, score a goal and make yourself feel better. So maybe we didn't channel it the right way. It is a lesson to the guys who have never played in an Old Firm match. We had chances but never took them. In close contact they were better than us as well."

Novo, of course, had no shortage of reasons to channel his energies in an a more productive manner. His two goals yesterday came on his first league start for two months, just days before Barcelona arrive in Govan and, if anything sums up his eagerness to make an impression it was the sight of him grabbing the ball from Charlie Adam's hands and forcing Barry Ferguson to intervene to allow him to score his second from the penalty spot.

Then, of course, there is the small matter of his own contract, which expires in the summer, with the club putting off a decision on his future until January. In fact, if Kris Boyd - left out of the 18-man squad - was yesterday's fall guy, the little striker afterwards compared the feeling he had when he learned he would be returning to first-team action against Celtic to the way he had done prior to Livorno last season, when he played and scored in an Uefa Cup win.

"I was quite surprised when I heard I was in. I got the feeling I got the before the game when Le Guen brought me in against Livorno," Novo said.

"I was quite nervous, thinking I could take my chance, excited and trying to go well. In the last few weeks I have not been on the bench, but you need to be thinking of the team. The gaffer is doing a great job because it is not easy to keep everybody happy, but you need to keep your head down.

"Maybe some people are saying I am only just playing for a new contract but that doesn't bother me because I am an honest player," he added. "Six years ago, I was playing in the third division, so this is the best thing which as happened in my career to be playing for Rangers in the Champions League.

"Playing against Barcelona would mean a lot to me. They are obviously a big team and a Spanish team as well, so all the time you love to play against teams from your home country. Me, Carlos and every player in the changing rooms would love to be on the pitch against such a massive club."

If there was a predictable lack of tiredness from Scotland call-offs Scott Brown and Alan Hutton, Barcelona on Tuesday will be the third massive game in seven days for Barry Ferguson, despite him playing through a thigh problem sustained in the first half.

"Tiredness doesn't come into it," Ferguson said. "These games look after themselves."

Having lost their last three games to Smith - by ever increasing 1-0, 2-0, 3-0 scorelines - it is Strachan who feels his team must look after themselves a bit better this morning.