Lee Wallace: Parkhead pain has to be the driving force for Rangers improvement in the Premiership

Mark Warburton’s side were thumped 5-1 on Saturday as Celtic ran out comfortable winners in the first Old Firm clash this term.

Former Ibrox boss Ally McCoist claimed last week that the Gers are ‘two or three’ years away from being able to challenge for the top flight title.

Read more: Lee Wallace: It's time for Rangers to stick together and keep believing after Old Firm heartache

But Wallace knows Warburton’s side must get up to speed as quickly as possible after a nightmare afternoon in the East End.

He said: “I have to respect my old manager. He is much more inclined to make these comments than I am.

Read more: Chris Jack: History has shown us that the fan on the street is more powerful than the man in the boardroom in Scottish football

“I have been at the club for six years but only really tasted top flight action in the first one, when we all know what happened at the end of it. I’m just back involved now.

“I saw all the build-up with the legends of both clubs. Of course, you have to sit and you have to listen and you have to respect that, albeit that we want to do it a lot sooner than that. There is no doubt about that.

“Our manager just now will certainly share the belief that we want to do it a lot sooner than that.

“We will be working as hard as we can and using this disappointment. We never want to feel the pain we felt today ever again.

“We have to use that as motivation to get ourselves back going, to quickly move on and be better for today.”

Defeat on derby day leaves Rangers four points adrift of Celtic in the standings having played a game fewer than Brendan Rodgers’ side.

And captain Wallace knows the Light Blues have to up their game after a poor run that has put them on the back foot in the title race.

He said: “Our fans have a strong belief in what we do. They have, of course, shared our frustrations with these opening games. The fact we have not hit our levels yet.

“There have been spells at Dundee, spells at Kilmarnock. But spells aren’t good enough for us.

“At the tail end of last season, after the Celtic game, we did tail off. We know that.

“We haven’t got that back yet, which is the real disappointment.

“But we are working so hard to get there, working so hard to get that swagger back, that confidence.

“I saw elements of it last week, albeit in a testimonial. And it is disappointing that we couldn’t take it into this game, of course a much bigger game.

“But we are ready for any pressures, any criticism, any scrutiny we are going to get after this game.

“We are going to have to challenges ourselves, be brave and be better for it.”