Rangers boss Pedro Caixinha: 'We gave Celtic too much respect'

Rangers manager Pedro Caixinha has claimed that his players gave Celtic "too much respect" during their 2-0 defeat to the Hoops in the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup.

The Portuguese said that he altered his gameplan for the Old Firm derby at Hampden Park upon the advice of his assistant Helder Baptista, but was disappointed with the way his charges approached the game.

"By respecting the opponent we dropped off too much. It wasn't what we prepared during the week," BBC Sport quotes Caixinha as saying.

"Helder came to me just at the end of the warm-up and told me 'please, in your speech, don't be so tough. They need to feel a little bit more freedom.

"When you don't feel that freedom you don't enjoy and you don't perform the way you need to.

"We were a little bit 'blocked' and if you're blocked - even if you have the best organisation and the best ideas - you can't perform."

Celtic, who won the match courtesy of goals from Callum McGregor and Scott Sinclair, will face Aberdeen in the final next month.