FORMER Rangers midfielder Barry Ferguson says he cannot get his head around the criticism that some Celtic players face from their own support.

The likes of Scott Brown, Greg Taylor and James Forrest have attracted the ire of fans at stages this season, leaving Ferguson flummoxed.

Speaking to Go Radio, the Ibrox hero argued it was unrealistic for supporters to expect stellar performances week in, week out from each member of Neil Lennon's starting XI.

And Ferguson singled out the criticism faced by Forrest as particularly confusing, insisting that even though the 29-year-old "isn't everyone's cup of tea", he remains one of Lennon's "top performers".

The Herald:

He said: "I can't believe the criticism some of the players get from Celtic fans.

"James Forrest, look, I know he's not everybody's cup of tea but, for me, he's still one of the top performers.

"Just look at his stats, his goals. I think he's played over 400 games for Celtic.

"Listen, I know he's not flying every week - but what footballer is?"