Shocking from Celtic, dead rubber delight for theRangers and a shameful home support | OneFootball

Absolutely unacceptable. Both the players and manager should be having a long hard look at themselves this evening…

Brendan Rodgers, Manager of Celtic, looks on prior to the SPL Premier League match between Rangers FC and Celtic FC at Ibrox Stadium on January 02, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Well where do you start? For some this was seen as a certain victory, but as we know football doesn’t always work like that. Yes it was a dead rubber and the last time we had one of those in a Glasgow Derby.

Michael Beale’s theRangers got the better of Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic side by the same 3-0 scoreline. As far as the outcome of the title goes that, as today, had no bearing on the destination of the title.

Today the Celtic players were bullied from start to finish, our players weren’t up for it, and motivated theRangers were  much better on the day and thoroughly deserved their victory, as we crashed to our first loss of the domestic campaign.

Nicolas Kuhn of Celtic battles for possession with Jefte of theRangers during the SPL Premier League match between at Ibrox on January 02, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

It was a totally unacceptable performance and the players looked should be embarrassed by their effort, or perhaps lack of it.

I’m sure Brendan Rodgers will be holding an inquest into the capitulation of his players who were well off it from the first to the last whistle. And of course Brendan himself is not blameless either, and he should be taking a look at himself considering it wasn’t exactly a secret the way the Ibrox club would approach the game after the recent Premier Sports cup final win.

Ianis Hagi of theRangers and Alistair Johnston of Celtic battle for a header during the SPL Premier League match at Ibrox on January 02, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

The problem for theRangers is that they have discovered a way to play against Celtic but that doesn’t work against any other side in the Scottish Premiership and remember that they had dropped five points from six – and it should have been six from six – playing away at St Mirren and Motherwell.

Arne Engels hit by coins at Ibrox

Today’s result isn’t a dent in Celtic’s title aspirations, but it’s still a sore one to lose to our bitter rivals in that fashion. Brendan Rodgers needs to look carefully at Clement’s tactics which worried Celtic enough in the cup final to earn the Ibrox outfit a shot at the trophy in the penalty shoot-out. Today it got theRangers three points and gave their Belgian boss a stay of execution. But dead rubber success is never enough as Michael Beale could tell you.

On to the next game as they say, and hopefully a major improvement on what we witnessed today. Over to you Brendan.

Match Referee, Don Robertson removes an object from the pitch after it was thrown towards and hit Arne Engels of Celtic during the SPL Premier League match between theRangers and Celtic at Ibrox on January 02, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

And of course Celtic at Ibrox seldom these days passes without incident with yet another occurrence of violent assault towards our club with this time Arne Engels behind struck by coins while getting set to take a corner kick. This is latest in a long line of incidents that have so far all gone unpunished by the Scottish FA.

Enough is enough and hopefully Michael Nicholson is preparing his own statement on this.

Match commander gathers evidence against theRangers thugs

UPDATE: Celtic Spokesperson has stated this evening: “We understand that Police Scotland are currently investigating two separate incidents. The repeated targeting of our players and staff with missiles is quite appalling and completely unacceptable”.

The 2nd issue is apparently around missiles thrown at Brendan Rodgers and the Celtic dugout in a match that theRangers were on top and won 3-0.

Here’s Brendan Rodgers’ post match thoughts while speaking to Celtic TV.

Brendan Rodgers, Manager of Celtic, arrives at the stadium prior to the SPL Premier League match between Rangers FC and Celtic FC at Ibrox Stadium on January 02, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

“We made too many mistakes with the ball,” the Celtic manager admitted. “We’re normally precise and crisp with our passing and get through the pitch well, but we were so loose, even under no pressure, kicking the ball out, misplacing passes, giving it away to easy, and that obviously culminates in the first goal.

“I thought we started the first few minutes how we wanted to, pressuring them in their half, but then we gave away a really disappointing goal, which gives the stadium a lift and gives their players a lift because they haven’t beaten us in such a long time. So they’ve then got something to hang on to.

“We weren’t very good with the ball. We lacked aggression, we lacked the quality with it and it’s something we need to analyse and look at, and be better.

Brendan Rodgers, Manager of Celtic looks on following the SPL Premier League match between Rangers FC and Celtic FC at Ibrox on January 02, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

“It’s a disappointing game but thankfully we have a quick game to come afterwards,” he said, “but we need to analyse today because that wasn’t what we would want in a performance level.

“I didn’t feel after the first half that we could be any worse in the second half. I’m not sure it improved so much, if I’m honest. I’ve been behind here before so I know what it’s like to come back, but we didn’t show anywhere near enough in order to do that, so we just have to accept it and then look to be better come the weekend.”

Just an Ordinary Bhoy

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