There was only one show in town in Scottish
football last weekend and it took place at a Celtic Park where the latest derby
match was played out to a capacity crowd. Like a soap opera we’re all addicted to,
60,000 Celtic fans trooped along to watch the next instalment of a grudge that has
now spanned three different centuries and, according to many has involved three
different clubs. Celtic’s grip on the Scottish Premiership trophy has shown no
signs of slackening under the astute guidance of a man they said would be ‘gone
by Christmas’ in his first season.
The remarkable high standards Ange Postecoglou
has set for Celtic has seen his fast-evolving side move from losing 3 of their
first 6 league matches, to losing only 1 of the subsequent 63 SPFL games played
since. Celtic’s surprise loss at St Mirren in September 2022 remains the side’s
only league defeat since September 2021 when they lost at Livingston.
Postecoglou’s side sat in 6th position with 9 points from 6 matches
after that match and the amiable Aussie was clear about what needed to change
when he said…
"Our front third play was poor, it
was probably the poorest it's been all year. We've obviously had some issues
defensively, but I just thought today in the front half we were terrible. That
was everybody, not just the strikers or the attacking players, we lacked a real
conviction in going forward to be positive. That falls on me to get it
right."
Postecoglou’s team line up that day makes
interesting reading: Hart, Welsh, Bolingoli, Carter Vickers, Juranovic,
Turnbull, McCarthy, Rogic, Jota, Abada and Ajeti. Only three of that starting
eleven would begin the derby match last Saturday as Postecoglou’s rebuild of
Celtic has kicked in. His side at Livingston 18 months ago couldn’t score
despite having 80% possession of the ball and this is in marked contrast to his
side scoring three goals with 55% possession against the country’s second-best
side at the weekend. That cutting edge is what makes all the difference in
tough matches. In Kyogo Furuhashi they
have a naturally gifted striker who uses pace and movement to harass defenders
and to get into goal scoring positions. Weighing in at under ten stones, Kyogo
isn’t interested in arm wrestling the muscular defenders of Scottish football,
preferring to use his brains and pace to find space in the box. His 5 goals in
his last 3 matches with Rangers suggest he remains Celtic’s main threat in
games against them this season.
In truth it was an odd match on Saturday
with a below par Celtic struggling to land the killer punch against opponents
who knew they were drinking in the last chance saloon. Rangers were typically ungracious
in defeat and lashed out at officiating, demanding an explanation from the SFA
as to why Alfredo Morelos had a goal chopped off in the match. It seems clear
that the corpulent Columbian pushed Celtic defender Alistair Johnston in the
lead up to the ‘goal.’ He got away with a similar offence in this season’s
League Cup Final when he pushed Aaron Mooy, but this time his luck was out.
The referee did not have his finest match
but decisions went against both sides, a fact which seems lost on fans of the
losing side. No action was taken against Ben Davis for a dangerous off the ball
assault on Kyogo which VAR inexplicably ignored. Rangers players threw
themselves to the ground repeatedly looking for free kicks or cards against
Celtic players. Any fair reflection on the match would find that Celtic just
edged it on chances and that the away side didn’t do enough to win. It must be
a worry that they can play well against a below par Celtic and still end up on
the losing side.
A tiny, but infinitely more sinister,
element among the Rangers fan base proceeded to send threats and abuse to the
referee, to the extent of publishing his contact details online. Much as we
carp and moan about the standard of officiating, there is no justification for
such behaviour. Without referees we have no game. It is up to the police to
deal with the brain donors responsible. Our media, of course, played the old
both sides as bad as each other card by declaring ‘Police probe Old Firm Ref
abuse.’ Let’s be clear, this abuse came from one side; a side which has long
had issues dealing with defeat.
Michael Stewart, former player and now TV
Pundit said on social media, ‘Rangers sense of entitlement is incredible.
Writing letters demanding explanations and apologies for one perceived mistake.
I must have missed the other clubs’ numerous letters this season. St Johnstone
must surely have done it after the game at Ibrox?’ It is precisely that
sense of entitlement which will cause a major meltdown should Celtic defeat
Rangers in the cup semi-final at the end of the month and end their season.
With three wins and a draw in four
matches with the Ibrox club this season already and a striker with more derby
goals in the past 4 months than the much-lauded Morelos has managed in six
years, there is every chance that could happen. I for one, would be delighted
if it does but it will need to be earned. We are entitled to nothing and must
earn our days of glory. Others, it seems, have still to learn that lesson.
