They say a week is a long time in football, that’s especially true when the next Celtic game is still 7 days away!
We’re also almost one week on from last Sunday’s Glasgow Derby. So, it’s time for some reflection.
How Bad Were We? How Good Were They?
This is the proverbial $64,000 question, which incidentally would probably buy you about half a billion Rangers shares at current market value.
We didn’t turn up, but then again, we didn’t turn up in December either. Some would say we also woefully underperformed in the League Cup Final, before winning on penalties. So, clearly, there’s more to this than just Celtic being poor.
A Tale of Two Rangers
As for Rangers, well their form on the park has fluctuated even more than their share price this season. To their credit, they’ve achieved a series of decent results in Europe and beaten us twice in the league. Thankfully, in between those games they’ve had a string of utterly embarrassing domestic results meaning we are still far ahead of them in the league, and they’re also no longer an obstacle to us winning the Scottish Cup.
They do seem to have a knack for over-performing against Celtic, and indeed other clubs who play a similar style of football to us in The Europa League.
Celtic Failed to Deal with High Press
Ironically, one of the biggest weapons in Rangers’ arsenal against us this season has been a tactic that previous Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou made his signature, the high press.
Our defence like to pass out from the back, and our midfielders like to take their time on the ball and pick out probing passes. Rangers didn’t allow us to do either last weekend. That was perhaps the key to their victory, as it was in January too. Put simply, they didn’t allow us any time to settle.
Celtic Need to Adapt to Glasgow Derby
One defeat can be written off as a blip. Indeed, that was my honest assessment after the new year game. However, we’ve now lost two games against Rangers and in quite similar circumstances.
Clearly something needs to change at Celtic. The tactics that win us most games in Scotland, and a fair few in Europe, don’t seem to work against this Rangers team.
Lacking Physicality?
The question of physically in the Celtic midfield, or the perceived lack thereof, is an issue that’s come up a few times, and not just in Glasgow Derby matches either.
For a long time now, fans have been crying out for a midfield “destroyer” type in the Victor Wanyama mold. Personally, I don’t think Celtic have ever truly replaced Scott Brown in this regard, though Aaron Mooy was a capable deputy for a time.
Recent transfer rumors linking Celtic with possible moves for Guingamp’s Kalidou Sidibe, an imposing 6”4 French defensive midfielder and possibly even a returning Kristoffer Ajer, suggest moves are already underway at Celtic to remedy this situation.
A Question of Attitude
A wider concern is, were Celtic just over-confident. Did we believe our own hype? Yes, I too am guilty of this. I predicted we’d win either 3-0 or 5-0 and that hubris has come back to bite me.
Professional footballers shouldn’t be subject to such complacency though. However, it is a human trait, and as much as we love our idols, at the end of the day they are human beings and as prone to such mistakes as you or I.
What I hope is that this result is the final “kick up the rear” that Celtic’s squad and indeed our board need to shake of any misconceptions that we are the finished article.
What Does it all Mean in the End? We’ll Probably Win the League a Few Days Later
We can be thankful that our achievements elsewhere this season have ensured that our results against Rangers ultimately don’t matter. We will win the league by double digits, and the treble remains very much on.
But this can’t continue into next season. I hope serious consideration is going on at all levels within Celtic Park right now as to how we stop this rot, and ensure it’s a long, long time before any more Rangers fans have reason to let off fireworks inside Celtic Park again.