The dust has settled and the game is now done. What were the key battles during the game at Ibrox on Saturday and was it just another day at the office for Celtic? Who stood out and who let themselves down? Let’s take a look!!
Saturday the 23rd September 2017 Ibrox Stadium Glasgow. All that Celtic had to do was turn up, collect the three points and return to the East End of Glasgow. It was that simple really. Or was it? The usual week’s hype was building this one up to be like McGregor v Mayweather all over again but was it a similar outcome in ways?
The seasoned Celtic side that know each other inside out were up against a Rangers side that had seven new players in their starting eleven on Saturday. My own opinion was that this game would pass those new players by, but in the first half at least, they done ok. The team from the South Side of Glasgow were doing their best McGregor impression with all the noises about the best squad etc from Brother Pedro but the seasoned Celtic, like Mayweather, put the vocal ones in their place.
Young Ross McCrorie who was deputising for Bruno Alves, done himself no harm at all with his performance at the back and the young man can hold his head up high. Pena on the other hand looked he was a fan who’d won a raffle to play in that game on Saturday. The guy looks out of shape and out of his depth.
With Pena running about like he was trying to find a Kebab shop before it shut, Scott Brown gave another masterclass in the middle of the park and the Captain never got out of second gear again. The movement from the Midfield was brilliant to watch but to their credit, Rangers managed to contain Celtic in the first half after it looked like we’d run riot again early doors.
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The only incident of note in the first half was a penalty claim by the home side. I’ve watched it back fifty times now and it was definitely a penalty. The reason it wasn’t given was probably because of Morelos’s theatrics after the knock. He reminded me of the guy from the poster from the “Platoon” movie. The whole stadium was looking out for the lone Sniper.
The second half was a different story. After a rocket from Brendan Rodgers, Celtic came out a different side. A goal from Tam “Zidane” Rogic after a mixup in the Rangers defense and after a lovely through ball by Paddy Roberts, Griffiths netted the second, the game then as a contest was well and truly over.
The complaints after the game from brother Pedro were about an alleged elbow by Scott Brown on Morelos. If the Portuguese Manager could somehow channel his own aggression into his own players then they might not get bullied as much on the pitch in these Glasgow derbies.
It ended up a comfortable day in the end at Ibrox with more possession than the 5-1 game. The difference was Celtic not hitting the onion bag as often. Celtic were profligate but won this easily in the end.
Griffiths and Brown managed to wind the home support up again. If Rangers can concentrate on the job in hand instead of worrying about Griff and Broony’s wind ups then they might have a chance when they come to Celtic Park in December right? I don’t think they’ll get a Christmas present from us…. Do you?