BUBBLE BUSTERS
Gerrard brought back down to earth as Celtic hit back
IN TWO spells as manager of Celtic, Neil Lennon has savoured big wins over Rangers at Ibrox before. Few, if any, would have felt more satisfying than this.
Two weeks ago, a Champions League qualifying defeat by Cluj prompted ludicrous knee-jerk calls from some Celtic supporters for a change of manager.
In response, the Northern Irishman delivered europa League football by leading his team to a 4-1 win over AIK in Stockholm, took a pin to the bubble of hype surrounding Steven Gerrard’s unbeaten Rangers and delivered a rebuke to the media who had treated him and his team as an ‘after-thought’ before the game.
‘It was an outstanding performance,’ said Lennon. ‘ everyone had written us off but we came here and gave a masterclass in how to perform in an away derby game.
‘The mentality of the team was outstanding. We came here as underdogs but we put down a marker.’
It’s too early to dismiss Rangers’ title challenge. Nevertheless, this was a sobering brush with reality for the Ibrox supporters, players and former club captains who had fuelled a narrative of Rangers as the coming men, Celtic a fading force.
Celtic’s record £9million signing Odsonne edouard, 20, now looks likely to command a healthy profit.
The Frenchman contributed a sublime first-half strike on 32 minutes, his fifth goal in the fixture, and lead the line brilliantly.
Lennon described this as a ‘perfect performance’, defying those who expected the deficiencies of Scott Brown, Christopher Jullien, hatem Abd elhamed and Boli Bolingoli to be exposed.
As Rangers pressed for a late equaliser, Celtic rubbed salt in the wound. A clinical breakaway during six minutes of stoppage time ended with substitute Jonny hayes claiming his first goal in a Glasgow derby.
Rangers substitute Jordan Jones lost his head completely during added time, wiping out Celtic substitute Moritz Bauer on the touchline. It was a ridiculous, red-card challenge born of frustration and Gerrard looked far from impressed.
Afterwards he warned the player he faces a fight to get back into the team when he returns from suspension and added: ‘Our performance collectively and individually wasn’t good enough to win a derby. I’m part of that so I’ll take as much responsibility as comes my way.’
eyebrows had been raised by Gerrard’s line-up. The omission of Thursday’s europa League hero
Alfredo Morelos — who got the tie’s only goal against Legia Warsaw — for Jermain Defoe had a certain logic given the Colombian’s tendency to blow up in this fixture. Starting without a winger didn’t really work.
Celtic were perceived to be vulnerable in the full back areas and central defence, where midfielder Nir Bitton deputised for the injured kris Ajer before limping off. Yet it took 57 minutes for Rangers to give Fraser Forster a save to make — a damning state of affairs.
By then they were already chasing the game after a dreadful Connor Goldson pass on the edge of his own area had gifted Celtic an opening on 32 minutes.
Mikey Johnston justified the decision to keep him in the team by surging towards the home defence before picking out the run of Edouard.
The Frenchman kept his composure to slide an angled effort under Allan McGregor for 1-0.
Referee Bobby Madden kept his cards in his pocket when Callum McGregor escaped sanction for a wild swipe on Scott Arfield as play raged on.
Ryan Jack should certainly have seen red for a studs-high sliding challenge on Bolingoli.
As he had to, Gerrard changed things. On-loan Liverpool winger Sheyi Ojo replaced defensive midfielder Glenn kamara at half-time and Rangers had more intensity. What they lacked was quality.
A dinked Steven Davis ball presented Ojo with a shooting chance which was pushed around a post by Forster. When the inevitable chant went up for Morelos after an hour, Gerrard decided to give the people what they wanted.
But it took a superb double save from Rangers goalkeeper McGregor to prevent the game slipping away completely when Abd Elhamed and Jullien shot from close range.
At the very time when the home side needed the next goal, Celtic looked the more likely to score. So it proved when a swift, clinical breakaway saw Edouard and Olivier Ntcham combine deftly to send Hayes in on goal. McGregor saved his first attempt, but couldn’t save his second.
First blood to Celtic.