The Kennedy assassination
Celtic coach’s theory about his Bhoys being the best in country is gunned down by rampant Rangers
SURELY there’s absolutely no debate now over who are the top dogs.
Steven Gerrard hasn’t just caught Celtic. He has motored past his misfiring rivals.
And, as Rangers moved to within just three games of a dazzling domestic Double, they are now seriously pulling away from their badly slowing rivals.
Steven Davis’ acrobatic overhead kick and Jonjoe Kenny’s own goal maintained their current dominance of Glasgow.
Gerrard and his high-flying troops have instigated a hugely significant momentum shift in the city’s balance of power. For the first time in 10 years, Rangers have it.
Any notion Celtic were going to waltz into Ibrox and start ripping it back was dismissed as John Kennedy’s disillusioned team wasted various chances to land a blow.
Borna Barisic felt the interim boss’ claims that the Hoops were still the best team in the country were a joke.
And Rangers were laughing again yesterday as they slammed the tin lid on their rivals’ miserable season.
After Gerrard’s team took their title, they have taken Celtic’s 21-match unbeaten record in the competition and the Scottish Cup off them.
It was another nightmare for Celts, now defeated four times in the last five games against their rivals. The tide has turned and it will need a managerial change to turn it back.
Ibrox was typical of their season. Plenty of the ball, not ruthless enough in either box. Not good enough when it counted.
Golden opportunities missed by Stephen Welsh, Odsonne Edouard and Mohamed Elyounoussi.
A weak penalty in the final stages from the Frenchman saved by Allan McGregor at one end. Unconvincing at the other as Davis and Ryan Kent delivered the blows.
Celtic can point to making enough chances to win but, really, it doesn’t matter. Ifs and maybes don’t count. No one cares in Glasgow.
It’s about doing the damage and, this season, Rangers are the ones who can have kept inflicting it. It’s about winning.
New CEO Dominic McKay starts his new job at Parkhead today and getting the right manager in place is a matter of great urgency.
Rangers, however, don’t have that problem. They’ve already got the right person at the helm.
It’s Gerrard’s season. His team have been clinical.
When they’ve had a sniff to punish, they’ve ruthlessly grasped it.
When they’ve made mistakes, as they did in this one, they weren’t punished or they had their magnificent keeper to do his job and stave off trouble.
This is already a magical term for the gaffer and his boys. It seems hard to think after stopping the 10 that joy could be heightened around Ibrox, yet with this key hurdle overcome it might just happen.
Two teams. One season. Encapsulated in 90 minutes.
It took less than 10 of them for Gerrard’s winners to keep their momentum rolling with the brilliant Davis opener.
Rangers were grateful for ref Bobby Madden’s shrewd decision to play advantage after Welsh clattered Kent, who had spun superbly clear of Scott Brown to start making progress after Callum McGregor lost the ball.
Joe Aribo stepped for a shot which was blocked into the air by Kristoffer Ajer. As the spinning ball dropped out of the sky, Davis’ technique was sublime as he defied his 36 years to crash a terrific overhead kick beyond Scott Bain. It was a brilliant finish. Already dealt one pre-match blow with James Forrest being ruled out, Celtic had to respond to another. They had a first flurry after the opener but failed to do anything with it.
Edouard’s strike was beaten away by McGregor and Ryan Christie also dragged a shot wide.
Hoops ace McGregor smashed a deflected drive just over the bar before a golden chance was missed by Welsh.
The defender somehow managed to knock the ball the wrong way just six yards out from David Turnbull’s delightful centre, although he wasn’t helped by a little tug from Filip Helander in the act.
With Ajer’s rebound blocked and
Christie having another one flicked just over, it was a sequence which produced nothing and the champions gave a lesson in being clinical to double their lead.
Nathan Patterson’s brilliant run ended with him hitting the side-net but Kent didn’t miss at the near post when Aribo’s magic gave him a sniff.
Digeo Laxalt was picked ahead of Greg Taylor at left-back for Celtic. It was a bad choice and the Uruguayan was destroyed by the Nigerian’s blurring feet before a driven cross.
Kent got across Kenny and forced his marker to flick past a startled Bain.
Kennedy removed the toiling Laxalt for Taylor for the restart and his team then wasted a host of chances.
Turnbull’s strike within 20 seconds of the restart that McGregor saved was the first of plenty of openings with a glaring miss before the hour next from Edouard.
Elyounoussi did superbly to produce a strike which McGregor managed to push into the air. Edouard just had to get the dropping ball on target but he lashed over.
Elyounoussi’s heavy touch in a great position in the box – after being set up by Edouard – allowed McGregor to smother before a finale which told the whole story. Madden awarded
Celtic a penalty for Aribo’s push on sub Leigh Griffiths but the Frenchman lacked conviction from 12 yards.
McGregor launched himself to his right to save.
Big opportunities not taken with an inability to keep the ball out are ingredients for a miserable mix which Celtic are having to gulp right now. Rangers, though, are just drinking in their success.
One team lacking conviction. The other doing all the right things to be winners. The country’s dominant force. And no debate.