MARTIN O’NEILL can achieve something at Hampden this afternoon that proved outwith the capabilities of Brendan Rodgers – beat Rangers in 2025.
The former incumbent of the Celtic hot seat, who departed in dramatic circumstances at the beginning of the week, had four attempts to put one over Ibrox opposition this year and failed in each endeavour.
There have been two defeats and two draws in a bizarre sequence against three different managers.
It didn’t go according to plan for Rodgers two days into the new year as the unsuspecting champions walked into a three-goal ambush in Govan while the hand of Philippe Clement was on the Ibrox tiller.
I think it would be fair to say the Hoops performance that day was laced with alarming deficiencies that would have sobered up even the most vigorous Hogmanay reveller.
EXIT…Brendan Rodgers before his resignation on Monday.
Rodgers wrote off a mindbogglingly awful demonstration of rampant apathy among the ranks with the fairly bland summation: “It was not a very good performance. We made too many mistakes.”
If that wretched display came close to giving anyone of a Celtic persuasion a fit of the heebie-jeebies, then it had nothing on the next derby at Parkhead on March 16.
By this time, po-faced Belgian Clement had been ejected and Barry Ferguson, the club’s former captain and midfielder, installed in a caretaker capacity. The guy who couldn’t cut it at Alloa was accompanied by his pals Neil McCann and Billy Dodds on the touchline.
It was like watching a rerun of your worst nightmare as the visitors went in two goals ahead at the interval. That hadn’t been in the script. Goals from Daizen Maeda and Reo Hatate put a more acceptable complexion on proceedings and we sat back and waited for the inevitable third goal.
It arrived in the 88th minute. Unfortunately, for the hosts, it was from the right boot of Hamza Igamane following some comic cuts defending from the usually reliable duo of Cameron Carter-Vickers and Alastair Johnston.
THE EQUALISER…Adam Idah blasts the ball past Connor Barron as he makes it 1-1 at Ibrox.
Could it be possible Brendan had been hoodwinked by the masterful strategies of Wee Barry?
The only consolation was the fact the champions were 13 points clear at the Premiership pinnacle and the club’s fourth successive title had merely been delayed a week.
Surely, though, revenge must have been high on the agenda for the Irishman when he pitted his wits against the stand-in Govan gaffer on May 4. Once again, the hitherto unrecognised tactical genius of Wee Barry came to the fore with the home team going in at half-time a goal to the good, courtesy of a strike from Cyriel Dessers.
The Hoops had lifted the crown the previous week with a stirring five-goal triumph over Dundee United at Tannadice, but pride was at stake in Govan and, mercifully, Adam Idah claimed the equaliser.
Disturbingly, Brendan Rodgers will never experience the sensation of putting one over Wee Barry.
Russell Martin was the man in charge at Ibrox on August 31 after the temporary team chief had been told “thanks but no thanks” by the new American owners.
The wobbling hosts were still shell-shocked after a midweek 6-0 thumping from Club Brugge to hurtle out of the Champions League on the back of a 9-1 aggregate doing.
PENSIVE…Martin O’Neill before kick-off in the 4-0 midweek win over Falkirk.
Celtic hadn’t exactly covered themselves in glory with their powderpuff attempts to manoeuvre a safe passage through the Kairat Almaty booby trap, but, even after that catastrophic and costly outcome, I thought it was an open goal in Govan for Brendan and the Bhoys.
Once again, I was proved wrong. The slow-motion encounter, with moments of imagination as rare as hen’s teeth, dithered its way to a tedious scoreless stalemate.
Rodgers may well have been looking forward to Hampden today and righting the wrongs at the fifth time of asking. That opportunity has gone.
The baton has now been passed onto Martin O’Neill.
Memo to the charismatic Irishman: Please put me – and countless others at home and worldwide – out of our misery and remind us all what it is like to celebrate a derby victory. I am aware you have some previous.
ALEX GORDON
*DON’T miss the unbeatable match report and best in action images from Celtic v Rangers this afternoon – only in your champion CQN.
