Celtic outclassed what could simultaneously be both the worst Rangers** team in past 20 years and the best in the next 20 years.
**If they survive.
Goals win games but on so many occasions in the 124 year history of these games brave tackles are equally important and it was an exceptional tackle from Adam Matthews which set this contest alight. Lee Wallace was in possession when Matthews hooked the ball away from him before whipping in a cross which Goian knocked off the toes of Hooper and behind for a corner.
Kris Commons was to have an enormous influence on the game starting with the resultant 17th minute corner. Rangers marked man-to-man but as the Celtic players inside the box moved towards the front post a huge zone was left unmarked at the back post. The ball was inside the box before Charlie Mulgrew but the Celtic defender was flying and dived full-length to head downwards. The bounce left Allan McGregor no chance.
Celtic’s stranglehold on the game was a result of their domination of the key midfield area. Rangers played with Little and Aluko either side of McCulloch up front but Celtic matched up with a risky three in central defence, Loovens, Mulgrew and Wanyama. Such was the gulf in class between Rangers forward players and Celtic’s defenders that the profit Celtic gained in midfield didn’t have a corresponding debit in defence.
Kris Commons scored his first goal of the season on 31 minutes. Gary Hooper collected on the by-line before playing a square pass into space 25 yards from goal. Commons was first to the ball but feigned forward before pulling back and allowing the ball to pass across his body. This fooled Kyle Bartley into lunging for a tackle in a space Commons never ventured into. The deliciously intelligent move unlocked Rangers defences; Commons was clean through with only the keeper to beat, and boy did he beat him.
With McGregor advancing as though the tax man was chasing him, Commons was the personification of cool, carried the ball until 13 yards out and chipped the goalkeeper.
Although Charlie Mulgrew’s crossing was missed, the addition of Emilio Izaguirre, Commons and Adam Matthews into midfield ensured Celtic were always comfortable and threatening in possession. This allowed Scott Brown and Joe Ledley to dominate the central midfield area. Brown played his best game of the season, putting his body between ball and opponent innumerable times, no matter the odds.
By half time, the only question was, how many?
The record books will show a Kris Commons tackle won the ball off Ross McCabe on 54 minutes before Giorgios Samaras passed to Gary Hooper. Hooper’s shot from the 18 yard line rifled into the top corner to complete the scoring.
I said the record books would show this is how the goal happened but another version of events will say that coordinated singing from Celtic fans spooked an inhibited looking Rangers team.
*In administration.
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Courtesy of Celtic Underground on twitter
http://xurl.es/liq-countdown
1-0 ya dancer
Put the message in the box
Put the box into the car
Drive the car around the world
Until you get heard
When they die, we’ll be having a world party.
2-0 even better, get in there.
BMA
Nice thought……….
For me, today I remembered a great friend Jackie Morrison.
HH
3-0, so easy, crack open the champers…
Glasgow and G82 is Green & White.
Hail Hail
MM
with so much of the game left, we could give them a right doing :-)
Successful hills are here to stay,
Everything must be this way,
Gentle streets where people play,
Welcome to the soft parade.
Paddy Bonner ……You should know better, Bhoyo….
eh, naw rob, i was playing when they pumped us 6-2
Wit is that wee diddy dodds oan aboot 3-5-2, ah thot we wun 3-0.
As a boy growing up in Clydebank there was only one team for me.
Like my forefathers I grew up listening to tales of great Celtic heroes.
It did and always means the world to me watching the great Celtic teams.
Cried like a baby at the Celtic end the night of the Johnstone/Lennox testimonial as I knew it was the end of a special era.
Smiling tonight from ear to ear at the thought of an new special era beginning.
MM
known you for years, didnae realise you could this funny…..you should drink more often.
PC67
Ye ken ye wull pay fir that.
Has the Sportscene feature match ever been on and off so quickly? Amazing but lovely to see MacLean hurting.
Naebdy else here??
Well, that was short but very sweet from BBC Sportscene
I have got £13 and 72pence
and I have drank and sang and sang and danced and danced and sand and drunk
and I might live a few years yet but today will take some beating
that is all I have to say about that
7-0 barca!!
What a difference big Packie made on Sportscene. A positive suggestion too !!!
67 heaven 2210.
Agreed – thought those comments from
Our legend keeper a bit too much.. Packie should ve just stuck it to them.. But that’s the BBC SYSTEM..
You better not criticise the tax dodgers..
Packie Bonner is a legend though..
HH
THE goals keep getting better looking each time ..
Jeeesuus! packy bonnar of all people doing the ‘we need them’ pish! also doing the NFl in a suit in the stand is better than being on the touchline. My guess? the only way bbc pay is if you toe the party line.
BBC didn’t show a single foul or a single episode of MIbbEry despite the ample choice.
we’ve won!
I pay my license fee… to see the goals, barely any other highlights, a quick analysis, and then on the wireless chic and jabba using the airwaves to promote the interests of RFC(IA) and david murray…
oh well, still happy!
Brilliant day guys.
Big plaudits and thanks to the team, management & support ( especially the GB )
Off to bed now, got to be up early to do the work of 2 men (mm)
Good night, God bless.
PC67
Kwik channel change tae bbcwan tae see the news & wit they say aboot us the day
Night all, from a VERY happy, knackered, bhoy ….can’t wait ’till Thursday, to welcome the THAI TIMS to PARADISE…
Never mind Oldco, Newco, EBT, FTT.
What I really need to know, tonight, is who was the Bobby Ball lookalike in the syrup of fig so dramatically bad the Sky director made Lenny move seats in the first half so as not to distract viewers from the game?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dianetierney/6979798398/in/photostream
Good morning. Welllllllll I just woke up after a wee nap from about 6 o’clock. How good was that, YeEeeEEEEEharrrg.
Song of the day?
I would vote for YOUR UP TO YOUR KNEES IN EBT’s
YOUR UP TO YOUR KNEES IN EBT’s
YOUR UP TO YOUR KNEES IN EBT’S
repeat……………………………………………
What a joke, jeezo they are hurting big time.
Still it’s getting aired more and more that they are gonners :>))))))
Convincing = humping
A tad perfunctory from Rob “sinister” Maclean on the Hoops victory…………..
Must be feeling a bit off-colour.
We can only imagine at the endless jocularity and upbeat tempo had the huns won.
Now, THAT is shameful.
HHH.
Raman Bhardwaj @STVRaman Reply Retweeted Favorite · Open
Hearts announce Ian Black will leave club at end of season.
Retweeted by Bobo Balti
Why do the BBC bother sending a film crew to a game and only show 10 or 15 mins?
pedrocaravanachio67 on 29 April, 2012 at 22:10 said:
eh, naw rob, i was playing when they pumped us 6-2
After that game I remember seeing the Rangers team bus pretty close to Dalmarnock Rd. There was still lots of our supporter’s buses about and their’s got caught in the jam.
Dodds had a wee laugh at all the abuse he and his team-mates were getting from the fans.
Luxbhoy,
Re Glen Gibbons
I think you will find his sympathies lie in the East End of Glasgow.
In saying that, he has never been afraid to criticise us, but , when appropriate.
I would like to confirm that I have serious man love for Scott Brown
BBC is in denial, packy has sold out, but what do you expect/