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.
935 Comments- Pages:
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Paul,
it pains me to disagree with you. However…..
Rangers couldn’t have been solely man marking. If they were, there would have been a free blue jersey parked at the edge of the box in case Charlie ventured forward. SOMEONE in their defence was free.
I can quite honestly say, that I have never seen a goal quite like Mulgrew’s. I really expected his ‘marker’ to just have been outpaced. But there was no marker.
Astonishing.
But nice….:)
Anyone else see the ball bhoy telling big Vic to calm down after being hacked at whilst shepherding the ball out for a goal kick?
Priceless.
Phil MacGiollaBhain @Pmacgiollabhain Reply Retweet Favorite · Open
@TonyMcKelvie My source is excellently placed to know this info. Hinting strongly that end is near.
In reply to Tony McKelvie
8m
The day just gets better and better..
Celtic phone-in show LIVE now
Skype in “beyond the waves”
its our show, lets enjoy it
http://www.spreaker.com/show/hail_hail_media
St Mirren fans singing “you’re going down with the Ran@ers” to Hibees, life is good :)
Those ole record books; I wonder will they shortly be showing that Celtic won the majority of the games against thems over the past 15 to 20 years as 3-0.
Home as happy as larry and in one piece. All hero’s today and the support were as usual the 12th man. GB again. Fantastic. The constant end to end singing was mind blowing. My youngest bhoys first clangers fc game and hopefully his last. Great to see Izzy and Kris back. And a big thank you to our leader the irreplacable Mr. Neil Lennon. This squad of players have a massive bright green future ahead of them. I can’t wait. Guinness in the fridge and sky plus just about to activate. I don’t want this day to end! HH and woohoooo!!!
what was written on the different tombstones?
Peter Martin,”how good were the Rangers support?they never stopped singing.”I recall two songs that weren’t the usual bile.As far as I’m concerned that can sing what they want in Peterhead;Abroath;Stranrar and all the other places they’ll be playing next season.
Paul67
Great report on a great day
bookies giving away free money with big chas on 11/2 to score anytime
Season tickets can be funded on such generous terms
Thems were never a serious threat
Glad they got the humping they deserved but never forget they managed 7 goals in 2 games against our lads. We still have much to learn. Someone mentioned last night on blog …some of our bhoys simply do not work hard enough and they look lke a physically inferior group to most teams we could meet in the qualifying stages of the CL. I agree with that view and long before Lenny took over felt we were a sluggish looking outfit. I also feel we will be ripped open down our right by competent fit layers from Central Europe, Balkans, Baltic and Scandanavia
A work in progress but still the same weaknesses show up time after time an season after season.
We need a midfield maestro and a Heidi the ba in the net striker as we continue to wait and wait for that to happen … 4 seasons and counting
I will be consoling myself with the 100 plus profit made courtesy of messrs Hill and Mulgrew
Have a guid evening bhoys
HH
M
Folly Folly, in a way today reminded me of 4-2 victory at Mordor when Nicholas was playing last game before going to arsenal. Total domination ( even allowing for giving away a two goal lead ). Surprise tactics ( playing 3 CBs in both games , man marking of rangers wingers – even following when they changed wings ), but most of all Hoopers goal and Nicholas’ goal, both of which had fans standing in anticipation before the ball was struck and then …….. Wooooooooooof , screamer hits net before goalie get arms near it.
Bashi.
The Tsunami That overwhelms Rankers lies mostly Edmiston Drive deathly Dangerous.
Take that to the Bank Sally.
Phony Walk Talker.
HH
See tombstones up closer http://xurl.es/8djhd
Various things, RIP, Burn in hell etc
estorilbhoy
Great stuff man
Alasdair MacLean on 29 April, 2012 at 16:53 said:
Good point. The ‘rules’, or conventions of football allow a LOT of latitude for referees. When is handball a foul? A booking? A red card? Lots of room for judgement. Likewise, when is a goal scoring opportunity? When is a foul a booking? How many fouls constitutes persistent fouling?
Refs get LOTS of room to decide. Each ref tends to have a different measure. Some give the max all the time, some tend towards the minimum punishment.
Calum Murray went to the max on our indiscretions at ibrox. He took a minimalist approach to rangers’ indiscretions today. Bartley could easily have been gone for his tackle from behind on Sammi. Possibly a red. Definitely a yellow. He gets a word. Astonishing that this is the same ref from the ibrox game.
Well, not really…..
What you all need to remember is that if they go down to the third division – then the third division will become as important as the premiership. The media will provide resuscitation to whatever corpse still lingers.
Even though the entity went with their last breath…
U
Folly Folly, Bashi,
No luck involved. Just lack of referee interference & big Chaz gettin’ his head on the end of a corner :)
HH
…..actually I’d prefer they limped on for another game or so…….
We don’t want to be near them at all when the big one lands….
Remember, they did it to themselves…….
This is not an O@@ F@@@ scenario.
sparkleghirl
Brilliant photo.
Stringer Bell, that’s right.
Hector’s Bhoys, sure did.
Eyes Wide Open, I stand corrected.
weeron, Rangers were indeed solely man marking. Charlie’s run was incredibly late, as I said, the ball was in the box before he was. He was a spare man occupying the area 30 yards out before making his move.
saltires en sevilla, great day indeed, thanks.
At least they’ll have some new songs: ‘Can you hear the Montrose sing?’
I though Kris Commons played his best game of the season today by a country mile– and his finish was Henrikesque. Remember Niamh if you can.
Cheers to those who have given something today onn the back of our splendid Victory.
http://www.justgiving.com/NiamhsNextStep
Just realised that due to illness today was my first game back since December 28th.
So for me it seems we do play them every week…..and beat them.
Also not having a pop at alextomo but it seems he has started operation protect himself from the hun hordes.To be fair i’d probably do the same my self knowing their history.Or has alextomo just realised the danger he’s in after sally’s calls for the lynch mobs last week.
Still one of the best journo’s ever to set foot in Scotland, and i’m glad he doesn’t do walking away.
What’s that coming over the hill?
It’s the four horsemen!!
It’s the four horsemen!!
Going to my local.It’s a hun pub. Any messages for the customers? BRB in full sarcastic mode.
McCann and SKY still demanding that Whyte sell his shares so that they survive in the SPL. Even if he were daft enough to do as they want, Hector will have a mighty big say about their future. And that is all quite independent of whatever the SPL decides, no matter how SKY try and influence that verdict.
When they talk about the last ever “Old Firm game” I will say “I know, because I was there*…”. Having a couple of beers before heading back to london on sleazyjet. Happy days.
* with apologies to max boyce.
Careful with the downloads chums!
GlendalysTonsils
I stumbled on a ritual when i worked at response many years ago, and this poor wee nanny goat was strapped to a very suspect looking table type thing with a figure in a dark cloak towering above with a meaty looking knife. So i stealthily sneaked in and whipped it away before they knew what was happening. So they nearly got my goat
Greensideup
Not saying it was deliberate, but on another day, the ref might have had him for it.
Just in from watching game on tv with friends ,
That was fantastic 3-0 humping, a tenner on Kris to score at anytime,watching the fans have a party & watching the fat coward squirm.
Time to pull the plug on the “mayans” 2012 is their end, things will speed up now.
What a great time to be a Celtic supporter now back to read the match update posts YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
HAIL HAIL
Of subject and I underastand if I do not get a response.Anyone of you aulder cqners tell me who the short arse actor was in the early fifties who was the star of many cowboy and war films
Scott Brown was tremendous today, loved seeing him nut-meg self styled Twitter hardman Kyle Bartley, thats the way to deal with reptiles like that, humble them on the park.
Did anyone see Elbows in Charlie Mulgrew`s face at full time? Looked like melted coupon face was trying to start a fight with Charlie. Charlie just ignored him.
Bye bye Rangers.
Everything about today just oozed Celtic class.
The performance of the team
The performance of the fans
And the banner display from the GB.
There’s only one team in Glasgow* and they’re the champions!
Hail hail
MME
*apart from Thistle, ladies teams etc etc :-)
Paul, I’ll debate this with you. Over a beer, someday….:)
I am a fundamentalist when it comes to defending corners. I played and coached enough to know that this is lower brain, repetitive stuff. It goes like this….
Big guys on big guys;
Wee(er) guys on the posts. Not ON them, INSIDE them;
One defender free;
Goalie calls the shots;
Don’t leave your post until the keeper tells you.
Assuming the opposition keep players back, you can get away with this line up.
If they do score, it is because one player won his battle with his opponent.
Blame is easy to apportion. Errors are easier to fix.
Trust me…:)
Paul67
Someone blogged yesterday afternoon, that you seemed to think you were a journalist. Can I just say that I would be happy to read your match report from todays game, 7 days a week & pay for the privilege.
Side note, stayed behind long after final whistle and the number of broken seats by that lot was shocking. Wonder if any MSM will report it.
OHHHH & this on in the background
http://www.spreaker.com/show/hail_hail_media
Life is good
HAIL HAIL
Anyone got a link to the Gaffer’s post match interview
I missed it but heard he told a few home truths
Hail hail
MME
TimJim
Audy Murphy ???
What did the Gb say missed it