Celtic will have to keep the Champagne on ice for a while longer after failing to collect the three points required to win the league at Ibrox this afternoon. The champions-elect looked nervous early on with few looking comfortable in possession, allowing Rangers significant periods of possession. After only 10 minutes Rangers were ahead when Sone Aluko beat Thomas Rogne before cutting inside Charlie Mulgrew and firing a shot past Forster in the Celtic goal.
Celtic scarcely featured as an attacking threat in the first half but moments after going behind Georgios Samaras produced one of the most scintillating pieces of skill on the day. The Greek international collected the ball 70 yards from goal, beat four opponents before his shot from 12 yards was saved by Alan McGregor. Anthony Stokes mishit the rebound allowing McGregor to tip over.
Stokes forced a further save from McGregor with a fine volley after controlling on his chest but the game was soon to look ominous for Celtic. Cha Du-Ri was caught wrong side of Lee Wallace and made the slighted touch on the Rangers player who went to ground two yards outside the penalty area. Referee Calum Murray sent Cha off despite the covering attendance of Charlie Mulgrew.
Despite their numerical advantage Rangers seemed content to prevent Celtic scoring, Fraster Forster didn’t make a single save while Celtic were numerically on level terms or only a single man down. Ten minutes after the break Victor Wanyama was red carded for a two footed tackle on Steven Whittaker.
Lee McCulloch was fortunate to remain on the field after elbowing Scott Brown on the head. In a carbon copy of the incident which ended Beram Kayal’s season in December, McCulloch went to ground after the incident until attended by a physio, which perhaps tempered the referee’s response. Clever, if predictable.
With things clearly not going their way Celtic then lost an offside goal. Celtic had an opportunity to make an attempt on goal when they won a free kick 28 yards out. With Charlie Mulgrew still running into position Scott Brown played a quick pass to Kris Commons but Celtic players were crowded out by a number of opponents and lost possession. Rangers broke forward and applied pressure which brought the best out of Fraser Forster but Andrew Little put Rangers two ahead from what was clearly an offside position.
A further breakaway on the 77th minute resulted in Lee Wallace putting Rangers three goals ahead.
Despite being two goals down substitute Kris Commons started to dictate play and brought Celtic their best period of possession. In the 89th minute Georgios Samaras broke through the Rangers defence but was scythed to the ground by Bocanegra. The referee awarded a penalty and ordered the Rangers player off. Scott Brown scored the penalty
Moments later Commons got the better of Whittaker on Celtic’s left before being brought down by the Rangers player. Commons found Thomas Rogne with the resultant free kick which the defender powered home.
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Margaret McGill
I was back in deepest darkest Ayrshire last week, I met a former neighbour who I hadn’t met for 20 years or more. After buying himself and his company a drink, they came down to regale us with a version of the sash, only eventually stopped by former neighbour telling them to stop as my partner and I were a couple of tarriers.
In the past I would have got upset and caused a scene and there would have been sore faces (including my own). What it did confirm to me is that the bitterness is so ingrained that they are not concious or don’t care who they offend.
Rangers shock 9 man Celtic who were shocked at being down to 9 men after 57 shocking minutes..err no they wurny so shocked really. What was shocking was
a) the blatantly shockingly bad refereeing
b) the shocking acceptance of timmery at being so shocked
Shocking!
To quote the Blessed Martin
Shocking!
I am kinda shocked that the huns are still alive.
Are you no awe shocked?
TTTT
“If Izzy was deemed worthy of a place on the bench, then he should have started as he’s our best left-back.”
Not really. Neil has given Izzy several chances to return after his bad injury. Izzy has, on each occasion, looked like a shadow of his former self. Now, Neil saw enough of Izzy in training to bring him back to the bench level this week but, until he played and played well, he is not back to being an automatic starter. Hindsight is a wonderful thing but Neil would have got it in the neck if he started Izzy and he let him down again, It’s great that that did not happen.
“Commons has hardly been given a chance to shine ”
He has featured in our last 7 games prior to today’s showing. He came good today but did nothing much in those past 7 games, and he started 2 of them.
I agree on Lenny taking his share of the blame.
sftb
An observation from this weekend’s football.
Re Commons – I rate his ability but I think he’s got too fat. I also really rated Maloney’s ability – he looks a lot slimmer , now .
Makes me wonder about our training behind the scenes diet and fitness regime..
I agree both Izzy and Commons have had ample opportunity.
Cults
Being overweight or out of shape will have hampered Commons a little but he ahs not suddenly become slim again. he just played better and should have earned a start against St. Johnstone. we have to replace two red carded players anyway.
It’s great to see two good players back to form today. I hope they keep it up but our manager was not responsible for their poor form in the preceding two months. Izzy needed to recover his confidence after a bad injury and Kriss needed to recover some motivation and fitness.
Roll on next week.
When I was a kid in a tough housing estate in a “garrison town” in Ireland,I learned to love the game of soccer/football.
Playing street football, I accepted the rough and tumble and mutually agreed decisions of the older lads.
This is where my understanding of the game came from.
I am hugely proud of the 9 remaining players on the pitch, plus a fantastic Kris Commons, for turning what could have been a 5 or 6 nil defeat into a respectable score, given the circumstances.
Our lads are very young, don’t panic, they will come good.
Example being Wanyama, he’s a feckn kid.
My late grandfather always said; Beware of the sting of a dying wasp!!
and that’s what it was my friends, that’s what it was .
MadraRua on 26 March, 2012 at 00:28 said:
:-)
JF, Adam, Vic and Thomas are all really young players and shouldn’t be expected to turn it on week after week. They need to be gradually developed into the players we hope they can become.
We need the relatively older heads to accept responsibility for driving us on to the two remaining trophies….Broonie, Hoops, Anthony, Sami, Joe, Izzy, Charlie and KC.
FF is proving the doubters wrong (me included) and we should secure him on a permanent deal.
Clear out the deadwood in the summer and bring in two experienced signings to help develop this young squad.
In the grand scheme of things, I really wouldn’t get too upset about today.
Night all.
TTTT
tommytwiststommyturns on 26 March, 2012 at 00:30 said:
In the grand scheme of things, I really wouldn’t get too upset about today.
Yes you are correct but it irks me so much. Celtic should have repeated Jinky’s history today but for a bunch of criminal deceivers.
MadraRua on 26 March, 2012 at 00:28 said:
“….. the sting of a dying wasp ….. that’s what it was” – excellent.
Good night to all Celtic supporters. Remember when you waken up in the morning, you’ll still be a Tim – that’s the main prize.
Re. our manager it should be noted that Neil took over a shambles of a team in 2010. By the end of this season he will have managed an inexpereienced side to the championship a year on from his first cup success.
These last two years have been very good quality and in stark contrast to the previous two seasons when we managed only a League Cup victory under Strachan and Mowbray and played some dreadful football.
Today was more about our rivalry with them than about Celtic. Hopefully we will win it next week as it should be, at Celtic Park with our own fans and it will be all about Celtic, nothing less.
SFTB
I’m
A commons fan but if he doesn’t get a grip he will ‘roll on next week’
:>)
MadraRua
They are as you say a dying wasp but Celtic must ensure that their nest is burnt out, they are pollution in Scottish football.
No mercy for new-co.
Dead cat bounce !
A few people – some regular Tims and not deluded Hun lurkers – are calling out our young team on ‘mental strength’ and touting the hypothesis we may have a squad with many ‘bottlers’ in it.
I’d like to redress the balance of this by proposing that any lack of mental strength or willingness to bottle it would never have overturned a 15-point gap in November when all and sundry were taking their game/committment/ability apart on here, on other blogs and especially in the salivating media.
Our young squad had to read and listen EVERY DAY to how poor they were, how ill-fitting the Celtic jersey was for their inferior frames and how rampant and dominant Super Ally’s marauding Huns were.
Bottlers and the mentally weak would have crawled into a corner, accepted what they were being told was their inevitable disintegration, waited for the season to end and get a move away from the turmoil.
Our young squad and manager responded NOT by capitulation but by proactive assertion of mind, body and soul into a 26 game unbeaten run.
26 games, detractors. 26.
And now, after the run ends with two narrow defeats against determined opposition – each decided on the throw of a dice with classically bad refereeing – now, the malcontents are out again, knives rasping in the background, looking for Celtic scalps.
I’m not having it. Screw you if you think you’re a big enough Celtic supporter to criticise what these boys have pulled out the bag this season.
If 26 games unbeaten against the odds to climb the mountain of Hun skullduggery this blighted wee country excels in, and triumph with games to spare, doesn’t win your admiration then nothing will.
The only thing you may say of these boys which bears truth in the cold light of history is this:
They’re champions, and well worthy.
Sandman Is Neil Lennon on 26 March, 2012 at 00:38 said:
Superb!
That is all!
HH
If we all take a step back and say
” do we have the players to get us through a CL qualifier ”
I think no,
love it sandman
SydneyTim,
With Refs from Europe…yes.
Well maybe Celtic have just been unlucky for 124 years!
Last night I played Tarot cards and 4 people died.
Personally I think its just a coincidence!
Sandman Is Neil Lennon on 26 March, 2012 at 00:38 said:
Sandman that Celti9c team today were not inferior in any way!
Because I have an awful amount of pints taken, out since 12.30. I am unable to re-read all the earlier posts, but let me say this;
Some very young men stood up today and were counted.
Some were unable or didn’t understand what it meant to bury the hun.
I am certainly not perturbed.
They are older and so, wiser.
As usual, they have a very good keeper, they have one footballer, Davis, and a good attacker, Aluko.
We are only starting our journey.
Foster, Mathews, Rogne, Mulgrew, Wanyama, Forrest for fecks sake!!! kids, feckn unable to buy a pint in the USA !!!!!
Playing in front of thousands of lovers and haters every week ?????
Imagine what they will be like in 5 years??????
I love them, I feckn do ….
Sandman
Well said!
This team will grow if we keep hold of them. It is a real shame that we will be likely to lose Ki before he blossoms with us because he is a footballer in a country where football plays second fiddle to commitment,
But even if we lose Ki or Ki plus Commons or Ki and Commons and Kayal/izzaguire, Neil will re-build with new recruits and new youngsters. McGeoch, George, Watt, Toshney and Twardzik will be matured by one more year, and maybe two of them will make a James Forrest type breakthrough next year.
It will be hard for us to do much more than tread water in Europe whilst we are still restricted in our market but we can be fairly sure that, if we can solidify our defence, we have the flair to beat everyone in Scotland to the title that matters. It’s been a long time since we were able to back up that claim.
Sandman Is Neil Lennon on 26 March, 2012 at 00:38 said:,
Brilliant.
Sin é.
Árd Macha
MadraRua
Keep telling it. Well said.
MadraRua,
Great stuff.
Árd Macha
SydneyTim on 26 March, 2012 at 00:41 said:
You are correct. I posted this when Lenny first took over.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I think we can expect more traditional Scottish refereeing on Sunday. Maybe more so this time.
I posted the below on Oct 24th. I think Lenny is still at Level 2.
If Celtic beat the Huns Sunday it may be a breakthrough to Level 3
Although Celtic are not good enough Lenny needs a chance on the basic understanding of Timmery of the following.
Irrespective of who is who and who thinks what there have always been 4 Celtic Levels since 1888.
Level 1. Putting a team together that can systematically beat the Hearts, Hibs and Aberdeens etc. Celtic invariably find this an expensive proposition that intimidates the board. All boards since 1888.
Level2. Good enough to overcome the Scottish refereeing attrition of the rules to the benefit of:
a) who is playing against Celtic to Celtic’s detriment.
b) who is playing against Rangers to Rangers’s favour
c) Rangers
Overcoming level 2 is always tricky. Requires a board and a management that are supporters and willing to ocassionally take risks. (Maybe todays game was just that from a Lenny perspective. Time will tell).
Level3. When celtic are good enough to overcome the exhalted level 2 then all in Scotland in unison resort to blatant cheating to see if Celtic are good enough to overcome that. Remember if you live in Scotland and dont support Celtic you essentially despise them.
Level4. Europe.
Jock Stein. The Blessed Martin and WGS have managed to varying degrees to reach level 4. Our beloved Lenny is still struggling at Level 2. Yes the boards at fault. No vision beyond Level 1.
Sandman Is Neil Lennon
Last line said it all;
They’re champions, and well worthy.
New day and still a tim,what more can you ask for in life ?
Having read all the posts,some I agreed with and quite a few that are complete drivel ,but everyone thinks they are correct including me have an opinion.Neil Lennon has had more to endure in his time in the hoops than anyone of us could handle.Bringing the title back to paradise will put him up there with the great managers who have lead our club .Both Neil and all the bhoys are still young and are learning in a foreign hostile environment with no mercy given if you are of the green and white persuasion .Some of the bhoys today were only 20+ and going to the bigot dome were you have to play 11 vs 14 most of the time.Let the Hun have there day,they have won feck all even with a rigged game.The league title was what we all wanted at the start of the season and that will be soon,even if we have to crawl over the line .Just hope Neil picks the players in form for the cup game and gives commons and izzy more game time .The fans today in the bromaloan were a credit to Celtic and why we support the bhoys.And if there was any doubt about why I want the Huns dead and buried ,look at their team elbows as motm.
Havingapartywhenthehunsdiex csc
Árd Macha on 26 March, 2012 at 00:51 said:
Tá mé beag nach ar meisce , ach……
What about Commons ?????
He lit up the ground.
In Ireland we always accept the “moral victory”.
Today we were beaten, but the fact that we came back with 9 men, makes me proud.
Well done Neil Lennon, well done mo chara.
Margaret. We dont have a striker who is guaranteed a start
I think that sums it up for me
time for bed bhoys and ghirls
but remember this
we’ve won the league again
fly the flag, fly the flag
HH AK TAL
Sinn é, I’m off to my bed, Well done Celtic, it could have been really bad, but courage and belief brought us back.
In the long run, this has done more for our young lads then a soft victory would have.
Óiche mhaith mo chairde Gael.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NX_jvvny4A&feature=player_detailpage
Who expects fair officiating in the semi v Hearts?
Minceyheidman on 26 March, 2012 at 01:16 said:
Who expects fair officiating in the semi v Hearts?
they have done their bit
we will get fair ref ing now
today was armageddon avoided – job done
johnniem on 25 March, 2012 at 11:34 said:
As someone who knows Callum Murray personally, i can state that he his a truly decent guy and as fine a human being as you will ever meet.
He may have got some decisions wrong in the past and is the first one to admit that .
Every decisions he makes, is done so with the up most of integrity – I can not think of any other referee i would rather have today.
HH
Care to clarify when you get a minute johnniem?
SydneyTim on 26 March, 2012 at 01:01 said:
I think Samaras is but Lenny is in 3 minds
1) who plays with him
2) who do I need to buy to play with him
3) How do I protect him in this Ice hockey league