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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jmccormick on 25 March, 2012 at 17:41 said:
You’re right, we have been a bit flat of late. But it’s a long season and we can’t play brilliantly every week. Not even Barcelona do that.
We just need to get over the line. We will be celebrating the title within the next fortnight. There is much to be upbeat about, and our dominance is assured in the next few years – even in the unlikely event that the tax dodgers are around in some shape or form.
Back to basics
Not against us you didn’t…..
For sure.
HH
I’ve watched the decisions a few more times, and I now reckon the first sending off was a possible red but would never have been given against a hun.
I didn’t see the elbow on brown, though fans around me reacted to it. anyone got a link to it?
Jim Duffy’s a lickspittal he’ll do or say what ever get’s him the gig as a pundit, he on record as saying that he’s have gladly signed for the huns,not mentioning the fact the wouldn’t have signed him…ahem.
He’s got a mortgage and bills to pay,this is wage.
Maggie
“For all those Celtic supporters who accept today’s defeat because Celtic have already won the league is the timidity huns prey on. Its an acceptance of their cheating and ascendancy.”
There’s a grain of truth in your comment but it is wholly dependent on the definition of the word “accept.”
We will all have to accept that the result is entrenched in the record books as 3:2 (unless it is scrapped and reads as 0:3 because of their cheating). No amount of railling or wailling or fighting can change that.
However, I agree that going there with a view that we can never win because they won’t let us, does give rise to a victim mentality that is self-defeating.
Thankfully, I saw none of that in our team today who even at 3:0 down and with 9 men against 14, fought back gallantly. I saw no signs of it in our support who showed true Jungle attitude in supporting our team after every goal we conceded; there was nothing defeatist in their defiance. And I saw none of it in Neil Lennon’s refusal to accept second class treatment from a ref earmarked by Dallas for promotion.
There’s more bottle being shown by every Celt at Ibrox today than on CQN currently or, in some cases, currantly.
The most enlightening thoughts from today came from Ally McCoist when asked if they were dismissing Europe as an option. He said he was not dismissing it and there was still some hope that the SPL and Uefa would allow them to take part.
Obvious WATP still exists and they are still not ready for walking away.
I did find it strange that Ally shook every players hand today after the game, from both sides, and the Rangers team looked as if they were saying goodbye to the fans at the end. Have they been told this was the last home game to be played.at Ibrox
Just read Lenny’s comments on STV website.
Think we have another legal battle coming up.
Well done neil. Well done boys. You never had a chance.
No wonder we started poorly. Players probably knew they would be off if they looked at a hun the wrong way. And so it proved. 9 against 14. Oh and as someone said earlier lee wallace…. Dived to get cha off…offside at the second….scored the third and he hasnt cost the huns a penny.
Cheats and thank god for sites like this. Theres not an ex celt in the MSM apart from big bad john that will ever stand up for us. Provan nicholas walker mcleod…toe the party line.
Disappointment is temporary. Liquidation is permanent.
Hail hail.
theres more to come about Lennys sending off – 10 minutes after speaking to murray somebody else comes along and tells lenny he has been sent to the stand – then a peeler comes and tells Lenny he cant go to the stand – murray then tells Lenny that he will see him in 20 minutes after the game and then sneaks off out a side door.
the more i think off today and the performance of the MIB and the stuff surronding the red card at half time, we have been carved up big style today.
our players werent totally blameless, but we were not leaving there today with 3 points.
and what does it say about their “support” if Lenny’s safety cant be guarenteed in the posh seats and they had to at least get a draw
Westim,
Murray or Lennon, who do you believe?
TJ
Have to say the sending offs were correct. Cha not for the first time in his career caught ball watching allowed Wallace to get goal side, tugged Wallace twice, the send of which brought him down, Wallace tried to stay on his feet until he got inside the box but then dived when he knew he wasn’t making it. It still deserved a red, Wanyama who is a terrific player let himself down with that tackle, allowing himself to get riled by Whittaker of all people.
At 0-3 for some reason I thought we would score.
No more messing about
Kayal33,
Yes shocking stats, Rangers season is finished, they know there is no Europe next season and today was their final, their 14 man final.
They will probably switch off now, consciously or sub-consciously. The players potential moves would have hinged on a performance today, not next week.
McCall is a total scumbag and has all the integrity of an Ibrox stalwart but with nothing at real stake I can’t see him holding his team back for that game.
Not to worry the Title is coming home where it belongs, next week or the week after.
Fortunes Favour Mibbes at 17:54
Polish TV commentator on that game said:
1) yellow for Cha, not red
2) maybe yellow for Wanyama for dangerous play if any card, for sure not red.
3) red for McCullough for elbowing Brown
We were crap today. What a day to be listless and gutless. I take it we bought Matthews for his throw ins because the boy can’t defend. First goal we lost was a collective joke and the less said about Wanyama’s culpability in Cha’s dismissal the better. Ki hid and Ledley picked the wrong day to have a stinker. Pass marks to Brown for graft, big Fraser for a number of saves, Sammi for fighting effectively against the odds and Commons for finally bringing some impetus when he came on. We miss Kayal badly on days like today.
A couple of other things. The referee gave the unspeakables everything – as we knew he would if Celtic were negligent enough to give them a sniff. Wanyama’s sending off was a joke – if you don’t believe me just ask Super Sally. I love Lenny, but his record in the big games is far from good. I don’t know if someone put mogadon in the players’ pre-match tea because they certainly didn’t look even remotely up for the game. Finally, why were we wasting time by making a substitution with 30 secs left? Bewildering.
Everybody’s pumping Rangers at the moment, yet that’s the second time we’ve gone to Ibrox this season and lay down. P-poor.
send should read second
FFM
With Channel 4 now involved and Mark Dały and the rangerstaxcase feeling so confident that he feels that his job is almost done…the real jaw dropping stuff is about to be presented to the gullible Scottish public. Looking forward to it.
HH
Lots of Union Flags being waved today.
£2 each, it seems.
£100,000 already in Fighting Fund.
I look forward to learning how this money is being spent.
I have heard nothing, so far.
I suspect there are donors who are in the same state of curiosity.
MSM will be curious too …… no, probably not.
tigertim @ 18:03
What you witnessed was a not especially clever propaganda stunt for Moisty. The camera was well positioned, and as we now know, Lenny was suitably kept out of the way. It was then followed by a sickening love in in the studio in which Charlie N sadly participated.
It’s crucial for them that the hoards think Moisty is still the man, and that his future TV career is protected. Who paid for it is anyone’s guess. Agent Whyte or Minty….
Zbyszek @ 18:05
Very refreshing to hear unbiased commentary :)
The bould Hector’s bhoys…..
I agree that would have been the correct decision to take,but as you inferred that wasn’t going to happen. You also noticed at the Bocanegra sending off that murray was indeed mincing about. I was screaming at the tv that he had to go as well but he seemed to hesitate,I wonder if he thought couple of minutes to go I need to go through the motions.
antrimkev on 25 March, 2012 at 18:04 said:
“and what does it say about their “support” if Lenny’s safety cant be guarenteed in the posh seats” ?
Nothing that we did not know already.
setting free the bears on 25 March, 2012 at 18:03 said:
Fair enough. So Celtic as always magnanimous and gallant in the face of blistering violence and cheating. Not denying that at all. I am proud of Celtic today as are you. If ever Tims needed proof of Scottish filth in action this was it. Lets hope the currants die and Celtic move on somewhere else with or without the other 10 SPL traitors.
I think Celtic have 5 reds in the SPL this season. 2 straight and 3 x2nd yellows in 32 games. Is that correct? Today 2 in one game!
Check out this seasons card count so far ..and get a bit of perspective…If the player has less than 5 yellow cards this season it doesnt show up.
http://www.soccervista.com/cards-Premier_League-2009_2010-824337.html
Awe Naw @ 18:07
Absolutely.
I might dig out my old diary and start writing in it again. Game’s a bogey.
I do hope AT doesn’t stop digging on this. A mammoth job, but long overdue.
Land deals and SNP love-ins should be next imo. Has Jabba ran off to Monaco?? :))
Georgios Samaras is a remarkable player. Absolutely remarkable.
27 years old, and ready to enter the defining period of his career. With Celtic.
Calum Murray wisnae very good today, but neither were too many of the Celtic team. The combination made the outcome inevitable.
Too bad.
Onwards.
TBB
bournesouprecipe,
Nicked your post about Wallace from earlier and put it on twitter.
plagiarismcsc.
Árd Macha
that was a cool banner…
“The Party Is Over Here”
a nice play on words
:)
I genuinely believe Calum Murray came close to sending off the wrong rangers player. He seemed to have so little intention of red carding him that he did not carefully note who had committed the tackle. It looked to me as though a Rangers player had to tell him which of their team committed the foul. The Celtic crowd pressured him into making it a red.
TBB
agreed
a lovely sight to behold
The Georgios in full flight
see the rankers head for cover
haha
setting free the bears on 25 March, 2012 at 18:15 said:
“The Celtic crowd pressured him into making it a red.”
That would be a first!
According to Jim White on Sky that was a “famous win” for his team today,
WTF???????????????
.
They Are CHEATERS..Glasgow’s CHEATERS..
And they Don’t do Paying their Taxes..
The CHEATERS know..How to CHEAT..So their Hard to Beat..
But they Don’t Do Paying their Tacx..
They are CHEATERS..Glasgow’s CHEATERS..
And they Don’t do Paying their Tax..
Summa
Today was Jim White’s last day at the proms. Cos he doesn’t do classical, just Dambusters.
Ian Brines another useless muppet!
Celtic manager Neil Lennon rails against referee Calum Murray
Celtic manager Neil Lennon defended his right to challenge match officials after he was sent off at half-time in his side’s 3-2 Ibrox defeat by Rangers.
Lennon was upset at referee Calum Murray’s decision to send off Cha Du-Ri for a foul on Lee Wallace.
“I am entitled, as a manager, to speak to a referee,” he told BBC Scotland.
“Who are they accountable to? Are they allowed to waltz through games criticism-free? I had, for me, a quiet word in the tunnel with the referee.”
BBC Scotland believes officials decided to send Lennon off not only for the conversation in the tunnel, but for his behaviour towards fourth official Iain Brines in the first half.
Last week, Lennon received a letter from the Scottish Football Association’s compliance officer, Vincent Lunny concerning his comments about referee Willie Gollum (the Gimp) after Celtic’s League Cup final loss to Kilmarnock.
And the incident in the tunnel at Ibrox, where his team were trying to clinch the Scottish Premier League title, will almost certainly produce another letter from Hampden.
The Celtic boss, though, was adamant he had done nothing wrong.
Continue reading the main story
“
My players are very disappointed but there is an anger there more than anything else”
Neil Lennon Celtic manager
“I didn’t think it was a sending-off,” he said of Cha’s red card for fouling Wallace as he raced towards Fraser Forster’s goal.
“I’m not sure Wallace would ever have got the ball. We had cover and the contact is minimal.
“I was pretty upset about that decision and others in the first half.
“I got a warning by the fourth official, which was fine.
“I was critical of the [referee’s] first-half performance. I didn’t swear. I just put my point across, I didn’t point my finger.”
Lennon says he was told when he left the Celtic dressing-room after his half-time team talk that he could not return to the dugout.
“I got called in [to the referee’s room] and he said, ‘you’re not going out’, so he has deprived me of doing my job,” continued Lennon.
“I have spoken to the delegate. They are saying one thing; I’ve got witnesses to say another.
“I wanted to see him after the game. I was told to wait 20 minutes, but after 20 minutes he said, ‘no, I don’t want to see you’.
Celtic’s Cha Du-Ri challenges Lee Wallace and is sent off
“I had to send some of my staff in. I want some answers and I am not getting them at the minute.”
Rangers led 1-0 at half-time thanks to a superb solo goal by Sone Aluko and, in the second half, they raced into a three-goal lead through goals by substitute Andy Little and Wallace.
Those goals came after Celtic were reduced to nine men, midfielder Victor Wanyama dismissed for a two-footed challenge on Steven Whittaker.
Lennon described that decision as “debatable” but added: “I know he got plenty of the ball, but two-footed challenges are not the done thing.”
Of greater concern to Lennon was Little’s goal.
“The second goal was offside,” he said.
“Again, the linesman was not doing his job properly when the cross came in from Whittaker.
“After the challenge with [Kyle] Lafferty and [Thomas] Rogne, Wallace is in an offside position…………!!!!
“My players are very disappointed, but there is an anger there more than anything else.
“We rallied brilliantly with nine men,” added Lennon, of the two late goals scored after Rangers lost Carlos Bocanegra to a red card. “I am very proud of the players and the supporters today, but I am very angry.
“My players showed in the second half why they are going to be the champions.”
Glendalystonsils likes a mr whippy with his lime green jelly on 25 March, 2012 at 18:19 said:
According to Jim White on Sky that was a “famous win” for his team today,
—————-
Be fair, it will probably go down in history as the last ‘Old Firm’ game at Ibrox and possible even the last one ever.
We have been patient and given them
every chance but nothing has changed.
Why stay in a league that conspires against us.
Supported by a biased nae corrupt administration and media.
Maggie,
it’s always a difficult line to balance. Our fans feel we are being cheated and some proof is beginning to emerge but it is not at a legally foolproof level so the rest of Scotland can still explain it away as paranoia.
We have to be savvy in letting them know they are being watched and noted as they cheat. They will not always have the “powers that be” on their side to cover up and, on that day, we can get our level playing field.
Meanwhile, we have to rise above the cheating. Never accept and lie down to it but neither let it be an excuse for being 2nd best. We might have to be 10% better than them to overcome their barriers but thankfully 10% better is well within our capabilities.
Sparkleghirl
Hope so.
Back to Basics – Glass Half Full on 25 March, 2012 at 18:00 said:
Cha’s sending off was very harsh but came about partly because he was slightly behind Lee Wallace. Cha Du Ri is a significantly faster runner than Wallace so how did the other guy get ahead of him?
Simple – he wanted it more.
——————————–
Maybe I’m getting it confused with another occasion when Wallace was put through by Aluko but Cha was out of position on one occasion because Wanyama gave the ball away with a loose pass with Cha moving upfield.