CELTIC took a hiding at Ibrox on Thursday, but former Hoops goal hero Chris Sutton can still see treble ahead.
The one-time England international striker reckons the terrible result and the dire performance may be “a bit of a kick up the backside” required as a wake-up call to the champions.
Brendan Rodgers’ side went to Govan on the back of a record that showed just one loss in the Premiership throughout a successful 2024, a year in which the Parkhead men picked up all three domestic honours.
After a mere 90 minutes played in 2025, Celtic had equalled the number of reverses in the whole of the previous year.
However, Sutton doesn’t believe anyone at his old club will be pressing panic buttons with an 11-point advantage in their quest for a fourth successive top-flight title.
GOVAN AND HELL…Brendan Rodgers watches Celtic topple to defeat.
Reflecting on the loss, the media pundit said: “You could say this one had shades of the Michael Beale 3-0 win after Ange Postecoglou had wrapped up the title a few years ago.
“The difference is Celtic haven’t yet crossed the Premiership finishing line this year. In fact, there is still a long, long way to go. We’re only at the halfway stage, for goodness sake.
“Celtic have a huge 11-point lead and no-one really expects them to lose it from here.
“But this is perhaps a bit of a kick up the backside that can sometimes come in handy. Yes, Rangers were good. They totally deserved their victory and you have to give them credit.
“They played with a ferocity that suggested it meant something to them and that’s back-to=back games against Celtic when they’ve scored three goals.
“That must be a concern for Rodgers. It’s also easier to turn up when the pressure is off. Rangers had to beat St Mirren and Motherwell to have a chance of cutting the gap here.
“Instead, they are further behind now than they were going into the festive period and looked like a side with nothing to lose on Thursday. At least, they can start 2025 with an actual victory rather than a moral one – even if there’s no trophy up for grabs.”
FACE OF DEFEAT…Callum McGregor’s expression speaks volumes.
Sutton, speaking to the Daily Record, continued: “Joking aside, it was a strong performance and Celtic never laid a glove one their rivals.
“Is it a major worry for supporters, though? I wouldn’t think so.
“It was a bad day – a really bad day. I don’t think a single Celtic player got pass marks apart from perhaps Cameron Carter-Vickers. Players who have excelled in this fixture had total stinkers.
“They were flat, slow on the ball, ponderous in possession and I don’t think I’ve seen a Rodgers side give the ball away quite so much. It was incredible. The Celtic midfield didn’t react well to being put under pressure and it forced them to fluff their passes.
“But even when they were not under pressure, there were times when they failed to hit a man or even passed the ball right out of the pitch. It was hard to believe what we were seeing.
“It’s taken Clement seven attempts to get a win against Rodgers and Celtic, so I wouldn’t say he’s cracked the code just yet.
“Even if he has, the Belgian needs to figure out how to get his team to win away from home against the rest of the Premiership, otherwise the talk over his future will crank up again.
“In the meantime, he can enjoy a win and Celtic need to lick their wounds.”
OFFSIDE…Kyogo Furuhashi beats Liam Kelly, but the ‘goal’, which would have made it 1-1, was ruled out.
The former Hoops fans’ favourite added: “Look, I’ve been there. Our Celtic team got battered 5-1 at Ibrox, remember? What happened that year again? Oh yes, we went on to win the treble.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if that was the outcome again this time. Having been involved in a fair few of these games, results like the other day can happen.
“Sometimes it defies explanation. It can be a collective off-day, a red card, a dodgy decision, you name it, anything can happen and it just tips the momentum and games can get away from you.
“It’s the reaction that matters. Thursday was Celtic’s worst performance since Borussia Dortmund and the response to that defeat was emphatic.
“They have back-to-back home games against St Mirren and Dundee United in the next week to get back to it and underline their authority in the title race.
“The strange thing against Rangers was the lack of a reaction on the pitch when it wasn’t going well. Usually there is a spark, sometimes from the bench, but it just wasn’t there. It was just so passive, like an acceptance a bad day at the office was unfolding.
“That is unlike them, but I don’t expect it to happen again. I also suspect Rodgers will be reminding the board his team and squad is not yet the finished article.
“There is still work to be done and it’s important to strengthen in the January window.
“Everyone knows the areas Celtic will want to bolster and now is the time to do it.”
