As the fallout rumbles on from Rangers’ defeat at Celtic Park, those working at Ibrox will be better served letting the final Parkhead soundbites lie.
As the old adage goes, he who laughs last, laughs loudest, and it’s something Celtic’s two figureheads Brendan Rodgers and Callum McGregor appear to have forgotten in a post-Old Firm haze.
In the aftermath of the Old Firm victory – the entire thing orchestrated in the Parkhead club’s favour from the kickoff amid a ticketing shambles – there’s been a distinct and uncharacteristic lack of grace from both the Parkhead side’s captain and their manager.
Brendan Rodgers has already written off the challenge of Rangers boss Philippe Clement, who is the fifth Ibrox manager the Northern Irishman has nonchalantly swatted aside, apparently.
We’re supposed to believe that not only did Brendan Rodgers swat away Steven Gerrard – who eventually lifted 55 and stopped 10IAR – but that the Belgian manager’s circumstances are to be mentioned in the same breath as those of Mark Warburton, Pedro Caixinha, and Graeme Murty.
Then there was Callum McGregor who – rather boastfully – claimed Rangers “hadn’t played anyone” of note before their trip to Celtic Park.
We’d only went to Real Betis and won to top our Europa League group whilst lifting the League Cup and reducing the gap at the top of the Scottish Premiership to within two points.
The Parkhead side won this battle but the war is very much still raging and you wouldn’t know it listening to the comments of Celtic’s two most important figures.
Celtic relief evident in tight victory over Rangers
One suspects relief was the order of the day in a match which saw a Rangers fan lockout, Celtic players protected from second yellows, and some dubious VAR calls which – categorically – make an utter mockery of this delusional penalty conspiracy we keep hearing about.
These are soundbites which Rangers can store in one pocket and you just know that, should the Ibrox side lift the trophy in May, Rodgers and McGregor will never live them down.
Not only did they lack class but they are patently incorrect; desperate attempts at trolling a Rangers team who have, as things stand, achieved much more than their Old Firm rivals this season.
Celtic have gone from underperformers to world beaters in a matter of 90 minutes, and Brendan Rodgers from a miscalculation to a stroke of genius, for overcoming a Rangers team who’re apparently no use.
We’ll just not mention the fact that whilst Celtic were missing two starters in Cameron Carter-Vickers and Reo Hatate, Rangers were potentially missing seven from their matchday squad.
Borna Barisic, Ben Davies, Nicolas Raskin, Ryan Jack, Tom Lawrence, Danilo, and Kemar Roofe sounds like a list of the club’s highest earners but it is in fact the players propping up the club’s treatment room.
Whether or not Rangers can get them fit is another question, but there are players in that count which would immediately close the apparently gargantuan gap between both sides.
Brendan Rodgers & Calum McGregor rattled by Rangers
Make no mistake; only a rattled Celtic manager and captain make such outlandish comments. There are two points in it.
The cockiness is not only unbecoming but it’s genuinely surprising given Celtic have always fed us the “we’re just focusing on ourselves” line. They clearly haven’t been.
For me, it’s a sure fire sign the Parkhead side have been rattled by the Ibrox side’s achievements this season and we’ll see if Brendan Rodgers lives to regret underestimating Philippe Clement.
We also hope that Callum McGregor – a perennial underperformer on the European stage for Celtic – enjoys watching us playing “nobody” in the Europa League knockouts.
Rangers meanwhile need to find their pace in the marathon of the season and keep these soundbites close as we head into the January break.
Everybody knows that the best place to do your talking is on the pitch and even if Celtic won this round, there’s been some big talk coming out of Parkhead that is yet to be backed up on the park this season.
