Before kick-off, Celtic had conceded just four league goals all season but could easily have lost more than that in a single ninety minutes, such was Rangers dominance. Here are five things we learned from Rangers vs Celtic From January 2.
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Five Things We Learned From Rangers vs Celtic From January 2
Rangers Are More Effective Without Top Scorer Cyriel Dessers
This might be harsh on Rangers top scorer Cyriel Dessers, but the Ibrox club are a better and more effective team when he doesn’t start. Hamza Igamane gives the team something fresh and his first touch allows Rangers to have secure possession in the last third. He also has the imagination to do the unexpected and of course, he must accept the responsibility to score more often now that he is undoubtedly the preferred striker.
In fairness, Cyriel Dessers has a tremendous attitude. Despite having the knack to miss some gilt-edged chances, he keeps coming back for more and doesn’t hide. He scored a vital equaliser against Dynamo Kyiv in a Champions League qualifier earlier this season when the manager was heaping praise on his top scorer from last season. He also scored away from home against Olympiakos in the Europa League and regular goals in the Scottish Premiership had him out front as Rangers main threat.
It’s clear though that the front three of Vaclav Cerny, Hamza Igamane and Ianis Hagi is a more potent threat in front of goal and they also offer the penetration and creativity at the business end of the pitch. For now, Dessers will have to be content with being second choice.
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Rangers to Persevere with Under Fire Clement
There can be little doubt that most Rangers fans had lost faith in manager Phillippe Clement before the New Year Old Firm clash with Celtic at Ibrox. The prospect of falling seventeen points behind their great rivals if Celtic had won would have put pressure on the new look Rangers board to make a big decision. No one survives a gap as big as that at the halfway point of the season in Glasgow.
By winning so comfortably and dominating every area of the pitch and finally getting the better of Celtic at the seventh time of asking, it took the pressure off the Belgian manager and was the perfect result for all the senior figures in the Ibrox boardroom.
Their message can be that this is a man the supporters can get behind, this was a style of play that everyone can buy into with the understanding that results must improve. In the last two games against Celtic, Rangers have scored six goals and looked more than a match for Brendan Rodgers side. Some Rangers fans talk glibly of his lack of tactical awareness. This is a man who has had success in Belgium, managed in France and has European experience. Of course, it was a problem that he couldn’t produce a game plan to beat Celtic, but he has now. The truth is, Rangers have been the better side in the last couple of Old Firm games.
Rangers vs Celtic From January 2: Rangers Problem Is the Rest of The League, Not Celtic
The biggest problem for Rangers in the Scottish Premiership is pretty clear. Under Clement in the last couple of Old Firm fixtures, Rangers have been the dominant side and yet the gap at the top of the table is a massive eleven points. It’s not Celtic who are the biggest obstacle to success, it’s the mentality of the Rangers players who have already dropped points to Hearts, Kilmarnock, Aberdeen, Dundee Utd, St Mirren and Motherwell.
In the Europa League, Rangers have beaten Malmo, FC Steaua Bucharest and Nice. Draws with Olympiacos and Spurs see them on a healthy eleven points with further progress in the competition likely. This is a group of players who can clearly get themselves up for the biggest games but lack the professionalism to do it week in, week out.
Celtic No Longer Content with Being Just One Step Ahead of Rangers
Of course, it’s a painful one for Celtic to lose so comprehensively to Rangers but it’s a club in a good place. Every defeat against Rangers is hard to take, but Brendan Rodgers was right. The better team won. Three goals, two shots off the post and bar, twenty-four shots in total, there were only a couple of players who got pass marks. For those who think there may be bigger problems, it’s a suitable time to look at the overall picture. For years when they had the financial muscle to make progress at home and abroad, many Celtic supporters held the view that the leadership at the club was content to be successful domestically, always just in front of Rangers but not really interested in making progress in Europe.
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Under Brendan Rodgers second time around, it’s now a club that have spent £9 million on a striker who wasn’t first choice at Norwich, Adam Idah. It’s the job of the manager and his coaching staff to ensure he improves and becomes the main goal threat. Spending £11 million on young Belgian Arne Engels also demonstrates the enormous spending power Celtic have on everyone else in Scotland. Rangers can get nowhere near it. More importantly, in this season’s Champions League, Celtic have competed at a high level where the likelihood is they will progress to the knockout phase. This is where Celtic should be measured, not the occasional defeat to a Rangers side who lack the consistency to be serious contenders for the title. Remember, only one team can win the treble this season. I wouldn’t rule out another clean sweep domestically.
Kieran Tierney Can Improve Celtic but Can He Stay Fit?
Celtic fans will get behind the news that former full-back Kieran Tierney, in the final six months of his contract with Arsenal, seems keen to continue his career where it all started for him. All you can hope for Tierney is that he can stay fit for whoever he signs for and hopefully for Scotland too. In the last two seasons, the left-back has played just twenty-eight games. If fit, he can add quality to any team and would add to Celtic’s chances of making progress in the Champions League. While Greg Taylor has been excellent in his time at Celtic, Tierney is a better defender and the type of player capable of playing in a competitive Champions League club.
