This was Ibrox manager’s Old Firm moment – achieved with a patchwork team
Although an irrepressible character in his day, Graham Roberts is not the first name that would come to mind when predicting who might emerge as the inspiration for this emphatic, overdue and at times stylish Rangers victory.
A giant Tifo display was unfurled depicting the former defender on the 1987 occasion when the centre-half became a stand-in goalkeeper in an Old Firm fixture and, er, conducted the Ibrox choir. The hosts fought back that afternoon from 2-0 down to secure a draw amid some chaotic on-pitch scenes that led to courtrooms and infamy.
There was nothing quite so extreme here although a couple of bloodied Celtic players cannot simply be dismissed as just what happens at an Old Firm match. The incident near the end where Arne Engels was struck by a coin in the corner between the Broomloan and Sandy Jardine Stands was particularly concerning and will likely lead to sanctions for Rangers. The Ibrox club released a prompt statement afterwards condemning the person involved and pledging to help Police Scotland with their investigations.
Nicolas Kuhn was also felled near the end of the first half after being caught by Jefte’s flailing hand, with the Rangers defender picking up a booking. It was a hostile environment for Celtic and they wilted in the heat. Indeed, they never even got going. As well as scoring three goals, Rangers also hit the woodwork twice through Vaclav Cerny, who was restored to the starting line-up after Rest-gate. Philippe Clement referred to this rotation policy afterwards.
“I hope we can stop this discussion for the rest of the season or for the rest of the time I am here,” the Rangers manager said. He resisted adding “whichever is soonest”, which was what everyone present was hearing in their heads. The odds of him still being in charge come May have certainly lengthened slightly with this handsome victory.
It’s a stretch to say Rangers could have played the aforementioned Roberts in goal again but Liam Kelly, Jack Butland’s able deputy, enjoyed a relatively untroubled Old Firm debut, with Celtic managing only four shots compared to 24 from the hosts. Kelly only had one save of note to make from a half-volley from Reo Hatate in an extended period of first-half injury time.
Either Clement got his tactics right or Celtic endured a rare off-day. It was probably a bit of both as Brendan Rodgers suffered only his second-ever defeat in this fixture. He could have no complaints and admitted so afterwards.
Let’s give Clement the credit, particularly since he was forced to make some big calls on an afternoon when he was cast as a dead man walking. Had he been the one on the wrong end of this comprehensive defeat then it might well have spelled the end of his Rangers project. Instead, this win has breathed new life into his reign and means fans have again been given some hope that he could yet be the right man.
Rangers must build on it now, something they failed to do after recent positive displays against Spurs and then Celtic in the Premier Sports Cup final, when they drew 3-3 but lost in a shootout. They scored another three goals here. On this occasion, crucially, they did not give their rivals a route back after opening the scoring. A well-controlled strike into the corner from distance from Ianis Hagi, whose father was watching from the Ibrox directors’ box, set Rangers on their way after just six minutes.
Perhaps Gheorghe Hagi might have been a more apt figure to feature on the pre-match display. This was a performance from Rangers of undoubted quality, in midfield especially. Nico Raskin, given the armband aged just 23 in the absence of James Tavernier, was everywhere from the first minute to the 89th, when he was replaced amid great acclaim. Mohamed Diomande also enjoyed one of his finest performances in a Rangers shirt.
Clement was well within his rights to enjoy this first victory over Celtic at the seventh attempt and he lapped the pitch with his players afterwards taking the applause from the fans. He made a beeline towards Kelly first of all, the ‘keeper who has yet to concede goal in two appearances for Rangers this season. “He’s a Rangers fan…I think this is his childhood dream, to play this Old Firm (game) and then to win it and keep a clean sheet,” said his manager afterwards. “It cannot become better for him, I think, in his head.”
It might not get better for Clement in an Old Firm context. Big wins over Celtic don’t occur often these days. It’s usually the other way around. Rangers did win 3-0 in a dead rubber against Ange Postecoglou’s side in 2023 and 4-1 under Steven Gerrard against ten men in 2021. But this was a convincing victory hewn from a particularly unpromising set of circumstances and is a feather in Clement’s cap.
It’s accurate to say the manager had little choice with regards to some personnel decisions, including playing Kelly after Butland was a late call off with a leg bleed. It was directly in front of Kelly where real focus lay, with Clement’s pessimism about the likelihood of Leon Balogun being available – “a very, very small chance,” he put it two days beforehand – proving well founded. The excellent Dujon Sterling was deployed at centre-half next to Robin Propper, who capped a performance that should see him win some favour with Rangers fans by sliding in the second goal after Raskin’s header was blocked on the line by substitute Adam Idah.
The entire Rangers team were meant to be on their knees. Maybe that was why the rugged Roberts was chosen to be the subject of the pre-match display in the Copland Road Stand. “You’ll know us by our noise,” were the words along the bottom, with Rangers expected to be forced to rely on passion against their slicker city rivals. That didn’t prove the case at all, with Danilo ramming in the third goal for refulgent Rangers with ten minutes left with his first touch after coming on. Maybe all this tiredness talk was just a ruse.
