It won’t make the slightest difference in the final analysis of another campaign gone wrong for Rangers.
In fact, it might just add another layer of festering frustration over the acts of self-destruction carried out by Philippe Clement and his data-crunching department during the festive period. Had Clement not allowed a posse of Poindexters to make his big decisions for him at St Mirren and Motherwell he’d be smack bang in the middle of a genuine title race heading into the new year, rather than stranded 11 points off the pace at the top.
But even so, what went on at Ibrox yesterday – as Rangers ran riot against their old neighbours – at least eased some of the pain these supporters have been suffering ever since the scientists experimented with their top-flight title chances, with disastrous results. Of course, hardly any of them could have expected such an emphatic, impressive routing of the rivals. Some may even have been hoping this would be the day that Clement’s future was decided for him.
They might not know whether to laugh or cry now that the manager has survived and got past the point of maximum danger. But the manner in which Rangers went about their business yesterday might offer up some consolation as well as the thought that Clement might still be capable of delivering something tangible with this team.
And yet, amid all of this, some lame-brains in a corner of the ground managed to spoil it all by pelting Arne Engles with coins and leaving Celtic’s sub sparked out on the sidelines in the dying minutes to ensure that a period of navel-gazing will also now be required by those in charge of their club.
It’s just another issue new CEO Patrick Stewart could do without but must now tackle – even if Clement is no longer at the top of his to-do list. At least there was no need for Clement to consult with the men in white coats before this one. All that was required was a quick pre-match headcount for all those still standing inside the home dressing room. And then it was up to the man in charge to shape them together in the most recognisable manner he could.
The reality was that included pitching in two left-backs – one on either side – Jefte and Ridvan Yilmaz starting in the absence of skipper James Tavernier. By contrast, Brendan Rodgers had a full deck to choose from and only one particularly difficult question. He chose to start with Paulo Bernardo in midfield rather than Arne Engles who has picked up a winter bug.
But either way it was much of a muchness in any case. This was Celtic flexing their muscles even before a ball had been kicked. Also, there was an indication of the general, filthy mood a couple of hours ahead of kick-off when the Ibrox club’s media team posted footage of Clement’s players arriving inside their own ground. Three or four of them made the mistake of being caught on camera smiling as they made their way out of the tunnel with hands shoved in pockets.
The very sight of those grins elicited a thermo-nuclear online response as an already simmering anger was raised to the point of all out apoplexy. Talk about prodding the proverbial bear with a stick? And especially at this time of unlimited ill-will to all of those men deemed responsible for causing them such pain and misery over the festive season.
And yet, over the course of 45 thunderous minutes, it did feel as if all had been forgiven as Rangers produced the kind of performance their people have been crying out for. Full of pace and purpose, they set about Celtic’s players all over the pitch until they had seized almost complete control of all areas. And it wasn’t just a matter of aggression, intensity and approach.
On the contrary, some of the passing football they conjured was as intricate, incisive and inventive as anything seen from Clement’s side over the course of the last year or so. With Nicolas Raskin leading from the middle of the park and feeding the ball into the feet of Hagi, Bajrami and Cerny, there were times when Rangers looked almost irresistible and too much for Celtic to withstand.
It was Raskin who set up the opening goal for Hagi with only six minutes on the clock and the Belgian’s part in this breakthrough moment perfectly summed up the nature of his side’s display. It began when he snapped into a tackle on Paulo Bernardo who was guilty of waiting a split second too long to receive a risky pass from Liam Scales. Raskin was on him in a flash before working a cute one-two with Bajrami. And then he displayed the poise and the presence of mind to see Hagi darting in behind his shoulder.
With a clever flick off the heel of his boot, Raskin rolled it into the Romanian’s path and Hagi let fly from 25 yards to find the bottom left hand corner of Kasper Schmeichel’s net, without giving the keeper a chance of getting across his goal in time to claw it out. It was a critical moment which poured fuel on Rangers’ levels of self-belief. The rest of the half was littered with similar exchanges with the home side coming out on top of almost all of them.
Cerny rattled Schmeichel’s crossbar not long after with a shot which looped off Scales and left the big Dane stranded. Even little Yilmaz was coming to the party from an unusual position on the right-hand side.
Not only was he keeping Daizen Maeda unusually quiet but the Turkish full-back was driving forward too and troubling Celtic’s defence. Raskin played a part in the second goal too as the second half turned into a mirror image of the first.
His header was clawed off the line but only as far as Propper who slid in to put the result beyond doubt. Danilo’s third added shine to the scoreline which was no more than then home side were worth. But the felling of Engles provided a nasty, brainless ending to what had been a very good day for Rangers.