Gutless. Not a word that can often be applied to a Celtic side working under Brendan Rodgers’ management
But, in the combative environment of the Old Firm fixture at Ibrox on Thursday afternoon, Brendan had the majority of his troops given a dishonourable discharge because of cowardice in the line of fire. Valour was in short supply on a day when there were more chicken hearts than you’d find on a poultry farm.
It would be an insult to your own intelligence to suggest a comprehensive defeat from Rangers is the beginning of the collapse of all time for Celtic in the Premiership title race. If Rodgers somehow contrived to fail in the defence of the title won for the last three seasons, and from a leading position that was 14 points at its high-water mark, it would make him a laughing stock in the coaching world.
And Brendan’s had enough setbacks to be going on with for one week. If Celtic had defeated Rangers, the manager would have overtaken Martin O’Neill when it came to wins against their greatest rivals – a distinction that would have added to his legend status at the club.
Rodgers bent down to have that particular medal placed around his neck – then his own team kicked him on the backside. Now he and his players will come out to face an uncharacteristically critical crowd this afternoon when they face St Mirren at Celtic Park.
Old Firm derbies are about the day on which they take place. Context is an alien concept. Rangers fans delighted in the novelty aspect of their team’s derby win because they have been on the receiving end of several losses of late.
They didn’t concern themselves with any wider implications the result might, or might not, have had. The Celtic supporters, for their part, didn’t see the outcome as a temporary interruption to a previously impressive march towards the retention of the domestic game’s main prize.
Their dominant emotions at time-up were anger and embarrassment. That’s why they’ll sit with their arms folded this afternoon until Celtic atone for their mistakes by providing a victory in the stylish manner that completely eluded them at Ibrox.
As my late, great friend from the boxing world, Willie Limond, used to say: “It’s not about the dog in the fight … it’s about the fight in the dog.” And Celtic were several barks short of belligerent at Ibrox.
Rodgers has given the distinct impression of being a man with the scent of history in his nostrils this season. The Premier Sports Cup final win over Rangers took him one trophy beyond the other half of the Old Firm in the history of both clubs. He’ll want the league championship to extend that lead to two trophies and then the Scottish Cup to provide a world record-breaking nine Trebles for Celtic.
What the manager will need first of all is proof that psychological harm hasn’t been done by his team being on the receiving end of an extremely rare going-over at the hands of their rivals. Celtic had the sun on their faces and the wind at their backs when they arrived at Ibrox on the first working day of the new year. They left the ground with a dark cloud hanging over them.
And Celtic got off lightly into the bargain. The 3-0 defeat didn’t flatter Philippe Clement’s side – it should have been more – while giving the Ibrox boss some deserved kudos with his critical set of supporters.
It’s just as well Celtic had no supporters inside the ground or the venting of spleen would have taken on epidemic proportions. But Celtic Park will house tens of thousands of fans today.
And they will not be as complacent as their team were against Rangers. They will be a tough audience, as they will be when Young Boys arrive in Glasgow for a potentially pivotal Champions League tie later this month.
Unexpectedly, a question has been asked of Celtic’s temperament after a multi-million pound squad gave an impoverished performance when it was least anticipated. All of a sudden, the team who had one league loss throughout the calendar year in 2024 now have one league loss in the first two days of 2025.
Rangers have taken six goals off them in two matches within the space of days. Nobody said “Crisis”. Nobody mentioned alarm bells. But it does seem allowable to observe that questions have been asked of a squad capable of doing better than that. And a lot of people are waiting for answers.