Q.1 Were Celtic worthy winners of the Premier Sports Cup?
KEITH JACKSON: Yes. Rangers pushed them much harder than expected but Brendan Rodgers has surrounded himself with quality. Celtic had more in reserve when it mattered most of all.
SCOTT BURNS: It doesn’t matter if they were worthy winners or not, the bottom line is they lifted the Cup. Celtic certainly weren’t at their best but got the job done, as they so often do.
FRASER WILSON: Either side could have won it. It was harsh on Rangers who created more chances throughout despite Celtic bossing most of the ball. The draw was a fair result but of course someone has to take the cup home and if it comes down to composure from the spot then yes, Celtic edged it.
MICHAEL GANNON: Celtic were not at their best and Rangers gave it everything. But there was always the sense the Hoops had more quality and experience in the big moments and just about shaded it.
Q.2 Should Rangers have been awarded a penalty for the Vaclav Cerny flash point with Liam Scales?
KEITH: Yes. The slow motion replays show Cerny’s foot was planted on the line when Scales hauled him down. No blame should be apportioned to John Beaton but VAR had to intervene.
SCOTT: It was a foul by Liam Scales. The offence on Cerny was on the line of the 18-yard box so it should have been a penalty.
FRASER: Yes. Former top level officials are in agreement that Scales tug on Vaclav Cerny was an offence inside the box and thus should have resulted in a spot kick. Almost impossible for on-field ref John Beaton to see but VAR Alan Muir should have intervened.
MICHAEL: There’s debate about the initial tackle before the tug taking place well outside but the officials have to let the phase play out and VAR should have stepped in to award a penalty.
Q.3 What does Sunday’s defeat mean for Philippe Clement’s Rangers future with the Belgian still searching for his first Old Firm win?
KEITH: Ironically he’s in a stronger position this week than he was at the start of the last one. A draw with Spurs and a near miss at Hampden will have gone a long way to restoring his credentials.
SCOTT: Rangers, in fairness, have been much improved in recent weeks.
Clement still needs a derby win but he needs to take maximum points ahead of the next clash with Celtic.
FRASER: Six derbies without a win is certainly not a good look. But Clement, having been told to cut the first team cloth in the summer, is now getting a tune out of his younger, fresher side. They have proved they can match Celtic head to head. The title is as good as gone but Rangers can still have success this season.
MICHAEL: Clement has bought himself time with recent performances and new CEO Patrick Stewart can now give him time. He needs to beat Celtic at Ibrox at the New Year though or he’s back in bother.
Q.4 Will Celtic go on to claim the domestic Treble?
KEITH: Yes. They’re the best side in the country with the strongest squad and the most tactically astute manager. They’re already well on their way to another clean sweep.
SCOTT: They are the strongest team by a country mile. A couple of weeks ago I would have said it was a stick on but it depends if Aberdeen or Rangers can get them on an off day in the Scottish Cup.
FRASER: I’m convinced they will. They’ve as good as got the double in the bag so it comes down to the Scottish Cup. Celtic have hit a minor bump in terms of performances of late but the worrying thing for their rivals is they will get better again.
MICHAEL: They are going to take some stopping. The worry for Rangers and is Celtic won when not at their best while Gers looked flat out. Celt also have the resources to tool up again in January, so it’s an ominous challenge for the rest.