Opinion – This calamity runs much deeper that Calmac being missing

The Celtic Star

·17 March 2025

Opinion – This calamity runs much deeper that Calmac being missing

Across Brendan Rodgers’ two spells as Celtic manager, that served up yesterday is up there with one of his worst moments…

Kasper Schmeichel picks the ball out of the net during the Scottish Premiership match at Celtic Park, Celtic v theRangers 16 March 2025. Photo O Rourke, Shutterstock

Outcoached by a Daily Record columnist and a Sportscene pundit. Where do you begin to start?

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Rodgers talked a big game on Friday at his presser, only to deliver that disastrous first 45 minutes. Last Sunday he said: “Rangers stole our game that day… we will be ready,” when discussing the cataclysmic showing at Ibrox in January.

Barry Ferguson, Interim Manager of theRangers, celebrates with backroom staff after Mohamed Diomande scored the team’s second goal during the Scottish Premiership match between Celtic and theRangers at Celtic Park on March 16, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Bluster and bravado. Did he learn anything tactically from 2nd January ? Failed to adapt, and his game management when it went to 2-2 must be questioned. Another late goal conceded similarly to the League Cup final – once again his players failed to remain disciplined and concentrated in the final minutes. If you can’t win it, don’t lose it.

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Celtic goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel. Celtic v theRangers, Scottish Premiership, Celtic Park, 16 March 2025 Photo Stuart Wallace Shutterstock

Nine goals conceded in three matches against them – conceded the first goal in each of those three games – and have looked second best for majority of those individual encounters at Hampden, Ibrox and now Celtic Park.

A notable point: Celtic prided themselves in Glasgow Derby games in recent seasons to start on the front foot, be aggressive and set the tone. That has been eroded in the last four occasions. Starting slowly has cost the team and must be addressed heading to Ibrox in the post-split fixture.

The former Go Radio pundit and now Ibrox interim boss Barry Ferguson deployed similar tactics to Philippe Clement – unsurprisingly – and Rodgers had no answer for it – again. A reminder, the Irishman gets paid handsomely for these types of fixtures, and he has not been flexible enough this season. A huge concern.

Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard. Celtic lacked energy, creativity and urgency. The latter being glaringly obvious given how pedestrian and passive Rodgers’ men were in the first half.

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Brendan Rodgers, Manager of Celtic, looks on prior to the Scottish Premiership match between Celtic and theRangers at Celtic Park on March 16, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

I will not fall into the trap of believing Callum McGregor was the missing piece in the puzzle for Celtic yesterday afternoon. The skipper played in the last two games against the Ibrox club, and the same weaknesses were exposed then as well.

The same can be said for the unavailability of Auston Trusty and Liam Scales. Trusty lasted 45 minutes at Hampden, and the less said about Scales’ outing at Ibrox, the better. Rodgers’ over-emphasis in his post-match comments about McGregor being missing due to a calf injury was an excuse and a deflection, plain and simple.

Where were the leaders in McGregor’s absence? The experienced players really were abysmal. Schmeichel was literally selling the jerseys in the first half, Schlupp was dreadful, Johnston lacked any sort of energy and produced possibly his worst showing in his two years in Glasgow and Carter-Vickers was all over the shop.

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Vaclav Cerny of theRangers & Luke McCowan of Celtic. Celtic v theRangers, Scottish Premiership, Celtic Park, 16 March 2025. Photo Stuart Wallace Shutterstock

Luke McCowan has his limitations and struggled with the intensity of playing against Raskin, Diomande and Barron but he kept working hard, stayed involved, and never shied from taking the ball – and that’s all you can really ask when things aren’t going your way.

Nicolas Kuhn and Arne Engels done an awful lot of hiding. Abject displays. Kuhn seemed to have the heart of a mouse, hence Rodgers hooking him at half-time. A revelation in the first half of the season. But, since January, the winger has been largely anonymous. Both had no bravery to their play, when they received the ball, it was all a bit basic and simplistic – sidewards and backwards and there was no dynamism to their game. Complete letdowns.

And the goals yesterday, like the three at Ibrox, and similarly to the three at Hampden, were chronic. The first, Schlupp fails to make first contact from a header at a corner [against the smallest player on the pitch]– a theme for Celtic defenders in the first half. The second, Raskin makes a simple run unmarked into the box. The third, my word. Calamitous from Carter-Vickers and Johnston. Sunday amateur stuff.

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Daizen Maeda celebrates scoring Celtic’s first goal during the Scottish Premiership match between Celtic and theRangers at Celtic Park on March 16, 2025 (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

The positives were undoubtedly Jota and Daizen Maeda. Celtic had several underwhelming performers, but Daizen’s relentless work rate and determination helped pull us back into the match. Kicked off the pitch by his opponents, but as always covered every blade of grass and was the Hoops’ main attacking threat. Where would Celtic be without him?

Maik Nawrocki moves in as Cyriel Dessers battles for the ball with Cameron Carter-Vickers during the Scottish Premiership match at Celtic Park, Celtic v theRangers, 16 March 2025. Photo O Rourke/Shutterstock

A mention to Maik Nawrocki. Was steady and for playing zero Scottish Premiership minutes this season prior to the game, didn’t do much wrong. In that sense, he is blameless for what unfolded.

Now, the post-split game at Ibrox becomes a must-win for Rodgers. In the context of the season, the fixture might not mean much. Celtic will be going as champions. However, losing three times to them in the league this campaign seems incomprehensible and would be an embarrassment for the manager.

Conor Spence

Celtic in the Thirties by Celtic Historian Matt Corr is published in two volumes by Celtic Star Books. Photo: The Celtic Star.

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