SCOTTISH PREMIER LEAGUE: Rangers 2 Celtic 1:TONY MOWBRAY effectively issued a shape-up-or-ship-out warning to Celtic's defenders after their generosity contributed heavily to Rangers' victory yesterday.
The Parkhead club’s manager, once a centrehalf of some repute, is yet to settle on first-choice defenders, and his mind was hardly placated after events here. Stephen McManus and Glenn Loovens were culpable as Kenny Miller handed Rangers what proved to be an unassailable two-goal lead within 16 minutes.
“If individuals cannot step up to the mark we will change them,” said Mowbray when asked about the defensive problems. “I will look at the goals again, see who was letting the ball bounce in an area it should not have, see who was out of position, and make up my mind after that.
“If Rangers had created their chances through clever interchanges and good movement then we would hold our hands up and say ‘fine’. But that wasn’t the case. The bottom line is I’ve been critical of them over the last few weeks, hoping to get a reaction, and yet the mistakes are still there.
“Football is about putting demands on your players and they either rise to the challenge of the demands you put on them, or they don’t. Each of them have had opportunities and will continue to have opportunities. The day they keep clean sheets, and look solid and do well, the same two will play the next week.”
The lack of class on show in the Old Firm game may mean it now takes on the significance of two bald men fighting over a comb, but it remains an engaging affair.
Miller, who has been subjected to all kinds of weird and wonderful treatments from a Thai therapist as he seeks to clear a pelvic complaint, has an uncanny knack of revelling in the big occasion. “Losing was not even worth thinking about before this game,” said the striker, who will head to Germany today for his latest injury diagnosis. “Hopefully this will kick-start our season because we have not been firing at all. We all know that.”
Miller’s sentiments were echoed by Rangers manager Walter Smith, who watched his team cut Celtic’s lead at the summit of the table to a single point. “It was important for us that the gap at the top did not increase any, even at this early stage in the season,” Smith said.
The fact that both teams were of the makeshift variety partly – but only partly – explained the lack of class. The match ball could reasonably have been admitted to an accident and emergency ward after what it was subjected to.
Miller collected a pass from Kris Boyd before miscuing a shot which still managed to find its way past Artur Boruc for the opening goal.
Celtic should have been afforded an instant shot at redemption but the referee inexplicably deemed David Weir did not foul Shaun Maloney inside the penalty area. Mowbray, to his credit, refused to dwell on that incident.
“The referee gets paid to make those decisions. I’m not going to sit here and criticise him,” he said.
Miller increased their angst, however, with a little help from McManus and Loovens. An Allan McGregor goalkick was allowed to bounce through the centre of Celtic’s defence and Miller was the grateful recipient, with a cleaner finish this time. A Celtic penalty kick was forthcoming before half-time, Sasa Papac upending the debutant Zheng Zhi. Aiden McGeady, their outstanding performer, did the rest from 12 yards.
Celtic’s hopes of gathering at least a point were doused by a glaring lack of potency thereafter. Maloney shot wide from close range while Scott McDonald was twice wasteful when a similar distance from McGregor’s goal. On this form Georgios Samaras, the man Mowbray introduced to apparently beef up his attack, would not have looked dangerous if he was carrying an axe.
Out of adversity, though, came defiance from Mowbray. “There was enough evidence out there to suggest we will be top of the pile come the end of the season,” he said. At least Celtic’s manager can take continual solace from the fact his team do not have much to beat.
- Guardian Service
RANGERS:McGregor, Little (Novo 14), Weir, Papac, Smith, Whittaker, Davis, Mendes, Naismith, Boyd (Lafferty 42), Miller. Subs not used: Alexander, Rothen, Fleck, Loy, Wilson. Booked: Mendes, Novo.
CELTIC:Boruc, Wilson, Loovens, McManus, Naylor (Caddis 76), McGeady, Brown, N'Guemo (Samaras 62), Maloney, Zhi (McCourt 70), McDonald. Subs not used: Zaluska, Caldwell, Crosas, Forrest. Booked: Maloney, Wilson, Brown, Loovens.
Referee:C Thomson (Scotland).
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