Celtic v Rangers: Champions look to continue momentum after positive week
At last there will be resolution – and perhaps even Old Firm history made in the east end of Glasgow on Wednesday evening – as either Celtic or Rangers force a passage into the Scottish Cup quarter finals at the second time of asking.
Hitting the spot: Rangers defender Steven Whittaker celebrates scoring a penalty against Celtic in the 2-2 draw at Ibrox Photo: REUTERS
By Roddy Forsyth 10:30PM GMT 01 Mar 2011
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A 2-2 draw and two dismissals in the first encounter at Ibrox on Feb 6 guaranteed that the same personnel could not be employed in this encounter – Celtic’s Fraser Forster and Joe Ledley are suspended as is Steven Naismith, the Rangers man being injured for good measure – and a replay could also produce the first ever penalty decider in an Old Firm game in any of the three principal Scottish tournaments.
Neither side wants to endure that ritual and Strathclyde Police officers break into cold sweats at the thought of 62,000 hyperactive fans spilling on to the streets around Parkhead late into the night, but since the gods of perversity frequently intervene in this tribal dispute, a draw would surprise nobody.
That itself counts as an example of the power of this fixture to evoke extreme responses. This time last week Rangers were reeling from the battering their morale had sustained in the 3-0 league derby defeat at Parkhead the previous Sunday, but the space of a few days has seen the Ibrox side pull off a triumph of the will in their injury-time Europa League victory over Sporting Lisbon in Portugal and regain the ground they had conceded to Celtic in the SPL table.
Now it is Celtic, chastened by their 2-0 reverse at Fir Park on Sunday, who have been obliged to take stock, regroup and approach the fifth meeting of the season with their perennial rivals in a spirit of wary humility. Ally McCoist, nominated heir to Walter Smith as Rangers manager, does the talking before cup matches and he was animated on the subject of swings of fortune.
“It’s amazing how a week is a long time in football. I can’t remember being as low as I was after the last game at Celtic Park,” said McCoist. “Celtic played well, you have to accept that, but we were very disappointing. It knocks the stuffing out of you, but it’s like anything else, it’s about how quickly you recover.
“We had a meeting in here on the Monday morning, and we just had a good chat – there were no words said that were any harsher than usual, nothing that was news to anyone. Sometimes players just need reminded of what is expected.
“We just had a chat, and a few opinions were expressed. It was fine. There were no dramatics.”
Rangers’ 4-0 victory over St Johnstone on Sunday added to the tonic effect of the win in Lisbon and the Rangers management, eager to carry the momentum into tonight’s return match, promptly began to consider their options for the fifth derby of a record season for such encounters.
“After the whistle against St Johnstone on Sunday we started talking about it – not in great detail, just planning and video and stuff but there have certainly been opinions offered by the management boys that we should maybe play a little bit differently tomorrow,” McCoist said.
Although Rangers have lost other players of note – Kenny Miller to Bursaspor and Naismith to injury – the most obvious void has been caused by the injury to Lee McCulloch. Kyle Bartley, who replaced McCulloch in the 3-0 defeat, was suckered into an early foul on Scott Brown that earned him a caution and neutered him in his role as sentry in front of the central defensive pair of David Weir and Madjid Bougherra – who were also booked subsequently.
It would be no great surprise to find Steven Whittaker asked to perform the duty in this game, having been drafted into midfield against Sporting Lisbon and with experience of Brown’s wiles, including their spell as team-mates at Hibernian.
“I prefer playing at full-back but if I’m asked to move into midfield I’ll gladly do that,” said Whittaker, who scored from the penalty spot in the first instalment of this tie. He did so, moreover, into the goal behind which the Celtic fans were massed at Ibrox.
“I had a long wait to take it while Celtic changed goalkeepers. I just turned my back on their fans until it was time to take the kick,” Whittaker said.
When it was pointed out that he will not have that option should the occasion arise again tonight, he replied: “I’ll just have to look up at the sky, then.”
There are hazards in that approach, too, as the Celtic fans who felt themselves to be in seventh heaven 10 days ago can testify.
For two teams who are so familiar each other, Celtic and Rangers have served up four meetings of remarkable variety this season. Now we come to the point where a door must close on one or other. It just might take a couple of hours or so to jam it shut, though.
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