So, the league season is finally over and Celtic have been crowned Premiership champions for the 54th time and 12th in 13 years. For the first post of this new blog, I thought we would look over what has happened this season, its ebbs and flows and analyse how we got here.
The season started with such excitement, Celtic had a new (old) manager, who had arrived with the twin bags of previous, unopposed, success in one hand and some resentment and mistrust, from supporters about the manner of his previous departure in the other. Rangers, for their part, had a bullish manager and a host of new signings, whose virtues were being extolled across the media.
The overwhelming view of press and pundits was that Rangers had had the better of the summer transfer window and that now that Michael Beale had 'his' players in place, Brendan Rogers would face pressure for the first time in Scotland. Numerous opinion pieces were penned warning Celtic that a challenge was coming and could the manager handle the pressure. Radio show punditry filled the airwaves with thoughts of the gap being closed and Celtic fans turning on Rogers should Rangers push them. So, how would it all turn out?
The early part of the season saw both teams struggle for form and fluency. Celtic stuttered to a 4-2 win over Ross County on the opening day, while Rangers slipped to defeat at Rugby park, immediately putting pressure on Beale's new look side. While the press, a litany of ex players and dredged up local experts had been effusive in praise for the Rangers' signings, results in pre-season had raised alarm bells amongst the support and fans forums were full of worry following that opening game.
For Celtic's part, their signings were being equally scrutinised by a support worried that proven quality like Jota was being replaced by 'project' players and the club was seeing a return to the Lawwell era approach to team building. Following another unconvincing win at Pittodrie, Joe Hart's post match interview encouraged the support to stick with them and extolled the virtues of the new manager as he said they were all united and working hard to implement the new ideas and vision.
That new approach, and stuttering start came to an abrupt halt at Rugby Park, where a rejuvenated Kilmarnock made it a quick fire double over the big Glasgow 2, abruptly ended Rogers 100% cup record and any hopes of a 3rd treble. That defeat would set the tone for what would be, in the most part, a season of toil for the Glasgow giants confirmed by a turgid 0-0 draw with St Johnstone at Celtic Park.
Rangers, for their part, were also not finding life in the early part of the season easy. A nervy win against Servette at Ibrox, with three late goals putting gloss on an unconvincing performance against Livingstone, and a scrappy win in the league cup against Championship Morton was beginning to put pressure on the Michael Beale revolution.
All was then set up for the first clash of the season between Scotland's big two clubs. Celtic went into this game with big injury concerns, resulting in an untried 3rd choice pairing at center back. For Rangers, this was a chance for Beale and his team to show that they could back up their win of the dead rubber in May with a win in a meaningful derby; having failed to win any of the games that counted during the previous season.
The press was feverish with anticipation that Beale would lay down a marker, exert his authority, go top of the league and heap tremendous pressure on Celtic and their new manager. In the end, it was the old master, Rogers, who triumphed. The recurring failings of the Rangers defense to stay switched on and manage pace came to the fore with Kyogo scoring an excellent volley from the edge of the area, following a return header by the season's outstanding player, Matt O'Riley.
Rangers huffed and puffed and complained about refereeing and VAR - more on that later - but, ultimately, failed to lay a glove on Celtic's makeshift defense and the game ended with the Champions moving 4 pts clear at the top and Beale facing mounting pressure that his recruitment was poor, his tactics morose and his team's jaw weak and unable to win against Celtic, when it really matters.
Many thought that would be the start of Celtic's return to form and indeed they did string together another 5 straight wins in the league, however the swashbuckling football of Postecoglou's reign continued to elude the champions and the run was brought to an end with 0-0 draw at Easter Rd against a Hibs side that was struggling for any kind or form or identity under a manager that seemed hopelessly out of his depth
Rangers, following that derby defeat, saw huge pressure mount on Michael Beale from a media that been lauding him, and the challenge he was going to pose to Celtic, just a few short weeks previously. Despite four consecutive wins following that defeat to Celtic, including one against Real Betis in the Europa League, the press had their knives out. Perhaps embarrassed by having another of their new big hopes, that they had lavished praise and expectation on, let them down again, they were in no mood to let him off the hook and when his team capitulated to a generally abject Aberdeen at Ibrox, there was no way back and the Rangers board pulled the trigger on yet another sacking.
That defeat left Rangers 7 points behind the champions and staring at finishing a distant second once again. The next, in a long line at new hopes was unveiled on the 15th October and within 2-weeks, following Celtic's draw with Hibs, had cut the gap to 5pts. Could the title be back on?
Celtic went on another 3 game winning run, including a thumping 6-0 defeat of a hopeless Aberdeen that caused many to think that the team were finally clicking into gear. They moved 8pts clear as Rangers' game against St Johnstone was postponed to allow for the League Cup semi-final.
That mini run was halted by a turgid 1-1 draw with Motherwell at Celtic Park that brought to the fore all of the concerns of the supporters. The team were not playing with any pace or fluency, the new signings, especially the attacking ones, looked a little one paced, the talismanic Kyogo was off form and Oh was not making any impression. In the absence of Carter Vickers, Celtic's defense looked vulnerable and the manager clearly did not have faith in the 2 center back signings from the summer. In summary, this was a team that looked devoid of attacking ideas, did not score goals and was always likely to lose one. The match against Motherwell was all of those things in a single game. These were worrying times for the Celtic support.
The draw with Motherwell did not hurt Celtic in the title race as the usually abject Aberdeen rallied to claim a draw with Rangers the following day and it was as you were at the top.
During this period, the European competitions were in full swing. Celtic, again, competing well in matches but unable to secure results and exiting from the group stage while Rangers, once more, doggedly eked out enough results to qualify. Whatever failings they have domestically, Rangers continually seem to secure results in Europe.
Apart from the hammering in Madrid, Celtic were generally a match for their opponents in the Champions League with individual errors, brief lapses in concentration and questionable officiating costing the hoops points in most of the games.
Losing in the dying seconds to Lazio after looking like they had taken all three points themselves late in the game and coming away from the thrilling draw with Atletico where they took the game to their illustrious visitors, there were encouraging signs of a team that was not totally out of place at this level. Despite beating Feyenoord in the final match it was another hard luck story for the Bhoys.
Back in the league, Celtic continued to stutter, resulting in a half time dressing down from Rogers in Perth that produced arguably the best 45 mins of the league season to that point. Rogers did not hold back in his post match press conference following the 3-1 victory, labelling it the angriest he has ever been at half time in a game.
The hope was that that dressing down and subsequent performance would galvanise the team into life. Alas, despite another 2 victories, the middle of December saw back to back defeats to Kilmarnock and Hearts, the latter at an extremely deflated Celtic Park.
These results allowed a seemingly rejuvenated Rangers to close the gap at the top to 2 points with a game in hand. Nerves were setting in amongst the support and the press were, again, becoming feverish over the new Ibrox manager and the possibility of a Rangers title. Talk was rife that Rangers would go top on the 30th December at Celtic Park and one grizzled old hack wrote, with total conviction, that Rogers would not be at Celtic next season regardless of what happens in this one. The press had been sucked in again, when will they ever learn?
Celtic steadied the ship with two hard fought wins against Livingston and Dundee, and with Rangers' game against Ross County postponed, it meant Celtic would retain top spot regardless of the derby result.
As has been the case over the past 3 seasons, when it mattered, Celtic produced a performance in the derby that was simply too good for Rangers. Despite more VAR controversy, the simple truth is that the team from Govan, did not turn up, while Celtic's serial winners all performed on the day. Racing to a 2-0 lead, Callum McGregor ran the show and Kyogo provided the sparkle. A late rally and another free kick goal from Tavernier was not enough to give abject Rangers anything from the game.
The VAR controversy over Johnstone's hand ball gave Rangers their usual get out clause for the result and allowed them, yet again, to avoid any meaningful scrutiny of their performance. Just as in the first derby of the season and in numerous ones before, Rangers pushed the line that they had been wronged rather than beaten. The fact that in both games, the final decisions arrived at were correct was lost on Rangers, who pursued their latest 'injustice' with the authorities over the next 10-days.
It seems clear that Rangers might have had some semblance of a point in relation to how the decision was reached for the handball incident, if not the overall outcome, but they lost all credibility when they leaked, to a trusted fan source, that they had asked the SFA to stand Willie Column down from ever officiating their games again. This is the second time they have tried to do that in the past 3-yrs, the first of which also included references to his religion influencing his decision making. That monumental failure of emotion over strategy scuppered any high ground they had and left them red faced and on the end of a written bashing from the SFA. That the SFA did not sanction Rangers for this shows their weakness also. A truly sordid affair.
During the frenzied period following that game and Rangers tub thumping, Rogers' comments post match that for his whole time in Scotland Rangers were coming and that he'd seen off 5 managers went largely unnoticed by all except the Celtic support, who saw it as a sign of defiance from a manager and team that had been under pressure. While that match and the comments did not immediately drive an upturn in results, it was clear that Rogers was irked by the negativity towards him and his team and was beginning to bite back. This was a theme that would recur throughout the remainder of the season.
The victory in the derby moved Celtic to an 8pt lead, albeit with two games more played. This was reduced to 3 when Celtic, again, stumbled with a 1-1 draw at Pittodrie. Rangers, having previously won one of their games in hand, could now go level if they won their other one.
Aberdeen, a complete enigma of a team (I will write another article on the continuing ineptitude of the big city clubs) had a win and 2 draws against the Glasgow 2 in 4 games to this point and had performed admirably in the Europa league but were languishing near the relegation zone in the premiership. Unfathomable.
Rangers would, indeed move level with Celtic in their re-arranged game with Ross County and then go top in their own right following another insipid Celtic Park display against Kilmarnock. Derek McInnes side have inflicted 2 defeats and a draw against Celtic this season.
Rangers were showing some consistent form with 19 wins in their 21 games since relieving the hapless Michael Beale of his duties. They had topped their Europa League group and had also secured the first piece of silverware of the season with victory over Aberdeen in the League Cup final.
With their noses now in front in the league, the press were beginning to salivate about the prospect of a Rangers title win, with some hushed talk of, not only a treble, but a quadruple. One tabloid even devoted an entire article on how Dublin was going to cope with a Rangers vs Liverpool Europa League final? One wonders how that turned out? This frenzy of excited positive coverage reached it's nadir when Rangers thrashed a dreadful Hearts 5-0 at Ibrox.
Celtic, on the other hand, were receiving a hostile press, with stories of unrest, how would Rogers cope now that he was under pressure for the first time in his Celtic career and questions over whether he would remain beyond the end of the season. Each press conference and pre/post match interview was filled with loaded questions, looking for soundbites and trying to provoke a reaction from the manager.
For the most part, Rogers remained calm and batted away much of the attacks but it was clear that he was becoming increasingly annoyed at, what he felt, was a 'narrative' being written about him and his team and, in particular, his abilities as a manager and person. This came to a head following Celtic's dramatic late victory over Motherwell on 25th Feb when he took exception to the continued line of questioning and ended his Interview abruptly with the BBC's Jane Lewis. Much was made of the 'good girl' comment that ended the interview and it dominated the next week's football news cycle, continuing even after Lewis, herself, had made it clear she took no offence. This incident seemed to crystallise the point that Rogers had been making about the narrative being pushed around the club.
That result at Fir Park, however, did appear to be significant for Celtic. Recovering from a 1-0 deficit at half-time to rally in the second half to a 3-1 win; the winning and clinching goals both coming deep into injury time. That second half performance was dogged and determined and showed a will to fight for the title. For many, it felt like a turning point in the season. The result, the manner of it and the bullish post match interview all pointed to a turning of a corner.
Celtic, followed that Fir Park result up with a thumping 7-1 victory over Dundee at Celtic Park 3 days later and suddenly, the team looked to be hitting their strides. When Rangers slipped to defeat against Motherwell at Ibrox the following Saturday, it seemed the stage was set for Celtic to regain the lead at the top with a win in Gorgie.
The match will be remembered for a number of VAR interventions that resulted in 2 penalties, a red card and a furious Brendan Rogers post match interview, where he questioned the competence of the officiating, especially John Beaton. That would land him in the dock for bringing the game into disrepute. Despite the 2-0 loss, there was a general felling that the team had battled hard and the result was more due to circumstance than another stutter in form.
The win at Fir Park and the momentum it had started was not dented by that defeat and belief remained. Indeed, in the 14 games, including and since that match, Celtic have scored 3 or more goals on 11 occasions.
The joint defeats by both teams had left the situation at the top as you were but that was about to change. Celtic cruised to a 3-1 win against St Johnstone to move back to the top of the table ahead of Rangers match at Dundee. That game at Dens park was postponed due a waterlogged pitch; something that had been an issue all season. Rangers huffed and puffed in the press about the injustice of this postponement but rumours abound that they were offered both an opportunity to play the game later that day and in the free midweek ahead of the derby match, both of which they refused.
With both teams winning their next matches, it meant that Celtic went into the crucial derby at Ibrox in the lead. Leaving the lion's den (no actual lions were present) with at least a point, with a Celtic Park clash to come, would leave the title still very much in Celtic's own destiny.
Celtic got off to the best possible start with Maeda pouncing on the ponderous Tavernier inside the opening 20 seconds to score a wonderful goal that silenced the previously raucous Ibrox crowd. How Tavernier has survived as long as he has as first choice right back is beyond belief. He lacks the pace, positional sense or discipline to play the wingback role and has been caught out continuously over his 9 years in Scottish Football. Maeda, in particular, has terrorised him over the past 3 seasons.
Celtic settled into the match and created a number of good opportunities throughout that first half and were rewarded for their superiority with a second before half time when Matt O'Riley coolly converted from the spot. Goldson finally unable to escape yet another hand ball.
The second half was much more even with Rangers coming out of the traps fast. They secured their own penalty when the hugely theatrical Silva went down under a challenge from Alastair Johnstone. Initially receiving a yellow card for repeated diving, the referee was asked to take a second look on the monitor and overturned that decision. Much has been made of this incident but it seemed that a penalty was the correct decision. Tavpen duly stepped up and dispatched the ball high into Joe Hart's net. Game on!
Rangers were now in ascendency, spurred on by a hostile home support and quickly scored a second. This, also, resulted in Beaton being asked to review the incident and a clear foul in the build up was identified and the goal, correctly, chalked off. Rangers, however, did get their equaliser, with the returning Callum McGregor first giving away possession and then diverting a wild shot into his own net, with Hart sent in the opposite direction.
Ibrox was now rocking and a Celtic from earlier in the season might have wilted in this situation, but the result at Fir Park, the confidence that the team had taken from their recent results and Rogers' master class in coaching meant Celtic remained calm. The change to bring Idah on steadied the ship and Celtic began to exert some control again and took the lead late on for what looked like an outstanding victory, only to be thwarted by an excellent strike from Matondo in the final minute.
The game ending a thrilling 3-3 draw with Celtic still atop the league. With Rangers having a game in hand and a further derby at Celtic Park, the stage was set for a thrilling end the season. Celtic left the field satisfied with their performance and result while the Rangers players and manager soaked up a lap of honor, fist pumping and snarling teeth. Team and support at one in the belief that the title would be theirs.
The contrast in management styles was stark in the aftermath of this game and became more pronounced as the final weeks of the season progressed, Brendan Rogers stressing that his team comes alive in the closing stages of the season and that players were returning from injury. He spoke about keeping the players calm and focused, while his opposite number was beginning to look and sound a little bedraggled, with some, increasingly, bizarre comments; none more so - at this point - than that his team had achieved a moral victory in the game. As time progressed and results quickly ran away from him, Clement continued to stress that he had closed the gap since 'coming into the building' even stating that as they had beaten Hearts while Celtic had gone to penalties in the Scottish Cup semi-finals, that his team had more wins.
The league title was still in both teams' hands and it promised to be the tightest run in since 2008. Rangers' chance to go top of the league was scuppered by the continuing drama at Dens Park as the terrible winter and early spring weather made the awful Dundee pitch, once again, unplayable. Again rangers stamped their feet and demanded action taken against Dundee and pushed for the game to be played a neutral venue or Ibrox if the Dark Blues could not fulfil the fixture.
All of this meant that Celtic had a chance to take a 4pt lead at the top if they could continue their fine form since Fir Park in the home game against St Mirren. They duly did and scored another 3 goals, putting pressure on Rangers to repeat that the following day in Dingwall.
Ross County, mired near the foot af the table and having never beaten Rangers, pulled off a dramatic 3-2 victory to really mount pressure on Rangers. The wheels of the Clement bus that had started come loose in the preceding weeks were now fully wobbling as a rangers team, once again, seemed to wilt under pressure.
Those wheels finally came off three days later as the much discussed game at Dens finally took place and Rangers could only muster a demoralising 0-0 draw. With the bus beginning to miss its wheels, its driver was looking a sounding more and more intoxicated, stating that he had, in fact, gotten a positive reaction from his players at Dens and that winning the league was not the be all and end all because his team had closed the gap on Celtic. Comments that were directly contradicted by Dujon Sterling, who bemoaned the losers attitude in the dressing room.
Despite those results, the league WAS still Rangers hands as the season entered the split but with a resurgent Celtic, led by the increasingly calm Rogers, it felt as though Rangers would now HAVE to win at Celtic Park to have any chance.
Both teams fulfilled their responsibilities in the next 2 games and the stage was set for the showdown at Celtic Park. In the end, and despite a nervous last 20 minutes, Celtic ran out fairly convincing winners. Celtic controlled the opening stages and had spurned a number of opportunities before Matt O'Riley, evaded the Rangers defense and ghosted into space on the edge of the area. Receiving the ball from the brilliant McGregor, he duly dispatched his shot low into the corner and Celtic Park erupted.
Rangers old failings kicked in almost immediately. Lazy play in the middle of the park, Tavernier switching off against his friend Maeda and a defense with no understanding of its surroundings created a bizarre own goal from Lundstram. Rangers pulled a goal back quickly, taking advantage of Celtic's season long weakness of defending cross balls to the back post but a clearly riled up Lundstrom's head had already gone and he ran, full pelt, for 30yds to launch himself, off the ground, into Johnstone' s ankle and up the tunnel for an early bath.
Despite the hysterical and unhinged thoughts of Kenny Miller in the Sky commentary box, it was as clear a red card as is possible to have and with that, Rangers season seemed to be disintegrating. The second half saw Celtic dominate possession (rangers had one touch in the opening 3 mins of the second half and that was a clearance from a cross), miss a penalty and a string of other chances. While Rangers exerted some pressure in the final 20 mins, Celtic won all of the key challenges and rangers did not have an attempt at goal in that entire second half.
The end of the game brought another Celtic win, a 6 point lead at the top and 7 goal advantage. Only 2 heavy defeats in the final 2 games could see the league title go to Ibrox.
Rangers nearly handed Celtic the title on the Tuesday evening, going 2-0 down to Dundee but rallied well in the second half to record a 5-2 win, leaving the stage set for Celtic to win it at this season's bogey ground of Rugby Park. Just as Rogers had said in recent weeks about his team coming alive as the season draws to a close and wanting to sprint through the finishing line, Celtic produced a master class in their best performance of the season, blowing Kilmarnock away in a 5-0 victory. The league title was won at Rugby Park for the 4th time in the club's history and three in a row was achieved.
Huge credit needs to go to Rogers for how he handled the pressure, the press attacks and got the best out of a group of players that he did not sign. He did, keep them calm and focused and got the best out them. He was fully entitled to his comments in the days after the Rugby Park result to bite back at the snipers who questioned his commitment and skill.
The stage was then set for a final day party at Celtic Park in front of an adoring crowd. An entertaining game with St Mirren ended with another late winner to kick start a party that would last well into the night. At the end of a long season, Celtic end with 93 points, 29 wins and 95 goals. In any year that is a hugely impressible tally. In addition, Rangers draw with Hearts, meant that Rogers ends up with an 8pt lead at the top, one more that when Clement took charge, meaning Rogers and Celtic also win the 6-month cup and mute the Rangers manager's ridiculous assertion that he had closed the gap on Celtic.
The Scottish cup final is in 5-days and a victory in that will end a brilliant returning season for Brendan Rogers and Celtic. Given the form of both teams and managers, who would be against that?
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