Almost. Nearly. But not quite. And, according to the rules of engagement in a rivalry like no other, little credit is awarded for nearly getting the job done.
Just why did Rangers fall short – again – in a seemingly close encounter with a Celtic side who hold a hoodoo sign over them? As ever, the key answers lie not in luck, heart, guts or winning mentality. But in simple footballing facts. In traps laid and gaps exploited. Opponents moved out of position and wide-open spaces created. Ange Postecoglou’s men are simply better at what they do. The question of whether Michael Beale has a plan capable of halting the green machine, once he gets an influx of on-field reinforcements, will have to wait until after the summer transfer window.
In the second Scottish Cup semi-final of the weekend, the Rangers boss managed to disrupt some of his Celtic counterpart’s most ambitious intentions. But he cannot really complain about a 1-0 loss that, even allowing for Fashion Sakala’s howling miss, felt like a fair enough result. Let’s start with the winners, who looked well drilled on both sides of the ball, whether that be in shutting off options to create a turnover (see Photo 1) or getting key player Callum McGregor in the game.
Rangers actually tried to do to Celtic, and their captain in particular, what the Hoops so often do to opposition playmakers – cut the supply off at source. But Malik Tillman and Todd Cantwell were pulled out of position easily enough, Photo 2 showing how McGregor got himself on the ball – with half of the Hampden pitch, unoccupied, in front of him – in a move that ended with Celtic creating a chance.
The men in green weren’t always haring after possession in the opposition half, of course. At times, they took a breather by dropping into a defensive shape and asking Rangers to find a way through (see Photo 3) – knowing that they could always hit on the counter. The only issue with that, of course, lay in Rangers teasing Celtic out of their neat block, moving a few pieces around by shifting the ball quickly – and delivering quality balls from the wide areas.
Borna Barisic getting space (see Photo 4) to pick out Todd Cantwell (see Photo 5) gave Rangers some hope, certainly. What Beale’s men could not do, it seemed, was hit with the sort of pace and intent that might have given them an edge.
The moment captured in Photo 6 looks like a promising counter, at first. But John Lundstram isn’t capable of running away from anyone in the frame. Nor is Alfredo Morelos. And Ryan Kent is almost ambling into a nothing position.
Celtic’s goal came from a Rangers mistake, obviously. But a mistake exploited by a team who always seem more switched on than their opponents, who were looking for a mental breather. Something rarely found in this fixture. Credit Beale for shaking things up in the second half. And, if Sakala’s miss was borderline unforgivable, the forward did actually create the space for James Tavernier’s shot off the post, dragging two Celtic players towards him and leaving one of his team’s most obvious goal threats free to have a crack (see Photo 7).
The full backs have always been crucial to Beale, a trait going back to his spell as Steven Gerrard’s assistant at Ibrox. His ambition is to get wide, get the ball in and cause chaos in the opposition ranks. Nobody would have been surprised to see Barisic pick out Tavernier for a golden chance, then, with 20 minutes remaining (see photo 8); Rangers had created the room for the left back’s delivery really well, shifting the ball from side to side and making it impossible for Celtic to cover every opening.
Ultimately, however, Celtic were rewarded for defending well, understanding their roles and playing smart football. Mostly.
Sead Haksabanovic really ought to have picked a better pass – not difficult, given the ball he played to nobody – from the four-on-three break late in the game captured in Photo 9. It wasn’t inevitable, incidentally, that Celtic would get that sort of a chance as Rangers pushed for an equaliser. The old adage about being caught on the break while “throwing bodies forward …” is only true up to a point.
Things don’t just happen in football. Players make them happen. Players working to a plan that gives them freedom in the right areas – but puts them in the best possible starting positions to impact the game.
Celtic are now two wins from a Treble because, when it has mattered most, their players have been on point, utterly relentless – and fully up to speed with a strategy that brings out their best qualities. Ask Beale. He’s seen it in action, up close and personal, often enough.
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