The common theme that emerged in the mainstream media in recent days is it didn’t take much for theRangers to interrupt Celtic’s attacking rhythm on Sunday afternoon. Now the narrative developing is theRangers have the upper hand. Yet reports of Celtic’s tactical demise, particularly from an attacking perspective, are both premature and quite frankly over exaggerated.
Much like Ibrox a fortnight previous, van Bronckhorst’s side pressed Celtic from the front and man-marked those the likes of Hart, Starfelt and Cameron-Carter Vickers would look to pass to in front of them – something that certainly causes Celtic discomfort against better sides than we usually face in the domestic game and it is something we will have to address going forward, as we have already discussed today.
Yet the only real additions to the tactics from the theRangers coaching staff was the decision to nullify Tom Rogic by having Calvin Bassey play up the backside of our standout performer from the win at Ibrox, as well as taking the decision to push their physical approach as far as the referee would allow. When Bobby Madden chose to adapt his own gameplan to a refereeing manual from the late 1980s, much of our forward options were negated.
Apparently, that now gives the impression Celtic have in some way been found out, yet it’s nothing of the sort. There are clear issues progressing from the back under pressure, and it would be fair to recognise just that,. Celtic however also had a day where the rotations didn’t knit seamlessly, but such was the leniency offered to our opponents at Hampden there are clear mitigating circumstances for Celtic being unable to get into their groove.
Of course, that has now resulted in calls for more physicality to be adopted by Celtic, to meet fire with fire where necessary, and in short adopt more of the tactics theRangers adopted on Sunday. Yet that is short sighted.
theRangers tactics on the day are not only unsustainable within the laws of the game, they were also an acceptance on their part that they could not live with Celtic without blurring the lines of legality. That should be all the encouragement Celtic need to stay on message and trust Ange Postecoglou’s process – particularly when you consider Celtic have already defeated this team home and away in the league this year. Where we may have some frailties progressing the ball from defence, when we do, we have midfield and attacking players who can take the ball under pressure, but for that to work they have to be offered the protection the laws of the game should afford.
It should also be considered that despite being out of sync for much of Sunday’s semi-final that Celtic still went in front and could and should have scored a second – with Carter-Vickers hitting the cross bar a turning point in the game.
Yet despite their apparent tactical superiority, theRangers still couldn’t defeat Celtic in 90 minutes. It took extra time – and Celtic to be massively impacted in key positions by injury – for theRangers to actually get their noses in front, evidence that for all their ability to disrupt games, they lack the creativity and finishing power required to be married to their tactics of negating the opposition.
Celtic can take confidence from that too and it’s something that should concern theRangers for the top-six games where they will be required to be ruthless in front of goal as well as in the tackle to eat into Celtic’s equivalent of a seven-point lead at the top of the table with just five games to go.
For the upcoming head-to-head at Celtic Park there are also further positives to take. Celtic had to play Daizen Maeda, a third-choice pick, as a central striker. His moving from his most effective left sided position meant James Tavernier had the run of the right wing. Greg Taylor looked exposed but who wouldn’t when Jota was having an off day in possession and little bar a nuisance as a defensive threat when play was in transition?
Maeda nullifies Tavernier’s threat, and with Kyogo now available for selection and Giorgos Giakoumakis due to return, Celtic will be able to call on a goalscoring threat in a central area meaning Maeda can return to where he has shown his best form.
The decision of theRangers to utilise Calvin Bassey to target Tom Rogic and stop him from turning the play was a key decision from van Bronckhorst, but it also brings opportunity, something we failed to pay heed to during the game, but will surely recognise as the match is dissected.
Bassey’s engaging at every turn with Rogic left a huge gap in behind. For much of that time Connor Goldson was left covering the central defensive position by himself. The resultant gap to Borna Barasic at left back was huge. Celtic failed to recognise this and target that space, but It’s something we won’t miss when we go through the post-match analysis.
With Kyogo’s movement in central areas and ability to find pockets of space theRangers are asking for trouble if the same tactics are adopted at Celtic Park. If they recognise this and leave Bassey beside Goldson, Rogic will have the space he needs to take the ball on the half turn, if however, they do adopt the same tactics again, Kyogo will be in clover.
The narrative emerging of theRangers now gaining some long-standing advantage over Ange Postecoglou’s playing philosophy is quite a conclusion to leap to on the back of a close fought semi-final encounter that took extra-time to separate the teams. The victor of course gets the spoils and the win was always going to be lauded, but in truth there was little between the two sides and it was a game where extremely questionable officiating more than played its part.
Celtic will bounce back from this and see the defeat for what it was, a minor aberration in a season of setbacks where we’ve always risen to the challenge.
A win at Ross County this weekend will leave Celtic in a position where the title to all intents and purposes can be won at Celtic Park against theRangers a week later. It will also be the perfect opportunity for Ange Postecoglou to show he has the answers to the questions the cup-semi final has raised – and he’s rarely been found wanting this season when solutions are required.
Niall J
I could not agree more. An excellent piece.
Kyogo’s only half fit though. The fact that we did not capitalise on Basseys wanderings during the game is worrying too.