Unlike some former Celts, Tom Boyd is never slow to look at matters from a Celtic point of view. So many others try appease the ‘wider’ audience by attempting to appear neutral. Memo to Andy Walker, if you are saying privately after the game that it was NOT a red card on Sunday, say it when you are on the tele! It is okay to say what you think. Jim Craig on here said it was a red card all day long.
Anyway Tom Boyd put the boot in brilliantly by suggesting that Rangers will be psychologically damaged after failing to get anything from a match they were leading twice and one that they went on to lose against ten men. And this could have a bearing on the two forthcoming games in the Scottish Cup and the ‘Title Decider’ at Celtic Park. How is it a Title Decider!!!! Have a look at the table!
“It demoralises you and that most recent one will certainly lower their spirits because they had been getting results and scoring goals for fun, but the thing for me at Ibrox was that neither defence played to their capability,” Boyd observed.
“There were a lot of opportunities created and Rangers, in particular, were exposed and the quality of Celtic’s finishes highlighted that. There have been a few good victories at Ibrox for Celtic recently – the 5-1 was special, obviously – but grinding it out like that with 10 men is one that will be remembered for a long time.
“That’s probably part of Murty’s learning curve as a manager. You don’t ever give the opposition a motivational speech – and that’s what he did. Not that Celtic needed it. Right from the start they looked composed on the ball but, for Murty, it showed a little naivety on his side.
“It was as damaging a defeat as any at Ibrox for them and there are a few reasons for that. There was the cockiness from them beforehand and the cheering which came from their dressing room after they’d been drawn against the champions in the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup.
“They’d been given some adulation after being in some wonderful games and scoring a lot of goals against some lesser opposition, so they’d gone into the game with some confidence.
“Add to that they were playing in their own territory, they’d been in front twice and Celtic had then gone down to 10 men and still beaten them, which shows the commitment and the desire of Brendan’s players.
“It will be a big blow for the Ibrox men and it was an excellent performance by Celtic. The team did their talking on the park with the quality they showed, especially the admirable way they coped with being reduced to 10 men,” the former Celtic skipper said.
“Harking back to the 1990s, they were on top and had all these international and world-class players. Celtic have that now and it’s the extra quality they have – as well as a top manager – which makes the difference.
“Rangers also have a very inexperienced man in charge, compared to Brendan.”
