Sunday’s Old Firm match was a last chance saloon for Rangers. 21 points behind Celtic going into the game, manager Ally McCoist knew that defeat would hand Celtic the SPL title, allowing them to win the league at Ibrox for the first time since 1967. Since going into administration, Rangers form had slumped badly, losing 3 of the four games since, including two defeats at home against Kilmarnock and Hearts. Including a Scottish Cup defeat at home to Dundee United, they all faced the prospect of losing four home games in a row for the first time in their history.
Celtic’s league form had been outstanding coming into the game, but they had lost last week’s League Cup final to Kilmarnock, ending their hopes of winning a domestic treble. Nevertheless, Celtic fans came to Ibrox hoping for a title win party, while the home fans were hoping for a show of defiance from Rangers, a win to make sure Celtic would have to wait for the SPL title for at least one more week.
A ‘normal’ Old Firm match will always have plenty of drama, controversy and talking points, so this one was never going to be any different. When the final whistle blew, three red cards had been shown, five goals had been scored, one manager had been sent to the stands and one set of fans went home happy.
Referee Calum Murray’s last Old Firm match was the infamous Scottish Cup replay last season that sparked a hysterical national crisis, as a bad tempered match resulted in Alex Salmond organising a ‘summit meeting’ to discuss ways to defuse the rivalry between both Glasgow clubs, despite that rivalry being the biggest attraction to the SPL for people outside of Scotland. Murray didn’t have a good game that night, but was much more in control for this game. Although he showed three straight red cards, all were correct, and he booked just one player, Rangers winger Salim Kerkar in the second half.
First to go was Celtic’s rightback, Cha Du Ri, with the South Korean seeing red for denying Lee Wallace a goalscoring opportunity. Sone Aluko had played Wallace in, and Cha bumped Wallace over as he attempted to run into the box to get onto the end of Aluko’s pass. In the second half, Murray showed Victor Wanyama a straight red after he dived in with two feet attempting to tackle Steven Whittaker.
It looked like Wanyama had won the ball, but both feet off the ground in a tackle is a no-no in the modern game and Murray was correct to show red. This left Celtic with 9 men, but the final red card was shown to Rangers defender Carlos Bocanegra, who conceded a penalty when he tripped Georgios Samaras.
remind me again ….what have rangers won this season? 000000000000000000000000000000000000000
That’s right Jim, Rangers have won nothing. Where did I say they had? Incidentally, Kilmarnock are the only Scottish team to have won anything this season, so what’s your point?
Cha’s red card was risible, it was never a goal scoring opportunity. Kind of like when Papac hauled Samaras down, still an awful lot to do. OOps, forgot, Paul, sorry, Callum Murray didn’t think that was a foul at all.
Leaving aside the modern interpretation of a fair tackle, Wanyama went for the ball AND got it. Can Whittaker say the same?
Wallace was offside for the second goal, overlooked by the same linesman that flagged against Stokes when he was through one on one and clearly onside.
Another five minutes and the nine men would have won the league. Sadly even the time added on at the end was curtailed by the inept man in the middle.
The rule is ‘clear goal scoring opportunity’, not ‘easy goal scoring opportunity’. If Cha doesn’t foul Wallace, he’s one-on-one with the goalkeeper.
Wanyama went in with both feet off the ground, an illegal tackle. Whittaker made no contact with him.
Wallace wasn’t offside.
So Celtic would have won if the game had been 99 minutes long? Strong argument there.
Absolute garbage with regard to Cha. Note that I didn’t say “easy. “Even Lionel Messi wouldn’t have considered it a clear goal scoring opportunity.
I accept Wanyama’s tackle is now considered illegal. I think I implied that in the first place. Do you have today’s Metro? The picture on p54 clearly shows the contact on Wanyama by Whittaker. I watched the game on TV and it’s pretty obvious on that also although the tint in your specs might impair this..
You have got to be kidding on Wallace not being offside. Even the diehards in my work agree.
The final point I was making was that towards the end of the game although outnumbered, Celtic looked much more likely to score than Rangers. Murray didn’t play the full 4 minutes.
Again, if Cha doesn’t foul Wallace, he is in the penalty area one-on-one with Forster. That is the definition of a goal scoring opportunity.
Whittaker does not stamp on, or kick, Wanyama. His foot is raised because he is avoiding the tackle, otherwise he would have been injured.
At what point do you consider Wallace to be offside? He is not offside when Whittaker crosses, and Lafferty jumping in front of him with Rogne doesn’t get a touch. He isn’t offside after Forster has saved either.
Murray blew the whistle at 93 minutes and 50-something seconds, according to the Sky clock. Celtic might have scored had he added another 30 seconds, so might Rangers.