Rangers came out decidedly second best in their first encounter with bitter rivals Celtic on Sunday, but Chris Sutton had a lot of praise for Gers keeper Allan McGregor.
However, he also added that he should have been sent off for a kick he seemingly aimed at Celtic’s Kristoffer Ajer.
Writing in his column in the Daily Record, Sutton said, “Allan McGregor kept Rangers in it but a major talking point in the first half was his kick at Kristoffer Ajer.
“The Rangers goalkeeper should have walked, plain and simple. You just can’t do that kind of thing.
“However, you have to admit McGregor was absolutely brilliant as he pulled off some superb saves to keep the scoreline down and his team in the contest.”
McGregor signed on a free transfer this summer from Hull City.
OPINION
Goalkeepers rarely get the praise they deserve – unless they’re pulling off world-class saves for the cameras. McGregor has been brilliant since he signed for Rangers in the summer and he showed again why he’s Gerrard’s number one against Celtic. He definitely kept the score down to a more-than-respectable 1-0, although he had to thank his woodwork too, which saved Rangers on four occasions. Should he have been sent off? If the referee had seen the incident he would have been in trouble, but it would have killed the game as a spectacle and skewed any result with ‘what-might-have-beens’. We’re glad they didn’t see it on this occasion and that McGregor stayed on the pitch. Sutton criticised both strikers Kyle Lafferty and Alfredo Morelos but it was tough for them. They never really got anything going for them, with Rangers sitting back and letting wave after wave of Celtic attack flow towards them. McGregor will be glad that’s the last he’ll see of Celtic until December.