Celtic decide not to show up at Ibrox. But were they told not to show up?

58 thoughts on “Celtic decide not to show up at Ibrox. But were they told not to show up?”

1. Much as I would like to buy into your conspiracy theory I can’t!
   If the team were told to “take a fall”one of them would share those instructions with someone who would share it with someone else and so on and so on,and eventually it would leak to the media.Too many people involved for such a cover up.
   We just didn’t show up for some reason….simple as that.

2. No way. Call me naive if you like but I don’t see that happening with Celtic.
   I believe it was the latest in a growing list of poor performances from the players. The manager got his selections wrong pre match and in the course of the game.

   Poor passing and decision making from the players throughout the game just added to the managers mistakes.

   A poor one. We take our medicine and move on HH

3. Rangers compared with us on a one v one basis is not a team vastly inferior. We need to face facts

4. The reason we were so bad today is our complete inability to change our style and approach when things are not going our way and the opposition’s tactics are working. Means, we get even more predictable and worse collectively and individually as such games progress. It’s a problem that needs to be addressed by the manager.

5. Were we told to tone it down a bit,17 up at halfway stage game done nae bugger going through turnstiles, profit down. Just don’t get that bad overnight.

6. The conspiracy theories are quite plausable, except for one glaring fact: Although Celtic didn’t play as badly as today, the Ibrox lot played them off the park at Hampden and should have lifted the cup. It was only because of a VAR mistake, denying a legitimate penalty to the Ibrox team, that led to Celtic ultimately lifting the cup on penalties. The upshot of it all is I really hope today’s mauling was down to some kind of conspiracy on Celtic’s part because the alternative – that they actually are that bad when playing in a pressured and hostile environment – doesn’t bear thinking about.

   As an aside, what ever possessed Celtic to pay £8m for Idah? He’s a big lazy player who is not remotely in the class of Dembele, Edouard and others. I would rate him around £1.5m, no more. Norwich took Celtic to the cleaners with that sale. Also, Hatate has to be sold while we can make some money on him. We know he has real quality but I don’t think he wants to be at Celtic now. He has been a relative liability for months. Quality players certainly need to be brought in this window if Celtic are to progress and show consistency under pressure. Kyogo is also beginning to worry me, he’s not been his old self for a long time and it’s worrying. Again, the consistency is absent.

7. My sentiments entirely …but that means the game is bent ..like an Arab’s dagger?

8. Yip, you’re a lunatic.

9. The truth is we are nowhere near as good as we think we are. We have been poor for quite a long time. Ross County first half and Aberdeen semi being the exceptions. Both recent 4-0 wins flattered us especially the Motherwell game when we needed a penalty to get us going. Time for a shake up. Let a few first teamers go, including Hatate, and replace this month to bed in more interested players. The manager might be getting complacent like he did in his first time in charge. Yearning for the EPL possibly, simply bored with it. Time for a rethink at many levels.

10. its hard to believe how bad we were today even the backwards sideways passes were being shutdown

11. We take 5 minutes to get over the half way line and another 5 beating the same Rangers players on way back. It’s too slow and too predictable and we have a team going the wrong way too often. Midfield weak, Bernardo and Hatate pushed aside. McGregor starting to look slow. Need strength and authority in midfield. At least they didn’t speak about idiot throwing coins – would have milked that incident had it been Celtic Park. No conspiracy Brendan was livid at some of the performances. They’re world beaters again this week with the Scottish Press.

12. What a complete load of drivel, and are you blaming Hatate,Scales was the worst man on the park and should never play in a Celtic shirt again, but every single player was rank end of.

13. Batshit ramblings from a serial wingnut

14. Rodgers love of Hatate, Taylor, Maeda and Scales is what f**ked us today and the fans know it .
    Why was Trusty not on when Scales was woeful ? Hatate should never have came back out for the second half, he was terrible. Maeda never showed up, he offered nothing and the less said about Taylor, a pussy in disguise.
    You could add others like Kuhn, McGregor and Kyogo.
    What a bunch of flops.

15. Beat it! You daft orc, Celtic deserved to win the cup and enjoy your bigotfest today but in big picture it won’t stop no Treble!! This has always happened in the early 80s many didy teams orc teams beat us now and then bit it mattered not a dot! Andthis is whete your at now! So enjoy the crumb from your masters table! As another Treble!! The 6th in 8 years for most successful Club in scotland is incoming you best believe that! Tho you know it! Now beart you weirdo! On a the champions content seeking our validation and relevance yet again ! Your old club died and you did nothing rid! Neck! In an age of Internet banking to ha ha Oh on idah yeah you slag him but he bagged us a double last year you utter clown shoe! Now off with you ! You weirdo

16. Eric (Knutts) analysis. Completely bonkers. They wanted it more than us, end off

17. You’re not a conspiracy theorist you are retarded. What a waste of time typing that nonsense out.

18. yeah they were told to not turn up… what an absolute rocket you are

19. Cuckoo…. cuckoo… 🥴

20. I have never seen a Celtic game where the whole 11 players were so far off it. Players not trying to lift each other, losing every single loose ball without any attempt to win it. It was as though they all could not be arsed. Rangers all of a sudden looking fantastic after horrendous performances against St Mirren & Motherwell. I have never seen anything like that game in my 62 years. Who knows what that was all about

21. to some amount u are right Eric but I’ve watched rangers try to kick and wot ever to celtic in league Cup and at ibrox today celtic were passive because they need all their players available for champions league riches today was a rubber duck in that aspect hopefully not much longer

22. Eric i can see why you think that.By not trying it’s like not bothering about winning
    If Celtic had won the season would have been over with an effect on football in Scotland up and down the country a big blow to all parties

23. I expected this today. The media noise surrounding the 17 gap was getting so much attention it was unusual. Also the way we played was well below par and it was deliberate. Rodgers had the slow the game down approach let them come to you at pace tire them out hit them on the break shit. If you watch the lethargy it was deliberate and that was for a reason. You only need your captain to slow it and it affects play all over pitch

24. We are not as good as we think we are. Maybe Hatate should be sold. Scales is just not good enough. Idah likewise. They need to be let go. As an Irish citizen that disappoints me but it’s true., Rodgers maybe wants the Irish job later ? Truly awful performance

25. No way you could not play as bad as the Celtic players did even if you tried they were absolutely shocking.

26. Hatate now a passenger . Dragging CalMac down . Passing poor , decision making poor and gets ball taken off him repeatedly . Can’t keep playing him just in case he does something . We start with 11 players but at least three are passengers every game meaning we are compromised from start . We got punished for it today .

27. Before I read the rest of the article, Eric did you watch the game?,Hatate?, really?. He was indeed woeful, as was our much vaunted captain , who was dreadful,and couldn’t even accept a pass, while blaming those around him for his failings. Atrocious too were Scales ,Johnson, Maeda, Kuhn, and to a slightly lesser degree the rest, Hatate,lol.

28. The Huns were up for the game from the start, every one of their players ran and harassed the entire game, we had wing backs running like headless chickens, Taylor is awful, he nullifies Maeda out the game with no service & Johnston & Kuhn weren’t on the same page, this slack passing leading to their goals needs to be addressed quickly, dangerous balls into the middle of the park where the Huns packed the field was suicide, I don’t want to see Scales start another game, he was by far the MOTM for the Huns

29. Alas the conspiracy theory falls at the first hurdle too, we were easily that bad in the first 90 minutes of the cup final, I even remarked to my son, during the final, doesn’t this look exactly as it would if you were deliberately throwing the match?, and we laughed uncomfortably.
    The fact that most fans repackaged that woeful performance as some sort of masterclass(ala Ali), because we got lucky, doesn’t hide how abject we were for 90 minutes, just like today, you don’t get that lucky twice:).

30. The most ludicrous part of that article was suggesting hibs will beat them on Sunday. Hibs NEVER try against them. Hibs are more their pals than hearts are. They’ll beat hibs 4-0.

    As for the other conspiracies…they are nonsense. Simple facts are our players didn’t turn up and the manager got everything wrong. The fans all believed this was going to be a rout today. We’d stroll up, win 4-0 and go home. The managers and the players clearly felt something similar.
    But although we won the cup a few weeks ago, they were by far the better side. They should have had a penalty to win it. And they’ve turned up today and done the same thing they did that day.
    I knew how they’d play, I don’t know how Rodgers didn’t.

    But the important thing you all seem to be ignoring about today is how bad Liam scales is. The first two goals are down to him. He can’t play football. He can’t pass a ball. How many times did he misplace a pass out the pitch or to them? Yes, hatate was pish, but scales was the worst player on the park. I’m sure you all want to blame Taylor, but he wasn’t any worse than anyone else and wasn’t at fault for any of the goals. But he’s not Irish so he’s obviously to blame.

    If scales remains in the team the we are going to keep losing the big games. We’ll probably start conceding stupid goals to the diddy sides. Trusty might not be CCV, but he’s a vastly better footballer than scales.
    There’s just no way the board tell Rodgers to lose, and there’s no way Rodgers goes along with it if they did.
    We were just utter sh*te again today. We’ve barely kicked a ball since the first half against Ross county. And haven’t put in a good 90 since Aberdeen at hampden.

31. This was a performance waiting to happen Celtic have not being on it for a while and today didn’t shock me but for your theory there is a question mark

32. That’s not bad lost 1 game in 7 won a cup another league champions Cup I can see another treble coming in 2025 can’t wait for 55 so we can hire the glider to fly over Glasgow

33. I’ll tell you the last time we played like that – 29th Dec 2018 @ Ibrox Infact the very last time that Rodgers was beaten by them.
    1-0 that day. We also had a goal chalked off for offside that day (McGregor on that occasion)
    Alfredo Morelos committed enough serious fouls to be sent off 3 times however we were indescribibly bad!

    Yes the league cup final recently was poor but it was nowhere near as woeful as today or that game 6 years ago.

    Funnily enough, during and after that game back in 2018 there was exactly the same feeling there is today, and contained in your article, that how is it remotely possible for every single player in an entire team to play so horrendously and all look like they were towing caravans….?

    Something has gone on today – reminds me of World Cup Final 1998 when Ronaldo looked like he’d been hypnotised.
    I’m not suggesting a conspiracy – but something has gone on within that Celtic squad for this game and something went on within it 6 years ago.

    Rangers really weren’t all that today – we were just beyond poor.

    That was off the scale “something is wrong here” material!

34. I can’t believe that anyone can truly believe that Celtic deliberately laid down to Rangers today. We were well beaten by a weakened side simply because they wanted it more and were better than us on the day!

35. Tactically Rodgers learned nothing from the cup final. We were thrashed 24 shots to 4 and they also hit the bar and post. The reality is that we are playing in a league of 3rd rate players. Outside of the old firm, not a single Scottish club got past the qualifying stages in Europe, with most of them getting beat by absolute minnows. Our bench yesterday was worth more than every starting eleven in the league, including Rangers. But no doubt Rodgers will be looking to his Irish mate to spend more money this month to ” Give us more quality”. How is this for a ridiculous theory ? I think that Rodgers is hugely overrated. I think that any ordinary manager would win most things in Scotland with our squad. Bear in mind that the last time that he was here we had, Dembele,Rogic,Brown,Christie, Lustig and Edouard to name just a few and was up against a Rangers side just out of The Championship. Only Schmeical, Bernardo and Kuhn from our starting eleven yesterday are players he bought. Like the last time he was here, he is managing a team that someone else built. I would love to see how he would go managing a team like St Mirren or Aberdeen. The defeat was down to nothing else other than Rodger’s tactics.

36. In three of the last five games against them we have conceded three goals. We also lost seven goals in Dortmund. That is not a coincidence. Clearly we cannot take the pressure and this issue must be addressed.

37. I feel it’s a mixture of things (as much as I want to believe the conspiracy just for a laugh) I think mainly it was complacency- the players are so used to winning now they think it’s automatic. The foreign players don’t understand the rivalry as much as they might say they do- they’re here as a stepping stone down south. It’s half way through the season, middle of winter, talk of transfers for most of the players behind the scenes. And already well clear at the top… just complacent and not enough of team motivated.

38. Let’s stop this penalty nonsense in the League Cup
    Beston blew,he couldn’t wait to give it,for a tackle by Scales before the shirt tugging
    When was the last time Celtic kept them at bay in recent matches ?
    Agree Idah is not worth the money that was paid, maybe just use his strength to lay of passes to others, even he is not very adept at that
    Also players like Kyogo had to adapt to Brens style of play,Kyogo on the goal line defending corners since the first game against Malky MacKay’s Ross County
    Anyway league should be won

39. Hard to explain today. Writing on the wall since Leipzig. We have been slow and shite. Complacency maybe ? Scales wasn’t alone, how many times did Johnston pass out of the park or to a hun ? Calmac utter shite, but I’m being unfair as they were all the same. Iget that it
    ” looks” like a game plan, but why like-for-like when plan not working ? Why wait always for 60 mins to change things ? Could be corporate corruption but could be Celtic piss poor !

40. Best team won,address situation move on 3pts got not title important thing is lets us know we’re not good we think we are.

41. We all knew Clement was going to try to put the shackles on Calmac to stop us playing it out from the back.
    So what does Brendan do ?
    Exactly that !
    He drops Engels,who has been voted motm in the last 2 games and plays Hatate again who just doesn’t come close to justifying his place in the side,and hasn’t all season.
    He could have spiked their guns by playing Calmac further forward along with Engels with Bernardo sitting deep.
    About time McCowan got a run in the side,unless Hatate us being put in the shop window but who the hell in their right mind would buy him on his present form ?
    Has a feeling in my gut about today but my heart ruled my head on how we would perform.
    Time to get rid of more of the dross that are picking up decent money and doing nada to justify it.
    Could also have left Kyogo on when brought Idah on as a sub.
    Mibbe Just once Brendan could think outside the box.
    Thoroughly scunnered to lose to that shower of dross at the bigotdome when we all know we could have been so much better.

42. Can’t sleep.pure utter shite against total shite ah well we move on I guess

43. I see where you were coming from with the conspiracy theories but don’t think Rodgers and the whole team would buy into that so would dismiss it.

    More likely explanation given the seemingly mass malaise over entire team was that the tactics and general approach/ attitude from Rodgers was not right. Ran*ers are closing us down/ pressing us, playing narrow, marking our usual outlets for controlling the game (McGregor) and we don’t seem to be able to handle it very well.
    The League Cup final was the same yet the lesson wasn’t learned. We repeated the same tactics and so did they. Add to that the fact we didn’t have any fans and you have a slightly more intimidating atmosphere for our team to handle together with aforementioned complacent attitude and you have the recipe for an absolutely shitfest of a performance from us and a highly motivated Ran*ers team resulting in us being dominated for most of the match.
    To play our type of football effectively you need fast, energetic players who play at a high tempo. The problem we had today was that too many of our players were so sloppy and inaccurate with their passing that we couldn’t break the press and get many moves going. Hatate is a weak link often in that his loose , one touch passing is likely to result in broken down moves. Scales is statistically the player that takes the longest time on the ball, and often inaccurate in his passing, so not conducive to us implementing our style effectively. When you add McGregor not being able to hold the ball and get us going, Johnston giving the ball away, Kuhn being less willing to take his opponents on, our lack of shooting in half promising positions, it isn’t surprising we got thrashed.
    The important thing is that Rodgers analyses this game and doesn’t repeat the same mistakes.

44. There are no excuses for this pitiful effort from Celtic today
    . Poor in every department, individually and collectively way off the mark. Everyone involved today including management have to ask themselves some serious questions. Never seen anything like this , lack of responsibility , commitment, passing ability, energy, lack of ideas, against on paper one of the weakest sides who basically walked all over us. Let’s hope we all learn from this. Wake up call in so many ways. Where’s the hunger Celtic?

45. We didn’t use our pace, we never tested their back line or keeper enough. Most passes back the way or given away. Nobody moved into space or dropped deeper regularly enough to keep possession and combat the press in numbers. That tells me there was a stubbornness in the Tactics, and that was confirmed when there were zero subs at half time. This one is on Rodgers.

46. First league defeat and folk are losing their minds. That was a long read and I felt like I was a psychiatrist assessing the ramblings of a seriously disturbed man. They got outplayed, we had a very bad day and they had a very good day. It happens every week in football. So much of what you say is nonsense. Blaming Hatate? The boy is going through a bad patch and I would drop him but he’ll come back better as he hasn’t become a bad player overnight. And worst Rangers team ever? You must be forgetting some of the shockers they had when they first came up from the lower leagues. We should be beating them, but we have been beating them before yesterday. We’ve got complacent and I’m certain this will be the wake-up call. Read your rant at the end of the season and you’ll realise you’ve had a worse shocker here than Hatate has ever had in a Celtic shirt.

    1. I know exactly what I wrote and why. To generate debate. Have a look at the comments and you’ll see it worked. We were complacent, simple, but sticking with Hatate when he is well off form is part of the reason we lost. As well as Scales having a nightmare. 100% an off day, but there is also the underlying nagging feeling that we are just not this bad. And yes, they are one of the weakest Sevco sides we’ve ever played. Look at their market value in comparison to ours, that should say enough.

47. What Celtic team would ever lie down and let rangers win 😅, have a word with yourself before you post utter rubbish online , the better team , the team who wanted it more won on the day end of , it’s football it happens all the time . Away and put your tin foil hat on and stick your heed in the microwave.

48. Can anyone tell me why people ( owners of whatever company that you work (ha ha ) for, would consider keeping you employed after reading one of the most stunningly stupid articles I have ever read.
    Reading the comments from the mostly sane Celtic supporters, who recognise the fact that Celtic were quite simply outclassed, overan, baffled, and amazed at the Superiority because Rangers, on the day. Totally outclassed Celtic. My own personal view is that Brendan Rodgers has become exceedingly complacent because he had such a good start to the season. And he expected his team to overcome any other team in the league.
    His face yesterday told everyone just how shocked he was when he found out how flat Celtic were. Never have I seen his face so contorted,as it was from the moment Hagi scored such a Wonderful Goal.
    Personally I blame Rodgers for the poor team he sent out yesterday.
    He let loyal Celtic supporters down, and he should publicly apologise for his complacency.

49. Mr Desmond, now that the transfer window is open please go get me the 3 players I outlined when we met last month. As last year, it’s important we keep opening the biscuit tin to improve the quality of the squad . I do need a Plan B formation which will ensure we can regain our edge over Rangers (😉), but more importantly gives us the best opportunity to win our CL tie after we’ve beaten Young Boys to qualify for the two legged knockout phase. Win that tie & the bonus money will allow you to press on with the new Stand development & Hotel facility at Parkhead.

    Thanks
    Brendan Rogers.

    P.S. Sorry it was 3:0, meant to keep it to 2, but as I predicted you can clearly gauge the hostility & upset caused by losing to them & we really don’t want to encourage them too much! I expect they’ll now stick with the Belgian.

    Conspiracy? 🤔

50. Roger’s to blame plays same week in that was the worse rangers team we’ve ever played has the back four playing table tennis every game payed 8plus million for a guy who can’t walk when he could have bought 2 proven strikers last year for the same amount needs 2 strikers 2 wingers a left back We can’t score from set pieces can’t defend from them

51. I can see where Eric is coming from regarding conspiracy as it seemed our own manager was conspiring against us! Firstly by the fact he selected a woefully out of form hatate to start the game, and secondly by not taking him and scales off at half time was criminal. To say there was disbelief in our supporters club that both weren’t hooked at half time is an understatement! Yes the whole team were brutal and the huns were clearly up for it but those 2 players gifting them possession didn’t help matters. The warning signs were there after the first half yet our elite manager chose not to change things to stem the flow of hun dominance, that just beggars belief. Scales is like a headless chicken every time he enters the middle 3rd of the pitch and seems to panic when there is no easy option available for a pass, as he displayed in the game yesterday , both him and reo need benched pronto. And on a side note, we have never replaced broony with a broony, time to get a warrior back in the middle, especially against the zombies.

52. The criticism of Celtic’s performance is totally justified for whatever reason and there were many. There is a distinct difference between conspiracy and reality. I have no compunction in admitting that without a full and honest answer to the Ibrox debacle from Brendan Rodgers as to what the plan was, it will remain a denial ‘by contract’. Trade secrets are never divulged. So, let’s face it, the truth is not forthcoming. What we might get is a muffled explanation that’s meaningless – it’s endemic. Without the slightest sign of purpose for 95 minutes, you are peefectly entitled to ask the question, Eric, but as I have just tried to explain, there will be no honest answer. The State Secret Act is a minimum of 25 years and that’s a long time to wait, isn’t it, Eric!

53. At the end of the day the better team won and should have lifted the cup on the last game so deal with it

54. I think Eric is talking nonsense he just has to take it that Celtic were outplayed by the better team, they should never have lifted the cup a couple of weeks ago either

55. I am no football manager .
    But even I could see that Celtic tactics weren’t working. I said to my self surely Rodgers will change this at halftime.
    Was dumbfounded that Scales and Hatate were not hauled off both were atrocious. Scales is a liability in his own penalty
    area .No change of tactics by the manager or no plan B .

56. Utter rubbish
    No conspiracy
    Just the way the game was
    Rangers were just better on the day

57. Don’t you have a cake to bake,hen ?
    Away and raffle yer doughnut to anyone who could possibly be interested !

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