Forster 7 – Regardless of what you read about the big chap’s performance anyone watching the game without an anti-Celtic agenda will have seen that the big geordie comfortably dealt with a few telling crosses into his area from free kicks early on. Didn’t have one telling save to make and his kicking is fast improving. In my opinion deserves at least another year at Celtic.
Wilson 6 – Didn’t get forward as much as he would’ve liked to and was wasteful in possession at times but did stop Wylde going forward and as a defender that was his job, steady performance from our Marko who will play a key role in Celtic’s title push.
Majstorovic 7 – Easy. ‘World Class’ Jelavic didn’t get a look in, the big Swede next to his partner Mulgrew looked composed and steady as the rollercoaster ride entered its fnal few twist and turns, directed a header superbly towards the top corner and was unlucky to see McGregor claw it away
Mulgrew 8 – Best game at center half for Celtic, won the ball countless times when the ball was played upto Jelavic and Lafferty and was composed enough to get the ball down and pass it, whipped in some lovely corners as well on a day he probably expected to spend defending a lot more.
Izaguirre 8 – Dealt with Naismith as he always does – very very easily, one player of the year contender against a diving pretender was easily the biggest mismatch of the day, Izaguirre again proved he has Naismith in his pocket and just looks born to play for Celtic. Was very unlucky with his right footed dink and was his usual composed self as Celtic pressed on in the second half.
Brown 7 – I thought Brown had a great game, was very quick to win the ball and always looked to either wing for space to move the ball into. Captain had a lot to live up to following his last visit to Ibrox and was very unlucky with a shot that flew past McGregor’s post. Drove Celtic forward in the second half and is without doubt playing his best football in a Celtic jersey.
Kayal 9 – My my this lad loves the occassion doesn’t he? Combative, strong, composed, steady, hungry and solid. Adjectives that don’t even begin to cover Beram Kayal’s midfield performance, was not a game in which the Celtic midfield dominated but Kayal showed that he was well up for the fight with a few great tackles and passes. Never seen Edu or Davis at all during the game due to Kayal’s covering work. Its a joy to watch this man ply his trade in a Celtic strip.
Ki 6 – I like this bhoy because he is very useful at holding onto the ball and at Ibrox that was always going to be key but yesterday seemed to pass him by and he shirked out of a few challenges at the edge of the Celtic penalty area. However he did stick to his task of winning the ball and finding a Celtic player.
Ledley 7 – A surprise starter after his hampden injury but Ledley again added some very much needed dig into the Celtic team, got forward well and was denied what looked to me a stonewall penalty when Whittaker moved into his path. (watch it again and look for the movement of Whittaker’s right leg) Our bhoy Joe went off injured again and it looks like it might end his season but if thats the case then no matter what happens he can be very proud of his efforts during his first season at Celtic Park
Hooper 6 – Very disappointed in our bhoy Hoops yesterday, a player I really really admire just didn’t turn up and it was a shame because he has the intelligence to open up the Rangers defence but failed to find a Celtic player with a pass too many times and never troubled McGregor either. No one will be more disappointed than him that he never got his goal and I’m sure he’ll make up for it come next week!
Samaras 7 – Now don’t start on Samaras. Yes he wasted the ball in a good position and yes he missed a penalty, but my god that bhoy was terribly unlucky yesterday. At least he went looking for the ball, at least he tried to win the game for Celtic. Samaras was undone by a few very suspicious Davie Weir tumbles with Craig Thomson blowing near enough instantly when Weir’s old and very embarrassing frame hit the deck. Super Sam worked like a trojan for the Celtic cause yesterday and no one else seemed keen to take the pen so Samaras stood up. Will have a telling contribution before the seasons out.
Subs
Commons 5 – Should’ve took the penalty after scoring last week.
Stokes 6 – Did great to win the penalty but should’ve stayed on his feet moments later after having the beating of Papac.
Neil Lennon 10 – Not quite the right team, probably should’ve started Commons but was vindicated at the end with a precious point that keeps Celtic in control. And extra marks for the cupping of the ears.
Injuries and suspensions are a worry but players such as Cha, Rogne, Loovens, Ljunberg, McCourt, Maloney and Murphy have to be ready. Hey that`s quite a few. 🙂
Come on the Celts!
The Marnocks in a few weeks could see a Murphy Hooper frontline. I’m not boaking yet.
We can all watch now and see how there is going to be a lack of telling arrests until after the title has been decided. After all, why level the playing field now?
Disagree about Mulgrew. Rankers best chance came because Charlie was caught sleeping at the back–thankfully lafferty’s mince. He’ll be a good squad player to have for next season, but we still need two centre halves. No striker has ever really linked up well with Sami since he’s been here. He puts in a good shift, but WAY too inconsistent. Also suffers from headless chicken syndrome.Taxi. Hooper plays well off another striker and hopefully we’ll see stokes back in the team against Dundee utd. I was always going to be happy with a point, but I didn’t think I’d be this disappointed about it!! Hail Hail!
I agree. I really think it was opportunity lost.
Samaras 7??!!! pleaseeeeee….this man is very bad. 5 maximum. not just for penalty. she is very bad.
Charlie dont deserve 8. 6 maybe.
big mistake for Lenny was Sammy in -Stokes out. Stokes-Hoperman is a great couple.
hail hail Glasgow Celtic!!!
The slip of the She says more about the Greek tradegy than a thousand words.
I think you were watching a different game. None of the players were great, in fact I would class most as disappointing.
Using my made up this minute average player rating calculator no player scored above 4.6547893210. A Samaras less team took it up to 5.34568912654.
Is there no one who can see that Majstorovic is a liability to us? His timing of a header is way out and too often it lands at the opposition putting us in immediate trouble. His pasing is also poor. He’s lucky the standard is poor in Scotland. God help us in Europe next season if we don’t buy a proper central defender.
Danny is limited but he is important to the wet behind the ears pups round about him. We missed him when he was out. European journey man who has never played in a top european league.
Samaras was shite….
agreed.
Naismith dives (which he does) and Stokes does “great” to win a penalty. Surely not double standards from the chosen peepul. Ledley fires the ball in one direction runs in another, then crashes into a stationary Whittaker. Ledley goes down like a shot monkey then raises an arm in outraged appeal. Denied! The Bhoys wuz robbed.
Ledley pulls a hammy chasing a ball, goes down like another shot monkey, no foul by the defender but loud appeal and free kick given. World class save from MacGregor,(another one) proves there is a god after all.
Surely you guys wouldn’t like to win a game by cheating. Is that the Sellick way?
Oh! Agreed! Samaras wiz turkish delight.
I have been quite vocal in my disgust at Celtic players – I look at Kayal and Lizzy here – rolling about antics. Naismith does dive. With no contact. Stokes, Ledley and Stokes again went down after contact playing on the R*ngers reputation for robust, dirty play.
Sometimes virgins have to act like slags to get a drink in certain places.
Yep,that they might, but they wont remain virgins for long.
On the subject of robust dirty play Celtic could quite easily have found themselves a man down after 5 minutes with their first challenge looking bookable and the second a studs up over the ball affair that could have seen yer man off. Remember too Stokes first minute challenge in an earlier match this season which , I think, saw him booked when he could/should easily have been ordered off.
Rangers have their divers and “robust” players but so does every club in the land, aye, even Celtic.
By the bye LOTW, you’re not seriously suggesting that Celtic were due a penalty are you. Contact in 2 of the incidents were heavy but entirely brought about by Celtic players.
Fleck on Stokes. Penalty. As I said the other two weren’t that was.
You can’t bring up ‘whitabootery’ about incidents when Halfwittery lumbers around and you give Elbows McCullock a living.
Meant to say as well LOTW. When did football become a non-contact sport?
did you not get the EUFA memo?
Naismith got it….:-)
Naw. And obviously neither did Stokes, Ledley, izzy, Kayal, loblow Baldi, Keane….. well, you get the picture.
boboplop.. ragers players are outrageous with their cheating, even mcgeggor has thrown himself to the floor sniper style and hes a goal keeper. most footballers go down easy but they dont all practice winding up an opposition player and when confronted pretending to be headbutted to get players sent off, as ragers players do and have done for years. ragers players are known to thrown themselves to the floor when players are YARDS away, remember laffatme doing it (i think against dundee when the match got abandoned because the rain got so heavy) he was about 20 yards from anyone! not a mention in any newspaper and this was at the time mcgeady was being trashed for diving by the media, including 2 pages in the record headlined “the great mcgeady debate”. luckily enough a pal of mine rang their hotline to point it out and the next day his comment was added along with a lovely big picture of laffatme throwing himself over an invisible barrier a mile from anyone else! (obviously he wasn’t booked by the way)