Brendan Rodgers has not got much wrong in his time as Celtic manager.
Rodgers’ record vs Rangers is terrific by anyone’s standards and, aside from this afternoon’s 3-2 defeat to Gers at Parkhead, the Irishman is usually spot on.
So when he replaced Jota on the wing in the second-half as his side chased the game, it was a substitution that had one pundit scratching his head as the wide man began to find his feet in the fixture.
Jota had already chipped in with the assist for Daizen Maeda’s goal to claw the team back into the game but ideal super-sub Yang was brought into the game in a bid to freshen things up.
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Pat Nevin was ‘shocked’ when Celtic took off Jota vs Rangers
Pat Nevin, speaking as part of BBC Sportsound’s commentary coverage, felt it was perhaps a confusing call from the boss.
“I’m absolutely shocked by that,” Nevin said.
“Yeah he’s coming back after a while and didn’t play much football last year, but it looked to me like he was just livening up and getting into the game there.
“Again if you’re a wide player you know defenders get more and more tired as the game goes on.
“But he’s off now so it’s up to Yang.”
When Celtic can win the league title
South Korean Yang barely kicked the ball before the full-time whistle on what was a seriously frustrating afternoon of football for those of a green and white persuasion.
Still, Celtic were reminded of their Premiership lead by Chris Sutton at full-time who notably told Rangers of the natural order of things in Scottish football.
Celts hold a whopping 13 point lead over their rivals and know that the league title is all but sewn up even if they may have to wait an extra week or two to be officially crowned.
Had they beaten Rangers this afternoon, Celtic could have expected to win the league against St Johnstone on April 6.
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