Celtic’s win against Rangers was just as sweet as a Derby win always is.
But to see the Ibrox side publicly struggling to cope with the defeat just makes it sweeter.
Martin O’Neill guided the Hoops to a deserved win thanks to goals from Johnny Kenny, Callum McGregor and Callum Osmand.
As has constantly been the case this season, it wasn’t straightforward, as the Hoops really ought to have sealed the victory in regulation time.
But reflecting on a 3-1 defeat, which was loaded with big refereeing decisions, has not been easy for some across the city.
Simon Jordan’s message to bitter Rangers after Celtic defeat
Thelo Aasgaard was sent off in the first half, for a brutal high boot on Anthony Ralston.
Derek Cornelius was himself lucky to have avoided an early bath, having been booked for a poorly-timed slide on Johnny Kenny which had a fair bit of force.
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The main cause of Rangers’ grievances is a yellow card shown to Auston Trusty in the first half, which they felt should’ve been red.
The Ibrox hierarchy felt that this decision warranted a huge public push against refereeing standards in Scottish football. How convenient.
Asked by Jim White whether Rangers would be doing this had they won, Jordan said on Talksport: “Probably not.
“How many times do we see these things, when managers have got a situation or an instance? We saw one with David Moyes recently, where he was making a song and dance about something that had happened, and if he’d have got the decision his way, we’d not have heard a peep out of him.
“I don’t study Scottish football to be able to observe the quality of refereeing and have an opinion about it, but if the refereeing standard is not high, and the other clubs in the league concur with that, then they have every right to start saying to the governing body that deals with the referees…
“Whether it’s the PGMOL, or whatever the alternative is in Scotland. We’ve got to get our standards higher. [But] I often think that that’s not the motivation.
“Their motivation is to deflect from something that’s not happening in their world. If Rangers were going great guns, winning games and the team was flying at the top of the league, we probably wouldn’t hear these noises.
“If you hear Hearts, Hibernian or whoever else come out and say it, suggesting that there’s a problem with the standards, fine.
“But if it’s a whining Old Firm nonsense because they haven’t got the outcomes that they want, and right now their club’s not in the best nick, then they should be dealing with their own issues.”
Rangers’ season so far compared to Celtic’s
Many saw Sunday’s match as the perfect opportunity for Danny Rohl to turn a corner with his Rangers side.
Instead, a Celtic team led by O’Neill and Shaun Maloney showed that the difference in trophy credentials between the two sides is still evident.
Russell Martin was sacked after his side won just one of their first seven league matches, with Hearts leading the way in the Scottish Premiership.
And it remains to be seen if Rangers can get into the title conversation at all, with most expecting a race between the Hoops and Derek McInnes’ side.
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