Celtic really missed Callum McGregor in the Glasgow Derby defeat to Rangers.
The Celtic captain was left out of the big game as Luke McCowan stepped in with Arne Engels taking up McGregor’s role just in front of the Hoops defence.
However, despite Engels’ undoubted talent, McGregor is a tough act to follow and there is no doubt his Celtic missed him against Rangers.
But as Celtic fans reacted to McGregor’s absence inside the stadium, former striker Chris Sutton shares what some have been telling him about the Hoops legend and he simply disagrees with it.
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Chris Sutton says some Celtic fans believe Callum McGregor is not the same player
Sutton told Sky Sports, “Absolutely. They missed his leadership, of course, but they missed his quality more than more than anything.
“And in the in the first half, Celtic never really found their rhythm in the middle of the park. But the difference is, and there are Celtic fans who I’ve spoken to about Callum McGregor, and think he isn’t quite at the level that he once was.
“I don’t agree with them, by the way, but Callum McGregor is an organiser. He’s a thinker, and he’s one who makes everything, and he has done since he started the plane for Celtic, he makes everything look so easy in that position.”
Chris Sutton’s Callum McGregor message to Celtic midfielder Arne Engels
Engels did seem to struggle to keep up with the pace of the game and, unfortunately for the Belgian, he just couldn’t put in the same kind of performance the Celtic captain normally does to keep Rangers at bay.
Seeing this, Sutton sent Engels a message and also pointed out the one Celtic player who was ‘miles off it’ in the Rangers defeat.
Sutton continued, “I’m not taking anything away from Arne Engels, but he needs to get to that level. And I thought that was the difference in the first half.
“Rangers were really brave with their press. Celtic couldn’t really find a way of playing. Interestingly at halftime, Brendan made the change with Adam Idah where they had a bit more physicality and somebody to hit with a reference point up top.
“Nicolas Kuhn was miles off it. So were other Celtic players. But overall, we all know how hard it is to win leagues and win trophies and Celtic’s level of performance this season has been there.
“It’s just three games where they’ve slightly dipped where Celtic have been found out.”
Of the three Rangers games Callum McGregor has missed through injury, this is the first one Celtic has lost.
The Hoops captain sat out both of Celtic’s League Cup semi-final wins at Hampden in 2015 and 2017 and has only lost two derbies whilst wearing the armband.
Whilst knee-jerk reactions will happen after a defeat to Rangers, Brendan Rodgers will need to be aware that the Celtic midfield, for the second time in a row against the Ibrox club, were posted missing.
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