7 hidden Celtic vs Rangers incidents as Rodgers shows Clement his ...
It's the game where you need your head on a swivel.
Celtic and Rangers are never better when it's all about the action on the pitch – with the extras just part of the bigger story. And that was the case on Sunday. There were six goals, memorable moments, a dash of controversy plus a pinch of VAR injustice. It sounds like the perfect cocktail this football daft nation loves to consume.
But what didn't you see if you were watching on the couch or in the pub? There were multiple incidents which appeared different in person as Celtic leapfrogged Rangers in the all-time trophy list but Philippe Clement earned praise despite failing to halt Brendan Rodgers' unmatched run as the king of trophies. Record Sport runs the rule over a day for the ages.
Rodgers shows true colours
It was clear from his almighty sigh towards the Celtic box that the Irishman knew his team were in a fight for the ages. And he said as much after the game. Rodgers showed his true colours at the final whistle as after the initial excitement went across to the Rangers end and embraced Clement in the middle of the pitch. The Celtic boss boasts a record of one defeat in 20 games but is complimentary of his adversary and the tactical tweaks which caused Celtic strife. Rodgers appeared to soak every moment in – the significance of winning 10 trophies as Celtic boss isn't lost on him.
Had his Phil
The Rangers boss infamously claimed his side were "moral winners" in a previous edition of this fixture without comparison. That claim felt misplaced back then, however, there was a tangible sense the Belgian eked out every ounce of his being to push Rangers over the line on Sunday – it just wasn't enough. The Belgian started his day with a rockstar reception for his club TV interview pitchside, it's hard to believe this is the same man who had punters and pundits wincing a matter of weeks ago.
He continued with his traditional steely glare watching the warm-ups which is a precursor of his one-man show which could be called 'man in the box' and would shift tickets at the Edinburgh Fringe. Clement kicks every ball while contained inside the world's biggest technical area. He also pushes the limits, teetering over the white line, when remonstrating with the fourth official. Rangers lost, Clement remains winless, but it's clear the 50-year-old still believes.
Will pyro kill the party?
Another smoke show and another likely punishment from the SPFL. The kick-off was delayed and there were several security breaches which will worry Hampden cheifs. The pre-match defiance with pyro going off in both ends was no surprise – considering the scenes from Glasgow city centre before a ball was kicked. But fans leaking out the stands after goals and the Celtic ultras exiting their section to fill the area behind the goal at full time will likely hit both teams in the pocket.
The Hampden PA announcer was forced to ask three times for Celtic punters to get back in the stands and it felt it wasn't far from a personal address from a club figure. There's a growing sense the pyro issue goes beyond governing bodies with the Scottish Government likely to force the issue and remove it from our game.
Dan's the man and so is his Da
The Rangers striker seems a good type and no one enjoyed his late leveller to make it 3-3 more than his devoted dad. His old man may be Brazilian but he is pure Scottish football. A samba sensation who dances, treats fans with hugs and puts Martin O'Neill in the shade with a leap into the sky for the ages when Danilo heads home. The £6m striker is getting better and he'll never be short on confidence when his biggest fan is making more noise than most.
Reo rockets
The Celtic pass master can be guilty of taking time to find his range finder. But Rodgers, even amid several slack passes, remains patient with the man who can see things which others can't. And this isn't about his display per se, it's about the 26-year-old showing something beyond his brilliance with the ball. The first hint of Hatate's emerging leadership is when he ripped into Adam Idah in extra time for not doing a 'Kyogo'. The Irishman, who made an impact off the bench, was called out by the Japan star for failing to exploit 40 yards of space between Jack Butland and Robin Propper. Hatate then went tonto when his penalty hit the net. That gutsy strike capped off his brilliance in extra time. Hatate appeared jiggered at the end of the first half and yet was the man running things at the end.
Hagi's extras
Of all the Rangers players who Kasper Schmeichel was on the wind up to, there was none he appeared to target than his fellow son of a football icon. These two have plenty in common, fathers in Peter and Gheorghe who are adored while forging their own career. It would be remiss to suggest Ianis has achieved what Kasper has, of course, but the son of Romania's greatest ever player isn't short on gumption. He ignored the mind games, scored and then gave the Dane it tight with a 'mouth' gesture with his hand as he appeared to tell his rival you cannot put me off. It was compelling entertainment.
Captain Nic?
Technically Nico Raskin made a beeline for the bench to take on liquids and refreshments after Mohamed Diomande scored. Clement was probably keen to give his compatriot a lift after he deflected in Celtic's equaliser and was short back with a header for their second. It was almost as if he was telling him to draw a line under those two incidents and start again with the teams level. But th midfielder was also was served up a series of instructions from his manager. It feels a tad unfair to talk about future Rangers captains after James Tavernier's finest display in some time but future proofing hasn't been Rangers' strong suit in recent years. Clement told Raskin what he wanted and his compatriot then went around the pitch and shared the message. The 23-year-old has gone from bit-part to key contributor. He appears a serious option for added responsibility moving forward.