In a typically dramatic encounter at Ibrox, there were plenty of talking points, 90-minute heroes and the inevitable scapegoats to be hung, drawn and quartered in the court of public opinion. From a pure footballing point of view, Monday’s 2-2 draw between Rangers and Celtic was a little more scrappy than most neutrals would have liked. There is always a case for arguing mistakes, rather than moments of genius, had the greatest bearing on the result in any game.
Tactically, however, this one made for an intriguing contest. And there was enough room, within the structures put in place by the respective coaches, for the best players to express themselves. Michael Beale tweaked his formation to grant Ryan Kent a more central role in the Rangers attack, playing in behind the front two of Alfredo Morelos and Fashion Sakala. If it didn’t work perfectly, few schemes in football ever do.
Ange Postecoglou saw no reason to mess with his favoured 4-3-3 shape, handing a debut to Alistair Johnston at right back and trusting in the experience of James Forrest on the right wing, and used his bench well to inspire that late equaliser for a valuable point. Both gaffers could claim to be pleased with elements of the game. Each will know there are obvious areas still in need of improvement.
