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The blueprint for a Celtic victory against Rangers in the Scottish Cup quarter-final on Sunday has been laid out by the most unlikely of sources: former Gers midfielder Derek Ferguson.
Reflecting on Celtic’s chaotic 2-2 draw at Rangers last time out, Ferguson made a telling admission regarding the Ibrox crowd.
After Danny Rohl’s side went 2-0 up at the break, Celtic took hold of the Glasgow derby in the second half, and Ferguson admitted it instantly made the home fans ‘nervous’ and ‘quiet’, and he explained the key reason behind it all.
“See, when they did get possession of the ball, and they did start to play,” said Ferguson. “You see how nervous and how quiet the Rangers fans got.”
So, how does Martin O’Neill approach matters the second time around? Will Celtic play a direct or a possession-based game?
Do you agree with Martin’s predicted XI for Ibrox?
Martin’s predicted derby XI Celtic told to avoid going direct against Rangers at Ibrox in the Scottish Cup quarter-final
Regardless of how you want to approach these types of games or how good you are, sometimes, you just can’t stop Glasgow derby matches from being played at ‘100 miles per hour.’
Speaking on Open Goal, James McFadden insisted that Celtic simply can’t go direct, and ‘they need to play’, unless Rangers ‘play high’, which would force the Hoops to go long.
But that’s when Ferguson confessed that, as Celtic started to get ‘possession of the ball’, with game-changer Reo Hatate on the pitch, it made those wearing blue pretty ‘nervous’, which will be music to the 7,500 Celtic fans travelling for the Scottish Cup tie.
Paul Slane: “Do you think Celtic will try to play, or do you think they will go more direct?”
James McFadden: “They need to play. They haven’t got anybody. Unless Rangers play high, and they go in behind. I don’t think they will play direct to Maeda, if it’s him, to hold it up or to challenge in the air – I can’t see it. They need to play.”
Derek Ferguson: “See, when they did get possession of the ball, and they did start to play. You see how nervous and how quiet the Rangers fans got.
“So, there is a wee bit of that as well. It was frantic in the first half. The noise, everything. It was 100 miles per hour, and it suited Rangers.”
Photo by WM Sport Media/Getty ImagesCeltic’s first and second half passing stats against Rangers
It was night and day between how Celtic performed in the opening 45 minutes and how they ended the game.
Hopefully, the second half of Celtic turns up pretty much straight away, because if they do, then a semi-final Hampden ticket awaits.
Nonetheless, this is how some of the passing stats read out against Rangers last time out, which perhaps indicates that the champions of Scotland should look to control the match, rather than force the ball forward and play the occasion.
Celtic’s passes in the first half: 185Celtic’s passes in the second half: 244Celtic’s first-half possession: 51%Celtic’s second-half possession: 58%Final third entries in the first half from Celtic: 19Final third entries in the second half from Celtic: 26Join Our Newsletter
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