Total lack of intensity and tactical naivety

Tactics are of huge importance in modern football but they only come into play when you do the basics and key to that is matching your opponent’s intensity. From the very start Celtic looked a couple of yards sharper with Rangers well off the pace. While the men from Parkhead hunted the ball with gusto, swarming their opponents, Rangers looked lethargic and sloppy. The opening goal was the perfect example when Reo Hatate was given all the time in the world to control the ball at the edge of the box before getting his shot away. The Japanese midfielder should have been shut down much quicker and the lack of desire to get close to the man was a microcosm for the entire first half showing. It truly was an abysmal first 45 minutes, a failure on almost every level.

Midfield mess

When the trio of Arfield, Kamara and Aribo was announced before the game it looked like Gio van Bronckhorst was setting up to take the game to Celtic’s weakest area– their defence. But it wasn’t clear how the manager wanted his three to shape up, such was the haphazard mess of the engine room. While Kamara toiled, his two more attacking colleagues offered little. They simply didn’t get close to their midfield opponents who were completely swamped in the centre where Celtic’s inverted full-backs gave them significant overloads.

Half-time statement

Borna Barisic, Amad Diallo and Glen Kamara were all switched out at half-time as van Bronckhorst made a decisive move to shake up his team and change the game. He simply had to do something because more of the same would have led to a defeat for the ages. Kamara had been passable but could hardly have complaints about being taken out of the fray. Amad had struggled through the first 45 minutes like a little boy lost, looking about as far from a £37m Manchester United player as you could imagine. It’s fair to say the passion and pace of the fixture looked a shock to the youngster’s system. Barisic was simply embarrassing on the night. The Croat faces a long way back after a nightmare of a performance and if the game carried shades of the 6-2 defeat in the year 2000 under Dick Advocaat, his display was redolent of Fernando Ricksen that day. The Dutchman bounced back, showing real strength of character. It’s up to Barisic to show he’s made of the same stuff.

Key players off the pace

Ryan Kent is Rangers' best player and Kemar Roofe arguably the most complete forward but neither looks anything like at their best so far under the new regime. Kent has looked a shadow of the player we all know he can be. The worry is that like Celtic last year, Rangers are carrying too many players who know a big move likely beckons in the summer and a checked-out sensibility has pervaded. They certainly lacked the requisite intensity of approach for a fixture they have delivered in previously. If Rangers are to be successful, and this season that is still very much still there for the taking, then the manager must find a way to get the best out of the attacking duo.

Second half shoots of recovery

There will be nothing to salve the pain Rangers fans will be feeling tonight but at least their manager's decisive changes brought about a much improved second-half performance. At one point there would have been serious concern that a cricket score was in the offing. While it still wasn't good enough after the break, at least it was competitive with Ryan Jack adding bite, experience and composure while Fashion Sakala looked much more of a threat than Amad down the right flank. Balogun's experience stabilised a defence that looked all at sea and porous to a fault. It was apparent in the second half that despite the youngster's high potential in the role, Calvin Bassey is currently not good enough as a central defender in the biggest games.