McGregor Laments Celtic’s Lack of Unity After Heavy Rangers Defeat
Callum McGregor said Celtic looked like “a team of individuals” after their three-goal defeat by Rangers at Ibrox, with the captain condemning the lack of collective defending in a damaging quarter-final loss.
Celtic were comprehensively beaten by their closest rivals on Sunday, extending a troubled spell in which defensive failures have proved costly in both domestic and European competition. McGregor’s post-match assessment focused on the contrast between Rangers’ unity and Celtic’s inability to work as a team without possession.
McGregor demands greater collective responsibility
“It wasn’t us,” McGregor said. “The difference between the two sides was you saw a team and then you saw a team of individuals as well.”
The midfielder believed Celtic’s problems were especially clear when Rangers had the ball. He said too many players were prepared to contribute in possession but did not show the same commitment when the side needed to recover, track runners and defend together.
“We looked like a team of individuals who like to do our own thing and play when we got the ball, not necessarily run when you don’t have the ball,” McGregor said. “That is the thing you can’t do when you come here.”
McGregor added that no side can withstand the pressure of an Ibrox derby if only part of the team is defending. “You can’t defend with six players, it’s impossible,” he said.
European collapse remains fresh
The Rangers defeat came soon after Celtic’s Champions League qualifying exit against LASK. Celtic had built a 3-0 advantage in the first leg against the Austrian club, but lost the return fixture 5-1 and went out 5-4 on aggregate.
McGregor revealed that, once Rangers began scoring at Ibrox, he was determined to prevent another heavy scoreline. He told Cameron Carter-Vickers and Liam Scales that Celtic could not allow the margin to grow further.
“You don’t want fours and fives for sure,” he said. “As soon as the goals go in, then I’m saying to Cameron Carter-Vickers and Liam Scales, no more goals.”
Ferencvaros and another Rangers meeting next
Celtic have little recovery time after consecutive setbacks. Ferencvaros visit Celtic Park for a Europa League tie on Thursday, before Rangers return to the same stadium on Sunday for a Scottish Premiership meeting.
The next two fixtures give Celtic an immediate opportunity to respond, but McGregor’s verdict at Ibrox underlined the scale of the improvement required: greater work without the ball, stronger defensive discipline and a more coherent performance across the side.
