We started like a team with a point to prove. Two of the best Old Firm goals you’ll see in a long time, a roaring Ibrox and a side that looked to have totally bossed the tie. Then the second half happened and it felt like someone flicked a switch.

First-half brilliance

To be fair, the opening 45 minutes was everything you could ask for. We pressed, we moved the ball at the right tempo and the wide overload with Rommens working in behind opened them up. Mikey Moore’s clever movement, cutting inside and outside, stretched the game and made room for those moments of quality. The crowd matched the performance — I haven’t heard Ibrox like that for a long time. It felt like a proper statement.

The tactical shift that swung it

Then MON made his changes and reshuffled. It was obvious he was going to react, and he did. The overload we’d exploited in the first half was shut down and suddenly our main avenues were snuffed out. That’s where I felt we failed to answer. We didn’t alter our shape quickly enough, or change personnel with the right purpose. Players looked flat, legs heavy, and the tempo dropped. You could see the game tilt away from us.

Subs and decisions — what I’d have done

I thought Dio was a decent call but not for Naderi; I would have brought him on for Chucky if Chucky was available after that first-half performance. Skov looked spent at the break and, having taken a knock to the head, Gassama felt the obvious option to bring on at half-time. Ultimately, I’m left thinking Danny lost the tactical battle in the second half. The players perhaps assumed the job was done at half-time and that complacency cost us.

What began as a brilliant morning ended with a bitter taste. We were brilliant to a man for spells, but the failure to react to a clear change in the game will be what people pick apart. And to add insult, Hearts and Motherwell have enjoyed wins this weekend too.

Written by Arcade_Penny: 12 March 2026

Tags: tactics match-review spfl