The short version: the match felt like two worn-out fighters trading blows rather than a classic derby. Quality was sparse, chances were few, and in the end the tie was settled by the better penalty taker. There’s frustration, but there’s something darker that stains the whole occasion.

On the football

To be fair, with so much riding on the outcome you can see why both teams were cautious. It turned into a scrappy, stop-start contest — little rhythm, very few sustained passages of positive play. Neither Rohl nor the players made any glaring tactical errors that stand out; equally, they never really got much right. It was one of those games where organisation beat imagination and set-pieces or spot-kicks decide things.

Off the pitch problems overshadowed everything

But the football is almost secondary to what happened around it. The fixture will be remembered for the chaos and the ugly behaviour as much as the result. Reports of opposing fans gaining entry without tickets, the offensive chanting that reached grotesque levels, the mocking of the 66 who died at Ibrox — these are not commentary on football, they’re stain on society. The pitch invasion at the end only capped off a night where the worst elements hijacked what should be a huge occasion.

What this means

There’s a real risk this drags allocations and atmosphere further away from what made the Old Firm a highlight of our calendar. Since 2012 there’s been a creep of bile and tribalism that now threatens to sink the fixture’s standing. It used to be a Crown Jewel; tonight felt like a cheap imitation. We’ve got nine league games left and the squad need focus, but the bigger question is how the authorities and clubs address the behaviour that keeps wrecking the matchday.

Truth is, we dust ourselves down and get on with it. Onwards and upwards — but let’s hope change comes off the pitch as well as on it.

Written by MrPotatoHead: 31 March 2026

Tags: tactics