“One side played as a united group, while the other looked like a collection of individuals.”
Celtic captain Callum McGregor delivered a blunt verdict on his team’s performance following Sunday’s 3-0 defeat by Rangers.
Celtic arrived at Ibrox for the League Cup quarter-final with an unbeaten domestic record, but their Glasgow opponents dominated the contest.
“Rangers operated as a cohesive unit, whereas we appeared to be individuals focused on doing our own jobs, wanting the ball but not always working hard enough without it,” the midfielder said.
“Failing to run is the last thing you can afford to do at this ground. Defending with only six players simply does not work.”
The result was another painful setback for Martin O’Neill’s team, who had already surrendered a 4-0 aggregate advantage against LASK during Champions League qualifying earlier in the season.
Celtic will welcome Rangers in the Scottish Premiership next weekend, when McGregor is expected to make his 50th derby appearance. Before that, they open their Europa League campaign at home against Ferencvaros on Thursday at 20:00 BST.
“We are reminding everyone that success depends on playing together, and we must achieve that quickly after losing an important match against LASK and suffering another defeat today,” McGregor added.
“These results have increased the pressure on us, so we must produce a reaction on Thursday and then do the same again on Sunday.”
“To become a strong Celtic side, we have to deliver victories in major matches. Our performances have lacked consistency so far, and that must change.”
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