NafisaThe fallout from last Sunday’s Old Firm clash at Ibrox has continued to grow, even with Celtic and Rangers preparing to meet again just seven days later.
Rangers may have won the contest emphatically, running out 3-0 winners in the Scottish League Cup quarter-final, but one particular incident has refused to disappear from the conversation.
It came during the second half when Celtic midfielder Mika Baur challenged Rangers striker Ryan Naderi.
Naderi was left with an ankle problem following the incident and was eventually forced off, with Rangers subsequently raising concerns over the nature of the challenge and the decision-making that followed it.
For Rangers manager Derek McInnes, the biggest frustration was not simply the challenge itself.
He was also left questioning why the referee was never asked to review the incident on the pitchside monitor.
And now, with Naderi’s availability for Sunday’s return meeting at Celtic Park still uncertain, Rangers have taken the matter further.
Rangers make contact with the SFA
McInnes has confirmed that Rangers chief executive Jim Gillespie has spoken to Scottish FA head of referees Willie Collum regarding the incident.
That development has added another layer to the already heated build-up to Sunday’s Old Firm derby.
McInnes was blunt when discussing Naderi’s condition.
“I’m really not happy with the challenge, but I’m not going to get caught up in referee chat. I’m surprised that the referee wasn’t asked to look at that. I find it strange that it wasn’t. Ryan’s ankle’s a mess. It was a mess, it was a poor challenge.”
The Rangers boss has also revealed that Naderi remains a doubt for the second meeting with Celtic.
That could leave Rangers short of options in attack, with Lawrence Shankland and Youssef Chermiti already unavailable.
McInnes admitted Rangers do not have a direct replacement for Naderi if he fails to recover in time.
“We don’t really have another like-for-like, but we’ll give him every chance,” he said.
“We’ve had to cope without key players before. I’m hoping he can make it, but if he doesn’t, it will be somebody else’s opportunity.”
The situation has therefore turned an incident from a match Rangers won comfortably into one of the major talking points ahead of the rematch.
And now attention has turned towards Baur himself.
Baur responds after bruising Celtic week
Baur has not allowed the controversy to dominate his own preparations for Sunday’s game.
The Celtic midfielder scored his second goal for the club during Thursday night’s 3-1 Europa League defeat to Ferencvaros, but his focus afterwards was firmly on ensuring Celtic respond against Rangers.
Rather than becoming distracted by the criticism surrounding the Ibrox incident, Baur called on his teammates to produce a completely different performance.
“Stick together again,” Baur said when asked what Celtic must do better.
“Get the energy level really, really high on Sunday. I think that’s the most important thing, to be in the fights and the duels. Just fight for it on Sunday. I think that’s the most important thing.”
His comments came as Rangers continued to express their dissatisfaction over the challenge involving Naderi.
Baur’s message to Celtic, however, was centred on what happens next.
The midfielder insisted that Celtic cannot afford to rely purely on attractive football against their biggest rivals.
“You will not win it with beautiful football and nice plays. Maybe you will score through it, but you will win the game on Sunday with mentality and energy.”
That is a particularly significant message given what happened at Ibrox.
Rangers dominated the second half and eventually produced a comprehensive 3-0 victory, while Celtic struggled to impose themselves.
Baur himself acknowledged that something was missing.
“That was not us on Sunday [against Rangers]. So it’s more about fighting back to ourselves, fighting back to the winning streak. Just take the win and get three points and leave them behind us.”
The Naderi incident could hang over Sunday’s derby
The biggest question now is whether Naderi will recover sufficiently to feature.
McInnes has already confirmed that Rangers are giving the striker every opportunity to prove his fitness, but his ankle problem has made his participation uncertain.
That makes the challenge involving Baur even more significant from Rangers’ perspective.
Rangers have made their concerns known to the SFA, while McInnes has publicly described Naderi’s ankle as “a mess”.
Baur, meanwhile, is preparing for another Old Firm battle with the focus firmly on Celtic’s response.
“We should react on Sunday, for sure,” he said.
“I think now we lost two or three of the big matches this season. I don’t know if it’s an issue of that.
“You have to be ready for these games. We should be ready in the future, and we should start on Sunday with it.”
There is now an intriguing subplot hanging over the return fixture.
Rangers want Naderi fit.
Celtic need Baur and the rest of their midfield to produce the intensity he has been demanding.
And the SFA has now been drawn into the aftermath of an incident that neither side appears ready to forget.
Whatever happens at Celtic Park, the Baur-Naderi challenge has ensured that the latest Old Firm meeting carries another layer of tension before the ball has even been kicked.
Nafisa
