NafisaDerek McInnes made sure there was no shortage of drama surrounding his first trip to Celtic Park as Rangers manager.
The Rangers boss had already found himself at the centre of a heated touchline confrontation earlier in the afternoon.
Then his players went and delivered the result he would have dreamed of.
Ryan Naderi’s first-half strike secured a 1-0 victory for Rangers, completing a remarkable double over Celtic in the space of just eight days and leaving the travelling side celebrating another huge Old Firm victory.
But as the final whistle went, McInnes appeared determined to enjoy the moment.
And footage from the aftermath has now emerged showing the Rangers manager making a provocative gesture in the direction of the Celtic technical area after his side had silenced Parkhead.
With the home supporters already furious at another defeat to their biggest rivals, the moment has inevitably attracted plenty of attention.
McInnes turns the screw after another Rangers victory
There was already an enormous amount riding on Sunday’s fixture.
Rangers had demolished Celtic 3-0 at Ibrox in the League Cup quarter-final the previous weekend before returning to the same fixture seven days later.
This time, the setting was Celtic Park.
There were no Rangers supporters inside the stadium, meaning McInnes’ players were attempting to produce another Old Firm victory in front of a stadium dominated by the home support.
They did exactly that.
Naderi’s 33rd-minute goal proved enough to separate the sides, while Rangers defended their advantage and frustrated Celtic throughout the second half.
Celtic were eventually booed at the final whistle as their miserable week reached another low point.
And it was against that backdrop that McInnes was captured celebrating the result.
As the final whistle confirmed the hard-fought 1-0 victory, the Rangers manager turned towards the home technical area and performed what has since been described as the “Clawed by the Bears” gesture.
The gesture was directed towards Martin O’Neill and the Celtic side.
After everything that had happened during the previous week, the symbolism was difficult to miss.
It came after an explosive touchline confrontation
McInnes had already managed to wind up the Celtic dugout much earlier in the match.
Just four minutes after kick-off, Rangers defender Emmanuel Fernandez was booked after bringing down Camilo Duran.
McInnes was visibly unhappy with the situation and became involved in a heated exchange around the touchline.
Celtic coach Mark Fotheringham became involved, with Martin O’Neill also intervening as tensions escalated.
Both McInnes and Fotheringham were eventually shown yellow cards.
Footage from the confrontation showed just how quickly the atmosphere had deteriorated, with the Rangers manager and Celtic’s coaching staff becoming embroiled in an angry exchange.
It was hardly surprising given the history between McInnes and Fotheringham.
The pair had previously clashed during McInnes’ time as Hearts manager, and their latest encounter at Celtic Park once again produced fireworks.
But McInnes would ultimately have the final say where it mattered most.
Rangers have now dominated the Old Firm in eight days
The gesture would have carried considerably less weight had Celtic managed to respond on the pitch.
They did not.
Naderi’s goal remained the difference.
Celtic had opportunities, including Kieran Tierney hitting the woodwork, while Rangers also came close to extending their advantage.
Olwethu Makhanya even appeared to double the lead in the second half, only for VAR to rule out his effort for handball.
Rangers nevertheless held on.
That means McInnes has now overseen consecutive Old Firm victories in the space of just eight days.
The first was a comprehensive 3-0 victory at Ibrox.
The second came in Celtic’s own backyard.
And the psychological impact of that sequence cannot be underestimated.
Celtic remain top of the Premiership, but their advantage over Rangers has been reduced to two points.
More importantly, Sunday’s defeat completed a horror week for O’Neill, whose side had already lost to Rangers and Ferencvaros before the latest setback.
The Celtic manager’s own post-match comments only intensified the uncertainty surrounding his future.
O’Neill admitted that supporters were entitled to question him and revealed that he would reflect on whether he could still help the team.
That makes McInnes’ apparent post-match gesture even more provocative.
Celtic now have to live with another painful reminder
For the Celtic supporters inside Parkhead, the afternoon had already been difficult enough.
They watched their team lose another Old Firm match, heard the final whistle greeted by boos and saw Rangers celebrate another victory on their home ground.
Then came McInnes.
The Rangers boss had spent the build-up insisting that his players needed aggression, confidence and energy.
They produced all three.
And when the final whistle arrived, he appeared to embrace the emotion of the occasion rather than attempt to hide from it.
The “Clawed by the Bears” gesture has now emerged as another piece of footage for Celtic supporters to dissect — particularly because it came immediately after Rangers had completed another victory over their biggest rivals.
For McInnes, it was the perfect ending to a remarkable afternoon.
For O’Neill and Celtic, it was another reminder of just how dramatically the balance of this rivalry has shifted over the past eight days.
And with Celtic’s manager now admitting that he needs to reflect on his own future, the timing of McInnes’ apparent celebration could hardly have been more brutal.
Nafisa
