NafisaThere was already plenty at stake before Rangers and Celtic even stepped onto the pitch at Parkhead.
Rangers had the chance to complete a remarkable double over their city rivals in the space of just eight days, having already demolished Celtic 3-0 in the League Cup quarter-final at Ibrox the previous weekend.
For Celtic, meanwhile, the pressure was mounting.
A heavy defeat to Rangers had been followed by another loss against Ferencvaros in midweek, leaving Martin O’Neill’s side desperate for a response in front of their own supporters.
Instead, the afternoon quickly became another hugely frustrating one for the home side.
Rangers eventually walked away with a 1-0 victory courtesy of Ryan Naderi’s first-half goal, but long before the final whistle there had already been an explosive moment involving the two technical areas.
And it all began with an incident just four minutes into the match.
McInnes and Fotheringham clash
Rangers defender Emmanuel Fernandez was booked by referee John Beaton after hauling down Celtic forward Camilo Duran as the home side attempted to break forward.
The decision immediately appeared to infuriate Derek McInnes.
The Rangers boss was visibly unhappy and began making his feelings known towards the fourth official, with the situation quickly escalating as Celtic coach Mark Fotheringham became involved.
The two men exchanged words on the touchline before Martin O’Neill also became involved in the commotion.
Beaton eventually intervened and showed both McInnes and Fotheringham yellow cards for their roles in the confrontation. Footage from Sky Sports showed the pair squaring up during a chaotic few moments in the technical area.
It was hardly an ideal start to an Old Firm match that was already carrying enormous pressure.
And there was an added layer to the confrontation.
McInnes and Fotheringham already had history from their previous meeting at Tynecastle when McInnes was Hearts manager. The Rangers boss had taken issue with Fotheringham’s reaction to a Celtic goal on that occasion, later describing the coach as “inexperienced” and criticising his behaviour.
Fotheringham subsequently contacted McInnes to apologise, but their latest meeting suggested that old tensions had not completely disappeared.
This time, however, McInnes had his own explanation for why everything boiled over.
McInnes finally explains what happened
After Rangers had done the job on the pitch and secured another Old Firm victory, the Rangers manager was asked about the yellow card he received during the touchline confrontation.
Given the scenes at Parkhead, supporters could reasonably have expected a long explanation.
Instead, McInnes reduced his reasoning to one rather blunt point.
And it was the wording of his response that has given the incident an entirely different edge.
McInnes said:
“It was 3-1 against me – and there was only two bookings. I was just sticking up for my team.”
The Rangers manager was referring to the foul count from his perspective and insisting that his reaction came from defending his players rather than simply looking for a confrontation with the Celtic bench.
That explanation is unlikely to make the incident any less irritating for Celtic supporters.
If anything, the reference to “3-1” is guaranteed to attract even more attention given what had happened just seven days earlier.
Rangers had already beaten Celtic 3-0 at Ibrox in the League Cup, and McInnes’ latest side had now returned to Parkhead and won again.
There was therefore no shortage of needle surrounding the fixture before his post-match comments even arrived.
And McInnes was not the only Rangers figure to enjoy the confrontation.
During the earlier touchline exchange, the Rangers manager was also seen gesturing the number three towards the Celtic bench, apparently referencing the previous week’s 3-0 victory.
The result makes the explanation even louder
Ultimately, though, the biggest problem for Celtic was not what happened in the technical area.
It was what happened on the pitch.
Rangers held their nerve and secured a 1-0 victory, completing back-to-back wins over their fiercest rivals and putting another huge dent in Celtic’s difficult run of results.
The result also means McInnes has now started his Rangers reign with consecutive Old Firm victories — something that has immediately transformed the mood around Ibrox.
Celtic, meanwhile, are left to pick through another damaging defeat.
The controversy surrounding Fernandez also continued after the match. Former Scottish FA referee Bobby Madden argued that Beaton should have awarded a free-kick and shown Fernandez a second yellow for a later challenge on Benjamin Nygren, meaning Rangers could potentially have been reduced to ten men.
That provides another reason why the opening touchline argument will continue to be discussed.
But McInnes clearly saw the situation differently.
For him, the confrontation was about protecting his players and responding to what he viewed as an imbalance in the early decisions.
For Celtic supporters, the sight of the Rangers manager clashing with their coaching staff was simply another flashpoint in an increasingly bitter Old Firm rivalry.
And after another Rangers victory at Parkhead, his explanation has only added more fuel to the fire.
“It was 3-1 against me.”
That was McInnes’ answer.
And after two Rangers wins over Celtic in eight days, it is probably the last sentence many supporters in green and white wanted to hear.
Nafisa
