Celtic's recent defeat in the Old Firm derby has sparked fresh debate about how manager Brendan Rodgers' side can close the gap on rivals Rangers, with former player Scott Brown insisting the problems run deeper than tactics alone.
Celtic have been forced into reshuffling their left flank in the absence of Yang Hyun-jun, who remains on international duty with South Korea at the Asian Games. Sebastian Tounekti and James Forrest have both been deployed in that position in his stead, but Brown believes the issues affecting Celtic's performance against Rangers cannot simply be attributed to personnel changes on one side of the pitch.
According to Brown, Rangers' approach in the derby was built around nullifying the influence of Celtic captain Callum McGregor, a plan that proved effective in disrupting the champions' rhythm. "Rangers got in their face, they blocked Callum McGregor off and as soon as you block Callum McGregor off and you man-mark Cal, it's hard for anyone else to go and dictate," Brown explained.
He argued that when McGregor is shut down so effectively, other Celtic players need to step forward and take on more responsibility in progressing the ball and creating chances. "That's when you need a [Benjamin] Nygren to drop under, a [Mika] Baur to go and drop under and them do their job as well. You can't always keep looking at Cal to do everything," Brown said, suggesting that Celtic's overreliance on their midfield leader left them short of alternative attacking outlets when Rangers pressed high and aggressive.
Brown also emphasized the importance of intensity and application from the very first whistle in a fixture as fiercely contested as the Old Firm derby. He pointed to the opening exchanges as a critical period that often sets the tone for the remainder of the match. "Rangers were up for the fight," he said on Sportsound. "The first 15 minutes, it should be a battle. If you can go and win that battle, you can get the ball down."
The former Celtic captain was critical of his old side's start to the match, noting that a sluggish opening effectively handed the initiative to Rangers before Celtic could establish any control. "Celtic started very, very slow last week. They need to go back to basics, make sure they've got the fight, make sure they've got the hunger because they've got the talent - I know they've got the talent," Brown added.
His comments reflect a broader concern that Celtic, despite possessing considerable quality throughout the squad, cannot afford to be complacent or underprepared for the physical and emotional demands of derby football. Brown was unequivocal in stressing that such lapses cannot be repeated in fixtures of this magnitude. "You cannot have just one of those days against your biggest rivals, ever," he said, underlining the stakes involved whenever the two Glasgow clubs meet.
With the rivalry between Celtic and Rangers continuing to shape the destiny of Scottish football, questions remain over how Rodgers' side will respond in the next installment of the fixture. The absence of key personnel like Yang Hyun-jun adds another layer of complexity to Celtic's planning, but according to Brown, the fundamental fix lies not in reshuffling the XI, but in restoring the hunger and competitive edge that have historically defined Celtic in their biggest matches.
As both clubs prepare for the remainder of the season, the derby dynamic remains a key storyline, with Celtic under pressure to prove they can match Rangers' intensity and reverse recent trends in this fiercely contested rivalry.
Based on reporting from BBC Sport.