Derek McInnes has openly explained one of the areas Rangers targeted in their 3-0 win over Celtic at Ibrox.
That admission should be a concern for Martin O’Neill.
McInnes was not talking about something Rangers stumbled upon during the game. He made it clear they had identified the space beforehand and believed they could exploit it if they forced Celtic deep enough.
He said: (Rangers Review), “Obviously Dan’s going to get highlighted for his goals. His two goals were brilliant, different types of finishes,” McInnes said.
“But that space at the edge of the box, we knew we could occupy that space at times if we attacked properly and we looked after the ball. If we forced Celtic back in that space.
“We still need people to step up and show their quality. He gets the light shining on a wee bit today because of the goals. But I thought his performance was really strong as well.
“As were Nico and James in there. I thought the three of them were terrific. And it was a big part of us getting some sort of ascendancy in the game.”
That is perhaps the most worrying part of McInnes’ assessment from a Celtic point of view.
Rangers believed they could pin Celtic back and then find room just outside the box, an area where midfield runners should normally be picked up quickly.
Neil’s second goal came from exactly that sort of position, with the ball dropping outside the area before he was given enough time to set himself and fire into the top corner.
The issue was not simply that Rangers had players capable of producing good finishes. Their manager has now said publicly that the space was something they expected to find.
With the sides meeting again at Celtic Park next Sunday, O’Neill has less than a week to find an answer.
If Rangers saw that weakness before kick-off at Ibrox, Celtic can be certain they will look for it again.
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