Alan Hutton shares what was really 'alarming' about Rangers in draw v Celtic

Alan Hutton thinks the drop off in Rangers’ performance against Celtic was “alarming”.

Rangers looked set to end Celtic’s Scottish Premiership title tilt after going 2-0 up before the break, thanks to a brilliant Youssef Chermiti brace.

But a Kiernan Tierney header and a Reo Hatate rebound from the penalty spot in second-half stoppage time earned a 2-2 draw at Ibrox on Sunday.

It was a real tale of two halves for Danny Rohl‘s side, who are now six points behind league leaders Hearts, while Celtic are two points further back but have a game in hand.

Former Rangers right-back Hutton was hugely encouraged by his old team’s first-half showing but felt their inability to react to Celtic’s surge was concerning.

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Alan Hutton pinpoints turning point in Rangers game

Rangers flew out of the blocks on Sunday and were good value for their first-half lead, thanks to a stunning overhead kick from Chermiti, followed by a deft finish from the former Everton man.

The Bhoys couldn’t contain Rohl’s ferocious side, but it seemed the Gers may have paid for their early exertions as the match wore on.

Martin O’Neill brought Hatate and Sebastian Tounekti on for Junior Adamu and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain at the break, and it paid dividends as Celtic grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck.

Hutton said on Premier Sports’ Scottish Football Social Club: “I thought they overran them in the first half, and everything was looking good. But fair play to Celtic in what they’ve done.

“They understand their problems, make changes at half-time. Rangers don’t react to it. They stopped getting those second balls in the second half. The momentum swung. Everybody says Rangers were terrible in the second half.

“From then on, it started to swing in Celtic’s favour. From this moment on, I don’t know if it was a nervousness that came into Rangers’ play or whatever, but I just felt they just let it go in that second half. The drop was quite stark and alarming.”

Hutton said this is not the first time Rangers have faltered in the second half of late, with Motherwell coming from a goal down on 11 February to draw 1-1, despite being a man down late on.

The ex-Aston Villa man still believes Rangers are title contenders, but they can’t keep throwing away leads if they want to come out on top.

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Rangers have chance to re-establish themselves in title bid

While Rangers have dropped four points in the last two games, after draws with Celtic and basement side Livingston, Hearts have returned to winning ways.

Following their 4-2 defeat at Ibrox, Hearts have secured 1-0 victories over Falkirk and Aberdeen in their last two league games.

They now hold a healthy cushion over Rangers again, who are seeking their first league title since 2021, and defending champions Celtic.

This gripping title race will be put on hold this weekend, however, as Rangers and Celtic are set to lock horns again on Sunday for the quarter-finals of the Scottish Cup.

The Hoops travel to Ibrox looking to spoil Rangers’ party, with a victory for either side likely to be a real shot in the arm heading into the final stretch of the season.

One thing is for certain: one of the Old Firm teams will advance to the semi-finals of the competition by Sunday evening.

Who will get this psychological boost remains to be seen.

For more in-depth analysis on the Gers, visit Football Insider and have a look at some of their original content.

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