Brendan Rodgers is due an apology from Celtic snipers as he prepares to plant title flag in moral high ground – Hugh Keevins

When Brendan Rodgers’ time was up at Leicester City, he was asked what he intended to do next.

The manager – who, as we all know by now, has a lyrical turn of phrase that isn’t to everyone’s liking – is reputed to have said he was going to “Bank some blue skies”. It was his colourful way of saying he was going to retreat to his doubtless lavish home in Spain and draw breath.

On Saturday, he banked a fortune for Celtic instead, having foregone blue skies for the climate of suspicion that is Scottish football and proved wrong the supporters of his own club who denounced him in the most public fashion when he replaced the outgoing Ange Postecoglou at the start of the season. A win over Rangers is always the day when their rivals’ despair is of even greater satisfaction than their own happiness for the Celtic fans. And they earned that emotion after being put through the wringer by their own team.

After taking a two-goal lead the Hoops then displayed defensive laxity to allow Cyriel Dessers’ headed finish. Matt O’Riley joined in the loss of concentration after Rangers had been reduced to 10 men by the dismissal of John Lundstram. O’Riley’s penalty miss was an exercise in lethargy and over confidence and set a damaging tone for the remainder of a game for the home side.

Lundstram’s day was a personal disaster, scoring a spectacularly awful own goal and then compounding the felony with a ridiculous lunge at Alistair Johnston that resulted in a deserved red card. As if Rangers boss Philippe Clement hadn’t enough to concern him after accusing Rodgers of disrespect – then being let down by his own players, Lundstram having disrespected the need for maximum effort

Rodgers said he thought his team would have “fun” against Rangers