Callum McGregor admits what Rangers did in League Cup final that Celtic didn't despite Hampden triumph

Celtic skipper Callum McGregor has demanded his team mates cut out the derby day ‘chaos’ which almost cost them last month’s League Cup Final.

McGregor will lead the champions out at Ibrox on Thursday for the latest installment of Old Firm mayhem, less than three weeks after getting his hands on the first trophy of the season in a Hampden classic between the feuding neighbours. And he’s clearly still smarting that Rangers were able to take his team to the brink, all the way to a penalty shoot out at the end of a thrilling 3-3 draw.

He said: “It’s fair to say we weren’t at our best in that game, especially in the first half. In the second half we scored three goals and could have probably had more. So, we didn’t play well for 45 minutes and then as the game went on we started to get control of the game.

“It was a bit of a chaotic game where we scored two and then we conceded straight after it, which doesn’t help things. But in cup finals everyone understands that that can happen. There’s so much emotion around the game and it became a bit chaotic.

“From our point of view we want to stop the chaos and try to control the game a bit more. If we take the chaos out of the game then it starts to look a bit more like what we want it to. “

For their part, Rangers are also still smarting from that shoot out heartache - and simmering with resentment over a penalty they should have been awarded in the second half of extra time. But McGregor said: “We get that and understand there’s a lot of chat after these games - what could have been or what might have been.

“But the reality is we went on and delivered and got the trophy. So I think our players deserve a lot of credit for that as well. It is what it is. I think us as players