Celtic hoodoo hanging over Rangers is luck-free and Beale’s switched off side fail with their chaos plan

Almost. Nearly. But not quite. And, according to the rules of engagement in a rivalry like no other, little credit is awarded for nearly getting the job done.

Just why did Rangers fall short – again – in a seemingly close encounter with a Celtic side who hold a hoodoo sign over them? As ever, the key answers lie not in luck, heart, guts or winning mentality. But in simple footballing facts. In traps laid and gaps exploited. Opponents moved out of position and wide-open spaces created. Ange Postecoglou’s men are simply better at what they do. The question of whether Michael Beale has a plan capable of halting the green machine, once he gets an influx of on-field reinforcements, will have to wait until after the summer transfer window.

In the second Scottish Cup semi-final of the weekend, the Rangers boss managed to disrupt some of his Celtic counterpart’s most ambitious intentions. But he cannot really complain about a 1-0 loss that, even allowing for Fashion Sakala’s howling miss, felt like a fair enough result. Let’s start with the winners, who looked well drilled on both sides of the ball, whether that be in shutting off options to create a turnover (see Photo 1) or getting key player Callum McGregor in the game.

Rangers actually tried to do to Celtic, and their captain in particular, what the Hoops so often do to opposition playmakers – cut the supply off at source. But Malik Tillman and Todd Cantwell were pulled out of position easily enough, Photo 2 showing how McGregor got himself on the ball – with half of the Hampden pitch, unoccupied, in front of him – in a move that ended with Celtic creating a chance.

The men in green weren’t always haring after possession in the opposition half, of course. At times, they took