Chris Sutton slams Liam Scales v Rangers and says another Celtic star was 'really careless'

It doesn’t happen often, but Celtic left a Glasgow derby empty-handed.

For only the second time under Brendan Rodgers, including his first spell, he watched Celtic lose to Rangers, including the first time at Ibrox.

Not Rodgers, the players or the most ardent of supporters can defend this one because that was shambolic of the highest order.

It’s a good thing that Celtic are still 11 points clear of Rangers because the players just didn’t turn up and allowed an under-fire team to dominate for 90 minutes.

Aside from the opening two minutes, it was sloppy play after sloppy play from Celtic, the inability to play out from the back and connect with one another in the final third.

Even after Rodgers made changes in the second half, everything seemed to get worse and that’s the first domestic loss of the season for the Bhoys.

Chris Sutton critical of Liam Scales and Nicolas Kuhn as Celtic lose to Rangers

When Celtic beat Rangers in the League Cup final last month, Liam Scales was brought on at half-time for Auston Trusty after a very poor opening 45 minutes from the team.

Chris Sutton noted how Scales, this time starting, was ‘sloppy’ and just constantly losing the ball, as he told Sky Sports Football (02/01/25).

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The former striker even added the ever-reliable Nicolas Kuhn into the equation and how he wasn’t covering himself in glory with his passing either.

“It’s sloppy from a Celtic perspective, the pass from Scales was never on and I think Bernardo could have been stronger in the challenge because Raskin brushed him aside,” said Sutton about Rangers’ opening goal.

Sutton then added later on in the first half: “Deary me. That’s probably a third one (pass from Scales) that hasn’t found the target. A nervy start from Liam Scales – Just that uncertainty with Liam Scales.”

Sutton then stated about Kuhn: “Once again, a really careless pass from Nicolas Kuhn. Carter-Vickers did well.” Before Neil McCann told him: “He has been sluggish, Chris.”

“He has,” agreed Sutton. “If there was any Celtic player who hasn’t covered themselves in glory. Whether it’s complacency.”

Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images

Sutton hails ‘standards’ Brendan Rodgers has set at Celtic

First of all, look at the bigger picture, the team is 11 points clear and, only for the second time in 21 games, Rodgers has lost a Glasgow derby.

That is truly remarkable and Sutton touched upon that on Twitter by stating that it’s a ‘testament’ to the Celtic boss for the standards he has set at the club.

But he did make it clear that it is perhaps a ‘reality check’ for the champions, as they head towards the second half of the season.

“No complaints,” wrote Sutton on social media post-match. “Celtic as flat as anything. Rangers deserved it and were better in every department.

“It’s a testament to Brendan Rodgers and the team the run they’ve been on and the standards set. Never a bad thing to get a reality check. Winning titles is hard. Still work to do…”

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