Michael Stewart has said on Sportscene that Celtic midfielder Callum McGregor was rightly sent off against Steven Gerrard’s Rangers at Ibrox on Sunday.
Rangers got the better of bitter Old Firm rivals Celtic 4-1 at Ibrox in the Scottish Premiership yesterday.
While the Gers deservedly picked up all three points from the encounter, there was a controversial incident that played a big role in the result.
Celtic midfielder McGregor was dismissed in the 23rd minute for two bookable offences.
After the match, Celtic interim-manager John Kennedy said on Sky Sports Football (2:17pm, May 2, 2021) that while the second yellow card was justified, he did not agree with the first caution.
Former Hibernian midfielder Stewart, who now works as a pundit for BBC Sport, believes that both the yellow cards given to McGregor were justified.
Stewart said on Sportscene, as transcribed by The Scottish Sun: “This is the first yellow and for me I don’t think you can have any complaints there. Ryan Kent nutmegs Callum McGregor. That is a yellow card, I don’t think there’s any doubt about it.
“And the second one, when I first saw it I thought to myself, could Nick Walsh have let it go in terms of allowing Callum McGregor to get away with it?
“Possibly but now that the yellow card has been given, and the more I see it, I don’t think there’s any complaints. I don’t think you can have any complaints. I think it is two yellow cards.”
Bouncing back
Sunday’s match was the final Old Firm derby of the season, and the result means that Rangers could end the Scottish Premiership campaign without a defeat, having won the title back in March.
Celtic will have to bounce back from the loss at Ibrox and will have to start rebuilding in the summer in order to reclaim the title from bitter Old Firm rivals Rangers next season.
Meanwhile, former Rangers players Nathan Oduwa and Graham Roberts have revelled in the win for the Gers on Twitter.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
