Celtic 0-2 Rangers: Abject Celtic produce poorest derby display in decades.

Celtic didn’t show up on Saturday.

It’s that simple.

To a man, we were poor with no one looking good enough to wear the jersey.

Young Stephen Welsh and debuting loanee Diego Laxalt have an excuse based on their lack of experience in the first instance and the fact it’s their first game for the club in the second but that aside it was woeful all round.

Despite having Christopher Jullien, Hatem Elhamed and Nir Bitton unavailable Neil Lennon insisted on going with a back three and new singing Shane Duffy, in particular, continues to struggle.

He failed to deal with Conor Goldson twice yesterday firstly from a set-piece and secondly from open play both of which resulted in a goal.

That aside the visiting team created little and weren’t really that good themselves but they didn’t need to be against a Celtic team that rather pathetically didn’t register a shot on goal.

When has that ever happened before?

Not just against the Ibrox side but in a home game full stop?

It really was that bad.

And it also continues a theme of continuously lowering the performance bar in this fixture.

The last two games against Steven Gerrard’s team we were poor, getting away with it at Hampden in last December’s League Cup final and getting taken to the cleaners in the following post-Christmas match at Celtic Park.

After both, you didn’t think we could get any worse.

Somehow on Saturday, we did.

With Odsonne Edouard unavailable and both Leigh Griffiths and Albian Ajeti on the bench deemed not fit enough to start Patryk Klimala started upfront on his lonesome.

He did nothing all afternoon and would have been as well sitting up in the stand eating a sandwich.

On-loan winger, Mohamed Elyounoussi continues to underwhelm and he spurned a golden chance when through one on one with Allan McGregor not long after the Rangers opener electing to lob about 20 yards over the bar as opposed to scoring.

Despite an apathetic display without passion or purpose in the first 45 mins and a five substitute rule at his disposal Neil Lennon sent out the same team in the second half.

It was a surprise to no one that they picked up from where they left off by going second goal down.

At that point, Lennon decided it was time to change it but by then the game was lost.

To be honest it was lost when the players ran out at 12.30pm for kick-off.

A raft of subs did eventually come with Ajeti, Rogic, Turnbull, Taylor and Griffiths all come on but they made little difference.

Griffiths did round their keeper but seemed to think he had more time than he did and his resulting shot come cross was easily mopped up by an opposition defender.

When the whistle went it was sweet relief after 90 mins of abject torture.

Definitely, one to forget and how.

We now have an easy game to bounce back with when we entertain Serie A league leaders AC Milan – who have won four from four to begin their domestic campaign including beating city rivals Inter 2-1 at the weekend – in the Europa League group stage openers on Thursday.

After that, we visit fourth-placed Aberdeen at Pittodrie on Sunday followed by a hellish schedule which sees us away at Lille, then up against Aberdeen again in the Scottish Cup semi, entertaining Sparta Prague and then consecutive away visits to Motherwell, Hibs, Sparta and AC Milan.

All of those nine games will be completed in the space of the next 42 days and you can actually take thirteen days out for the international break which will inevitably involve most of our squad.

What a time to be alive.

It really is a huge spell for Celtic that will go a long way towards our fate in three competitions.

We do really need to find form from somewhere.

Yes, our squad was decimated by the loss of Jullien, Elhamed, Bitton, Christie, Forrest and Edouard but that doesn’t explain a lock of fight, desire or tactics.

I’m not confident about Thursday.

Who could be after that shambles on Saturday?!

But several players could be back and with the team under fire and a big name coming to visit it could be just the catalyst to get the season going.

Wishful thinking perhaps but what else can you do right now.

You generally do expect the worst when it comes to Celtic in Europe but let’s hope for the best.

We produced the goods against a very good Lazio side home and way last term and have taken down AC at home in Europe before albeit with the help of 60,000 fans the last time.

A lack of fans is a problem for everyone though so no excuses.

The less said about Saturday the better but surely it can’t get any worse than that?

Time to get the sleeves rolled up.