Celtic captain Callum McGregor blasts his squad as a team of individuals following dismal Rangers defeat

Celtic were thoroughly outplayed by their fiercest rivals on Sunday, prompting McGregor to publicly criticise the severe lack of cohesion within the squad. Speaking to Sky Sports following the match, the midfielder did not hold back when analysing the harsh reality of their three-goal loss at Ibrox.

"It wasn't us. The difference between the two sides was you saw a team and then you saw a team of individuals as well," McGregor stated. He emphasised that Rangers operate as a unified group, while his own teammates completely failed to function together during the crucial quarter-final tie.

McGregor was particularly frustrated by the lack of defensive work rate, noting that players only wanted to participate when in possession. "We looked like a team of individuals who like to do our own thing and play when we got the ball, not necessarily run when you don't have the ball, [which is] the thing you can't do when you come here," he explained.

The captain made it clear that surviving at Ibrox requires maximum commitment from everyone on the pitch, adding: "You can't defend with six players, it's impossible."

This domestic setback closely follows another significant defensive collapse, as Celtic recently surrendered a huge aggregate lead to crash out of Champions League qualifying. They initially held a 3-0 first-leg advantage over Austrian side LASK, only to be beaten 5-1 on the night and 5-4 on aggregate. Reflecting on the fear of another thrashing, McGregor revealed his mid-game instructions to Cameron Carter-Vickers and Liam Scales. "[Y]ou don't want fours and fives for sure. As soon as the goals go in, then I'm saying to Cameron Carter-Vickers and Liam Scales, no more goals," he admitted.

Celtic have no time to dwell on these consecutive disappointments, as they face a demanding schedule in the coming days. The club host Hungarian side Ferencvaros in the Europa League on Thursday, before an immediate domestic rematch against Rangers at Celtic Park in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday.