Rangers icon Ally McCoist claims it’s “nonsense” to suggest Nir Bitton shouldn’t have been given a straight red card after hauling down Alfredo Morelos.
The Celtic star’s dismissal changed last Saturday’s dust-up before Callum McGregor’s goal secured victory for Steven Gerrard’s side and a 19-point lead at the top
And McCoist admits one of his Hoops-supporting friends joked that Bobby Madden should have made it a yellow due to Morelos’ barren run against the Hoops.
But the 58-year-old – known for his pranks and one-liners – couldn’t resist noising up his pal about his side’s own shortcomings between the sticks during their exchange.
Speaking on BT Sport’s Scottish Football Extra, he said: “As in most Old Firm games, the result was the most important thing.
” Rangers were not at their best.
“The game completely turned on the correct sending off of Nir Bitton.
“I’ve heard a lot of nonsense saying it wasn’t a goalscoring opportunity.
“In fact, one of my Celtic supporting friends took great pleasure in telling me it wasn’t a goalscoring opportunity because it was Morelos going through, which I was rather amused at.
“I had to remind him, of course, that it indeed was a goalscoring opportunity because it was Barkas in goal!
“I think those two level themselves out a little bit.”
McCoist was in jovial mood talking about the big fixture but he was deadly serious as he ripped apart Celtic’s controversial training camp to Dubai.
He added: “But, c’mon guys, in the current climate, who in their right mind thinks it’s a good idea to go to another country with a group of players when there’s just been this second bout of the virus?
“It’s a stupid idea in so many ways, so many counts.”
