Celtic supporters have launched a furious online reaction to Alan Shearer following the club’s painful 3-0 defeat to Rangers at Ibrox, with sections of the fanbase calling on Sky Sports to remove the former England striker from future coverage involving the club.
Shearer was highly critical of Celtic’s display during the Sky Sports post-match discussion, with his assessment of the defeat quickly becoming one of the biggest talking points among supporters. While Celtic fans accepted that their side had been well beaten, many felt the pundit’s criticism went beyond analysing the performance.
The former Newcastle United striker was particularly critical of the way Celtic approached such an important Old Firm fixture. Shearer argued that Celtic failed to match the intensity required at Ibrox and suggested that the stadium had once again shown exactly what it represents in a game of this magnitude.
“Celtic were well beaten. They didn’t show enough fight or intensity for a game of this magnitude,” Shearer said during the discussion.
He also pointed towards Celtic’s struggles when travelling to Ibrox, arguing that teams have to be mentally and physically prepared for the atmosphere and pressure that comes with playing Rangers at home.
“Ibrox is exactly what it is. You have to be ready for the atmosphere and the pressure, and Celtic simply weren’t,”
“Nobody is allowed to come to Ibrox and dictate or influence the game. Ibrox to me demands a different level of intensity, courage and mentality. If you cannot match Rangers physically and emotionally, you will struggle, because Ibrox never gives you time.” the pundit added.
Shearer also questioned Celtic’s ability to consistently produce results at Ibrox, suggesting that the Hoops have struggled to win there in games where they have been unable to impose themselves on their rivals.
“You can’t keep going to Ibrox expecting to win if you don’t match Rangers physically and mentally,” he argued.
His comments about Martin O’Neill, however, appeared to cause the strongest reaction among Celtic supporters.
Shearer was critical of the Celtic manager and questioned whether O’Neill still has what it takes to operate at the highest level, with his remarks about the manager’s age being interpreted by supporters as suggesting that he should consider retirement.
That immediately triggered a backlash online.
CELTIC FANS REACT ONLINE
@Callum_McLeod: “Shearer has gone too far this time. Criticise Celtic’s performance, but leave Martin O’Neill’s age out of it.”
@Ewan_MacKenzie: “We know we were terrible today, but some of Shearer’s comments were completely unnecessary. Sky Sports need to look at this.”
@Jamie_Fraser: “Calling for O’Neill to retire after one defeat? Absolutely ridiculous. He deserves criticism, not disrespect.”
@Ross_Campbell: “Alan Shearer clearly wanted to make headlines today. Celtic were poor, but this analysis is getting ridiculous.”
@Liam_Morrison: “Ibrox was difficult, but saying Celtic can’t win there is nonsense. We need to improve, not listen to this rubbish.”
@Finlay_Stewart: “Sky Sports should seriously listen to Celtic fans. Shearer has completely lost the plot with these comments.”
Others took a more balanced view of the controversy, accepting that Celtic deserved strong criticism after their performance but arguing that personal remarks about O’Neill were unnecessary.
“Nobody is asking Shearer to praise Celtic. Just give analysis without disrespecting the manager,” one reaction stated.
Another fan added: “Alan Shearer has definitely annoyed Celtic fans today. The Sky Sports comments were brutal.”
The reaction comes after Celtic endured a miserable afternoon at Ibrox. Rangers took control of the Old Firm quarter-final and eventually completed a commanding 3-0 victory, leaving O’Neill’s side facing serious questions about their performance.
O’Neill did not attempt to hide from the result afterwards. The Celtic manager admitted that his team had been well beaten and acknowledged that they were second best on the day.
The defeat has therefore created pressure on the Celtic manager and his players, but Shearer’s comments have added another layer to the fallout.
For Celtic supporters, there is a clear distinction between criticising a poor performance and questioning the manager personally. Many believe Shearer crossed that line during the Sky Sports discussion.
The growing number of supporters tagging Sky Sports demonstrates just how strongly the comments have been received within the Celtic fanbase.
Whether the broadcaster responds to the criticism remains to be seen. Shearer remains one of Sky Sports’ most prominent football pundits, and strong opinions are naturally part of post-match analysis.
However, after a 3-0 Old Firm defeat, emotions are already running extremely high around Celtic.
For supporters, the result was painful enough. The fierce debate surrounding Shearer’s comments has now ensured that the aftermath of the Ibrox defeat will continue long after the final whistle.
