Martin O'Neill must have sat in the Ibrox dugout wondering what on earth he was doing back there. And he won't have been the only one. Behind the Celtic boss was Villjami Sinisalo, watching on after being ruthlessly ousted from the starting XI by Sam Johnstone.
The Finland international has every right to be scunnered after losing the jersey to Wolves' fourth-choice goalkeeper. While Sinisalo is no Artur Boruc or Fraser Forster, he has been a safe pair of hands and was a crucial figure in last season's title-winning comeback after Kasper Schmeichel's form went through the floor.
Sinisalo's Credentials Overlooked
Schmeichel was chucking in goals left, right and centre as he desperately tried to play through the pain barrier, leaving fans crying out for someone to steady the ship. Sinisalo did exactly that, losing just one of his 16 games after eventually replacing the ropey Dane in February and giving the defence a level of security which had been badly missing.
He even kept a clean sheet at Ibrox in that infamous Scottish Cup quarter-final win - his third unbeaten outing in Govan - and proved he was a man who could handle the occasion. So to find himself dumped on the bench for a late summer arrival who hadn't played a competitive game since March must have felt like a kick in the stones.
Johnstone's Jittery Derby Debut
And after what happened on Sunday, you can understand why plenty of punters reckon O'Neill got this one badly wrong. Johnstone looked like a bag of nerves from the first whistle and his uncertainty seemed to spread throughout the team as Rangers seized control of the derby.
The England international almost gifted an opener when his scuffed clearance landed at the feet of Kevin Kelsy inside the penalty area, only for the striker to somehow flash wide. Aerially dominant on his debut at St Johnstone, Johnstone was anything but convincing on his derby bow, flapping at crosses, looking uncertain coming off his line and appearing completely out of sorts under the Ibrox spotlight.
Rangers fans sensed the anxiety too, mocking his every touch in what proved to be a hellish afternoon. The 33-year-old shipped three goals as Derek McInnes' men ran riot, although it would be harsh to lay the blame for any of them at his door. But that doesn't mean his jittery display shouldn't be a major cause for concern.
A History of Chopping and Changing
O'Neill will have spoken to Sinisalo, who must be feeling down in the dumps after losing his place despite doing little wrong. But the 24-year-old shouldn't take the decision personally. Because while O'Neill is a master of his trade, the Northern Irishman has always had a curious blind spot when it comes to identifying his No.1.
Roll back the years to his first iconic stint in charge and O'Neill had a habit of going through goalkeepers like toilet roll. When he first arrived in 2000, O'Neill inherited Jonathan Gould, the man between the posts for that famous 6-2 Demolition Derby. But the Englishman soon made way for Rab Douglas who was signed from Dundee for around £1.5million.
Douglas was first choice for the best part of two seasons and the big man was imperious at times, especially during Celtic's journey to the 2003 UEFA Cup Final. Although he never quite won over the entire support, Douglas produced some outstanding displays against the likes of Blackburn Rovers and Liverpool. He was hung out to dry in Seville as Celts suffered a heartbreaking 3-2 defeat to Porto in extra-time, with some claiming the Hoops would have toppled Jose Mourinho's side with a better shotstopper.
There might have been an element of truth in that argument, but it was still harsh to make Douglas the scapegoat when Bobo Balde had sold the jerseys with a reckless red card. Sure, there was the odd clanger - like a catastrophic night at Pittodrie - but over the piece, Douglas was a decent keeper during a golden period for the club.
O'Neill, though, still felt the need to shake things up. He thought he had pulled off a major coup by landing Sweden international Magnus Hedman from Coventry in 2002, with the hope that he would follow Henrik Larsson and Johan Mjallby in becoming the latest Super Swede to conquer Parkhead. Instead, aside from his model looks and pop star wife, Hedman was best remembered for his horror show in Munich which cost Celtic a famous Champions League win over Bayern. He then twice sold the jerseys against Lyon. He was soon binned - and somehow ended up at Chelsea.
Arguably, O'Neill's most reliable goalie of the lot was an emergency signing from Livingston. Javier Sanchez Broto arrived in Glasgow as cover for the crocked Douglas and Hedman but quickly became a cult hero after a string of impressive showings, including a memorable substitute appearance in a 2-1 win at Ibrox. Sadly for the Spaniard, he was cup-tied for the Road to Seville, but he had done enough to endear himself to the green-and-white faithful before leaving at the end of his short-term deal.
Then came a baby-faced David Marshall, the rookie who was famously thrown into the deep end against Barcelona after Douglas was mistakenly sent off. Marshall produced the performances of his life, keeping Ronaldinho and Co at bay in Glasgow before repeating his heroics at the Nou Camp as Celtic battled through to the UEFA Cup quarter-finals 1-0 on aggregate. Yet even that wasn't enough to stop O'Neill from continuing to chop and changing before the end of his Parkhead tenure.
A Huge Decision Ahead
And more than two decades on, the veteran boss now finds himself wrestling with another goalkeeping conundrum. The veteran gaffer will no doubt be taking on board the advice of highly respected goalie coach Stevie Woods. But you can't help but think O'Neill must have also been contemplating his life choices after watching Rangers rip his team apart in one of the most one-sided derbies in recent times.
At 74, the Parkhead great could have been sitting at home with his feet up, enjoying retirement and watching the madness unfold from the comfort of his sofa. Instead, he was back in the eye of the storm and now he has another Old Firm showdown just around the corner before the wounds from this one have even had time to heal.
O'Neill has been down this road before and cannot afford to make the same mistake again. The weekend's crushing Premier Sports Cup defeat was about far more than the man wearing the gloves, but O'Neill has a huge decision to make before Sunday. Because if he gets it wrong again, the wily old fox knows there will be nowhere for him - or his goalkeeper - to hide.
