Mowbray has no case for his defence
Mowbray has tinkered with his centre-back pairing all season and for the trip to Govan he drafted in Glenn Loovens to partner Stephen McManus, with Gary Caldwell consigned to the bench.
However, Celtic, who have lost early goals to Hearts, Dundee United and Rapid Vienna in recent weeks, found themselves two goals down after only 16 minutes as former Parkhead striker Kenny Miller grabbed a double.
The visitors were handed a lifeline when Sasa Papac fouled Celtic’s Chinese debutant Zheng Zhi inside the box and Aiden McGeady scored from the spot but Rangers survived a second-half onslaught.
The Hoops’ lead over the Light Blues at the top of the Premier League is now only one point and Mowbray pulled no punches when it came to apportioning blame.
“The central defenders at our club have to stake a claim and show me they possess quality week-in, week-out to take this club where we want it to be,” Mowbray said.
“But that is all over the pitch, everyone has to step up to the mark because if we want to win the SPL more often and be a power in Europe, we have to develop and if the individuals can’t step up to the mark then we will change them.
“Centre halves like to find the guy they can play alongside for 40-odd games or however many games you play in a season. It’s not the case at this moment because there are no two who are doing particularly brilliant.
“They must stake their claims, so that one of them is going to sit on the bench all season alongside me because the other two are keeping clean sheets and doing their job.
“Football is about putting demands on your players and they either rise to the challenge of the demands you put on them or they don’t. Each of them have had opportunities and will continue to have opportunities.”
In a typically feisty Old Firm encounter, Shaun Maloney and Mark Wilson were both booked for diving inside the Rangers box after respective challenges from Davie Weir and Papac, but Mowbray scoffed at referee Craig Thomson’s decisions. “I will sit and watch it back,” Mowbray said. “If the referee thinks they are dives then so be it.
“But Mark Wilson diving to win a penalty? It makes me laugh. Mark Wilson is the most honest guy you have ever met, the most gentleman-like person you will ever meet.”
Walter Smith, the Rangers manager, believes overcoming adversity to triumph in the first derby of the season could be exactly what his side need to finally kick-start their season.
It was an unfamiliar side named by Smith, with both Madjid Bougherra and Lee McCulloch out with flu and Kevin Thomson sidelined with a knee problem.
Kris Boyd was also forced out of the action after suffering concussion in a clash of heads with Landry N’Guemo but Rangers somehow managed to hold on to their advantage and slash Celtic’s lead at the summit of the Premier League to a single point.
“I feel we have had a slow start to the season as I’ve mentioned on a number of occasions,” said Smith.
“We probably needed a game like that to, hopefully, kick-start our season.
“We’ve got Celtic back to a point now but it’s no use unless we carry that on to the next lot of games we have.”
Rangers: McGregor, Little (Novo 14), Weir, Papac, Smith, Whittaker, Davis, Mendes, Naismith, Boyd (Lafferty 42), Miller.
Subs Not Used: Alexander, Rothen, Fleck, Loy, Wilson.
Celtic: Boruc, Wilson, Loovens, McManus, Naylor (Caddis 76), McGeady, Brown, N’Guemo (Samaras 62), Maloney, Zhi (McCourt 70), McDonald.
Subs Not Used: Zaluska, Caldwell, Crosas, Forrest.
Referee: Craig Thomso
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