THE most surprising thing about events over the last few days is that they have come as a surprise in the first place.

This was the week that was, understandably, hyped up to the showpiece of the new Scottish season so far.

With Celtic going up against Rangers, we had more talking points than a Game of Thrones season recap, and that was before we even got to the small matter of Brendan Rodgers taking his team to the Nou Camp to face Barcelona in the Champions League.

In the end, we were dished up a war of words, alleged bust-ups, fan misbehaviour and, last but not least, two massively one-sided yet mesmerising games of football. Shock.

We may as well start at the beginning. It was clear to anyone who has watched both Rangers and Celtic over the last couple of months that the Parkhead club were going to run riot on Saturday, despite what Mark Warburton said before or indeed in the aftermath.

Sorry Mark, but it’s hard not to be negative. Despite the visitors grabbing a goal just before half-time, Celtic were miles ahead in terms of the way they moved the ball, held possession and dictated the tempo of the play.

It is little wonder that Joey Barton and Andy Halliday were involved in a heated debate in the aftermath. This game was a marker and Rangers fell far short.

Warburton and his team claim they can do better next time. Time will tell.

Regarding Barton, from a journalistic point of view, he is the gift that keeps on giving. In last week’s column I high- lighted that he needed to turn up if Rangers were to get anything from this game. I think we got our answer.

I’ll be the first to admit I’ve been taken aback by how off the pace he has looked, not just against Celtic, but in general since the Ladbrokes Premiership got under way. Last Saturday it was just highlighted more.

It is of no surprise, even to this befuddled correspondent, that he was not shy in speaking his mind to first his team-mates afterwards, an act that got him banished from Murray Park until Monday, or to the wider world whether it was through social media or an interview with a radio station.

Well, he has to do his talking somewhere.

In the end, a break from the limelight and time away, no matter how short, may not be the worst thing for the midfielder or Rangers.

So much focus is on him on a weekly basis, this may allow Warburton’s other players, such as Halliday and Josh Windass, to kick on. They were two of the very few positives seen in blue last weekend.

REGARDING the ‘supporters’ who disgraced both halves of the divide inside Parkhead last weekend, they are not worth wasting column inches on.

This fixture may have been absent from our leagues for four years but the absence clearly has not been able to cleanse those who show no regard for decency.

Celtic were rightly victorious and were understandably horsed just a few days later by Barcelona. Warburton said in his media conference on Thursday that he thought the press had been overly critical of Rodgers’s team. I must say I disagree.

No, Celtic didn’t help themselves – far too many of their players were off the pace, Moussa Dembele’s penalty was unforgivable and at least three of Barcelona’s goals could have been prevented.

Yet, the majority of the discussion on Wednesday morning, just like on Sunday, was praise for the victors.

We now go into another crucial weekend. Can Rangers afford to drop points to Ross County? I’d argue no, even if the season is in its infancy.

Another slow start and slip up could clear the path for Celtic to go seven points clear with a game in hand if they can overcome Inverness Caley Thistle.

Regardless of how it pans out, here’s to another eventful week.