There are bad habits and there are bad habits.
Celtic will hopefully not develop a particularly bad one; that of losing two goals in games where we have powered our way to a three goal lead. We responded well to the situation – for the second time in a week – but that we’ve had to do so is telling, and might even be worrying in certain situations.
It’s not about skill; it’s about concentration.
I think in both matches we took our eyes off the ball, thought the job was done, stopped focussing and driving ourselves forward. We recovered sufficiently to go on and score again, once yesterday where that put the 3 points in the bag and twice in midweek because that’s what we had to do to all-but secure the tie.
In other words, we responded with the effort required to finish things off; that tells you this is not about skill. We can summon that at will.
This is about that other thing, this is a mental failing, an inability to focus for 90 minutes, and we saw it last season too with Deila’s team.
This, of course, is night and day different. This team moves the ball better, attacks with more imagination, plays courageously and inventively. There’s little comparison between this season’s team and last season’s, except for this annoying tic.
There are so many positives it feels bad to be focussed on a negative, but these kind of lapses will cost us at some point. Brendan seemed to know it. At full time he said we’d played well for “99% of the game” It’s that spell where we took our eyes off the ball that will be of concern.
That aside the team was excellent again, with certain players really standing out.
Leigh Griffiths could play anywhere. Tom Rogic really does have great energy. Both Sinclair and Dembele add a touch of class. But it would be remiss of me not to mention the player I thought had the best game; my namesake, James Forrest, who I slaughtered on this site earlier this year, before he resolved his contractual situation with the club and signed a new deal.
He really does impress me just now. He looks like a different player; he has that energy and passion and will to win we remember from the kid when he first broke into the first team. He clearly wants nothing more than to succeed for Brendan.
The team looks great at the moment. We’re scoring lots of goals, creating tons of chances, playing with imagination and style I’ve not seen from a Celtic side in a very long time and our ability to kill games has been shown in the last two matches, after we’ve woken up a bit. There’s no anxiety over this team the way there was last season; fans are looking forward to matches again instead of being filled with trepidation and doubt.
At half time I said that it would be a case of how many; not how many goals we’d win the game by but how many points we’d win the league by. By full time, after we’d secured the three points with the fourth, I saw no reason to set aside the question.
If you’ve watched any of our potential rivals you’ll know this;
We’re the best team in Scotland by miles.
On Tuesday we’re playing on a bigger stage, for a bigger prize.
It’s great being a Celtic fan right now.
In Brendan We Trust.
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