Deep breaths. In and out. In and out. That was … stunning.
I have never seen a Celtic side this relentless, this determined to score, this dangerous in the final third or this capable of producing stuff that leaves the opposition in a daze.
Those of us who had doubts about the Ange appointment were told – by all who had seen his teams play – that we were wrong and that we were in for a treat, that we would see things we had never seen before from a Celtic side. Those people were right.
Every promise that was made to us about what AngeBall would look like has been kept.
This is what we were told to expect, and in the second season, where it was said that we would see a ramping up from what we watched in the first campaign we are witnessing this team evolve into something Celtic fans haven’t seen in a generation.
In Kyogo, we do now have, without any dispute, the finest striker since Larsson.
He was majestic today.
And yet he wasn’t even the best man on the park.
Neither was the Player of The Year runaway favourite Jota. No, it was Liel Abada, who has had to warm the bench these past few weeks, who got a hat-trick and an assist who I thought ran the show.
But there was not a failure in the Celtic team today, not one, not a single one.
The mantra of this team is “we never stop” and even when the game was so far out of sight that United were simply a dot in the rear-view mirror we never did.
Some will be disappointed we didn’t hit ten. Some will be disappointed that we didn’t hit the club record all-time score line of 11-0, a record that has stood for more than 100 years. You know what? I’m not in the least bit bothered because if ever a Celtic side was going to hit double figures it’s this one. If ever a side could re-write the club records this is it.
All of this is down to one man.
A lot of managers talk about having a football philosophy, but when you see what it is that they try to do it can be difficult to discern any difference between their style and the style from the previous regime.
I have never seen a Celtic team this aggressive or hungry for goals. Not an O’Neill team or a Rodgers team far less a Strachan, Lennon, Hay, McNeill or Jansen one. Those are the managers I remember watched win league titles for Celtic, and none of those seven men turned out a team that did what this one made look so easy, so routine, today.
It’s not that I haven’t seen big wins.
I remember Dunfermline and Aberdeen as particular highlights from yesteryear. But this team has something none of them did. And it does this stuff regularly; last season we saw six goals three times and seven once.
We’ve got five already against Kilmarnock and now nine against United. Know what’s different about them? When we scored six three times and seven once last season we did that at home. At Celtic Park, where you expect us to thrash teams.
We have scored three (Ross County), five (Kilmarnock) and nine (today) away from home, in our three away matches. See the pattern? Seventeen goals from our first three fixtures on the road. Last year we needed a late winner at Ross County to get three points … our win there a few weeks ago was comfortable. The improvements are obvious.
I know there are people across the city, in the media and elsewhere who continue to delude themselves that this is not a good Celtic team, that somehow we are simply taking advantage of poor quality opposition. They regard the 9-0 result today as an embarrassment to the league. Perhaps the EPL has the same problem as Liverpool did the same yesterday.
By this time next week those same people will have no place to hide. The scale of their folly will be revealed to them. This Celtic team will spank them like an acting-out stepchild.
Let’s leave the hyprbole till next week. United are absolutely rank rotten as is shown by their League position. Celtic were obviously way too good for a team that clearly belong in the Championship based on their season thus far. However, it does set us up lovely for the Glasgow derby and we are in a very good place. But so are that mob so let’s see if Celtic is, indeed, a football machine next week.
Just what I was thinkin. That was a slaughter today, but let’s keep our feet on the ground, the opposition were and are shockin. Great tae rack up the goals wi some beauties in there and the movement was brilliant. Tho comin games are a different animal. Hopefully we can keep this momentum goin. Rightly well pleased with the performance, let’s no get carried away just yet tho
Fantastic display from the champs
Not if you listened to Sky Sports and later BBC Sportsound. Once again from old auntie ,everyone commentating could not have been more underwhelmed at Celtic’s astounding performance. It was more like Dundee Utd were terrible for allowing the scoreline to happen ! Two hat tricks from the same team’s players in the game and it was all The opposition’s fault!
I’d call that scintillating if i knew how to spell that word. So i’ll just call it sweet instead.
I call it poetry in motion.
The massive difference is the squad that Ange has built can change things around with other top players.
Our defence is still a concern for me, but we won’t find out how good or bad it is until we have been tested by a decent side. As of yet we have not been tested. I am taking nothing away from our offensive play, it is just a cautionary note for us not to get carried away too soon,
Tae me our defence has looked far more secure since Lenz has come in tho its early days. Looks a lot more composed on the ball. Starfelt, aye he’s bagged a couple of goals and ah’ve seen worse, but very clumsy and can put you in bother at crucial times. Still don’t feel that confident in our defence when he’s playin. Just my opinion tho.
Next week will be the Litmus test, If we hammer them, I,m confident we will have a decent euro Run
Why only one minute injury time? This is one of the reasons, scottish referees are never given games in Europe. They don’t abide by the rules. HH
No failures? What about Joe Hart?? Didn’t even come forward for a single late corner. Shameful lack of ambition to get a goal.
C’mon do you think Joe’s heid stitches up the back?
That 20 mins before ht ! I was in a celtic dream , best since I don’t know when , not getting carried away but was a joy , really hope Jack Ross survives this , hibs have made that mistake
Nine points better off than the same time last season!!!!!!!
Absolutely stunning display, particularly in the first half where (though it is hard to remember) at 1-0, United had a 5-10 minute spell of looking quite dangerous. Celtic’s response was relentless and devastating. Brilliant stuff.
Last time I can recall a Celtic team so dominant was during Tommy Burns era of di camilo,ladette and van heydon.This team today eclipsed them,they were absolutely sensational,there is no team in Scotland that will on this performance,live with them
It’s no wonder Ange’s philosophy, his mentor in Australia, was no other than Ferenc Puskas, probably one of the greatest players of all time.
Given the reluctance of Jack Ross’s boys to press or tackle, I’m disappointed Celtic did not come closer to Aberdeen 36 – 0 Bon Accord, but I guess there were fewer stoppages and less timewasting in 1885.
Correction: Arbroath got the 36. They weren’t giant killers back then. Bon Accord was an Aberdeen side.
As Freddie Mercury would say its a kind of magic eho
Unbelievable performance from the champions,hail hail
We’ll know better this time next week. I hope they manage the ten , it would more than make up for the loss of the TEN.