So that was easy. As easy as we expected, except for a slightly shaky start where we looked a bit rocky.
The moment we got the opener there was no question as to how the game was going to go, and of course the moment itself is shrouded in controversy because it was a handball decision which we were awarded a penalty kick for.
Once again, all anyone is going to want to talk about is VAR. It’s the second decision in a row that has gone our way, and Dougie Imrie can now join the ranks of those who think that football in Scotland is run as a gigantic pro-Celtic conspiracy. If he wants to use those exact words there is an entire media industry more than happy to indulge him.
The fact is, we were simply too good again and the penalty decision simply delayed the inevitable. Kyogo again was on fire, Turnbull got a goal to add to the collection of beauties he’s scored and the man of the match, Mooy, was outstanding.
I was impressed by both of our new Japanese boys, and it was good that Iwata got to make his first appearance in a home game in front of the fans. We didn’t learn too much about what he will offer us overall, because this game isn’t the sort of test where we will find out too much. The performance was as good as it had to be, to see us through to the next round.
It’s worth saying that Kyogo has proved again that he’s the main man for us.
He took his two goals excellently, although it has to be said that he was gifted one by the absurdly bad performance from Efe Ambrose, who we all know so well from times past.
The debate now, as far as he’s concerned, is how many goals he can reach this season.
That’s number 20 overall. It’s clear that he’s on the road to 30 … but is 40 in reach as well?
He’s got a happy knack at the moment of scoring doubles, so there are plenty of games left to do it. But Ange also has a frustrating knack of taking him off … so hat-tricks might be hard to come by.
Hey, I understand why the manager does it, and in particular today where he also took the captain off at half time … but if you’ve got a Kyogo hat-trick at 10-1 it does drag on you a bit to see him two goals to the good at not starting the second half!
That gripe aside, that was a job well done today.
There are obviously a couple of issues which arise from it, and we’ll cover them a little later on. As good as Kyogo was today, the man of the match award should have gone to Mooy, who once again showed us what quality he has. That man is a class footballer and I only wish we’d gotten him sooner.
Good result no injuries,, debuts for couple players,,even the BBC ran a pole about that pen,,,it seems anytime we get a call it is analised like no other team,,no doubt we’ll get the usual suspects tellin us same old shite,, but who cares as long as they’re hurting
“Analised”? Well the huns of the BBC can shove their biased opinions up their arses right enough….
The penalty was a carbon copy of the one given against Bernabei earlier in the season.
In my opinion, neither should have been awarded, and they wouldn’t have been given against the huns, but we take it and move on.
We sailed through the game in cruise control, so what? A team worth millions gubbed a team worth pennies, so no real surprises there. I cannot get worked up enough about it to give any of our player’s plaudits to be honest, they did their job, end of story. I felt sorry for Big Efe, he really is an unlucky cnt, but I still like the big man.
We are in the next round and I’m happy about that, upwards and onwards.