Today, Celtic were brilliant. That was a 3-1 win, but it could easily have been a lot more. Some of the performances were absolutely exceptional.
Daizen Maeda, playing through the middle, had one of his best games in a long time. Nicolas Kühn, out on the wing, continues to impress, adding another goal to his tally today.
Overall, it was a very good display—a performance that secures our place in the next round. The cup draw has already been made, and we’re up against Falkirk again at home. They beat Hearts the other day, so Steven Naismith must be breathing a certain sigh of relief; bad enough to be out already, but he’s avoided having to come here and play against this rampaging team.
He didn’t stand a chance.
After the game, hacks like Scott Burns reported on Brendan’s comments, where he mentioned that if Kyogo decides to have surgery on his shoulder injury, he’ll be out for four months. This is nothing new; Kyogo has been carrying this injury since the day he signed for the club. He’s managed three years without needing that four-month recovery time.
Everyone seems to want to talk about Matt O’Riley, but the likelihood is that he’s not going anywhere. As Brendan says, we have a valuation, and until that valuation is met, O’Riley won’t be sold. Unlike the club across the city, we’re awash in cash and don’t have to sell. O’Riley isn’t letting the speculation affect him one bit; he continues to do his job to a high standard.
The media is clinging to anything because Celtic are playing superb football right now. I understand that this has a lot of them very concerned, especially when they look at the dire performances the Ibrox club is turning in. The season is already shaping up well at Parkhead. We may have the same personnel as last season, but we look a yard quicker and much more dangerous.
Even without one of our two top recognized front men today, we dominated.
Maeda was fantastic, scoring two goals in a brilliant performance. There were no low points, except for that goal we conceded, but it was good finish from the Hibs boy. Every team is going to concede goals; it’s part of the game.
Even considering the heights of Postecoglou’s team in the second season, this is the most optimistic I’ve felt watching Celtic in a long time. I’m not saying the football is on par with some of what we played under Ange because that was next level, but we’re solid, aggressive, and everyone is playing with intensity and intent. Sometimes, teams go off the boil after winning things for a while, but that doesn’t seem to happen to us. These players look like they want to win every game and every trophy they compete for. The hunger hasn’t been satisfied by anything we’ve won so far.
And the manager? He looks like he wants to keep winning for years to come. He has that competitive edge, that will to win, and the hunger for glory. His passion for the club is back, and there was a spell last season where we all wondered what was going on because Brendan didn’t seem to have the same fire. But now, he has that swagger all over again.
And that’s why this team has that arrogance and confidence. It starts from the top. The man in the dugout is as up for it as he’s ever been, as I’ve ever seen him. You only had to listen to his press conference on Friday to see how involved he is again.
I’m really excited about this season and the next two weeks. There’s no way those above Brendan can let him down at this point. He’s showing us what we can be and how far he can take us. If they don’t back him up, they should be run out of town on a rail.
They’ve got two weeks to prove themselves. In the meantime, we’ll got more points to put on the board, putting the ball in the net, and tearing up the next opponent. St. Mirren is up on Sunday. Under normal circumstances, it would be a difficult game, but with the way we’re feeling right now, it’s just another three points.
These two weeks are going to be very interesting indeed.
As far as refereeing in Scotland goes, it was normal service resumed.
At 46 minutes, we had 64% possession, yet we had committed 8 to 4 against free kicks.
That is how they hurt us last year and , it is how they continue now. Once a bunch of cheating fuckers! ALWAYS.
The time to say these things John L is when we are winning…
I realise they feel they may have to handicap Celtic one way or another but the laws of the game are the laws of the game…
Apart from in Not so Bonnie Football Scotland it would seem !
Yes that was great viewing today. The team, as you say is certainly playing at a higher tempo and sharpness, than we saw for most of last season and it’s very encouraging & entertaining for us fans.
The only minor criticism that I can aim at us, after the last two displays, is that we are a tad wasteful in the final third. A minor criticism, and one that I’m sure will be rectified!
All the positive attributes that are currently on display, emanate from our manager…a man who has his swagger back and has hopefully convinced, even those, who were his biggest critics, that he can take this Celtic side, to greater heights.
That of course, is fully dependent on our board, supplying him with the requisite quality.
The current scepticism amongst us, as to whether that true boardroom support will fully materialise, will remain with us all, until we see these new faces come in the door.
Let us focus on our good start to this season as we continue to build up a momentum, that our rivals should start to fear !!!
I agree about the wastefulness up front, Gerry. It doesn’t really matter in domestic matches so much but in the Champions League that will kills us.
Spot on Roonsa…wastefulness up top and lapses at the back are clinically highlighted and punished on the bigger stage ! Let’s hope the quality is brought in to negate or lessen that !
Seems like a calm has arrived and come over even the angriest of fans. A serene belief has replaced that anger from many fans with mistrust and disbelief in this board with a quiet wondering.
Even those that held respectful uncertainty, those that hold hope that things are about to get better with a couple of transfer weeks to go, though well aware that recent transfer history and board meddling leaves doubt, are starting to feel re-enforced in their belief. We not yet knocking on the board’s door with a bag of congratulatory trust but … surely they can’t not do the business in support of Brendan now. Murmurings front inside the club are sounding positive.
The manager and current player performance has I believe, rather than discouraging them from spending, finally opened their eyes and ensured that improved squad development is the progressive approach we need to follow. It would be easy for them them to sit on their hands and save money but this feel good factor has if the rumours are correct got to and infected even the tightest of them. Brendan’s performance and I visionary insistence has massively reassured them that he is absolutely the right man to support and back. For them this may in their minds mean for them to increase future returns but there may just be a part of them that’s enjoying this and want more in the big league.
Call me wishful and misguided but I think they’ll be settled about MOR staying to help enable BR’s approach
News of Brendan signing a contract extension would be very welcome right now. Well, I can but dream.
Great performance and as you say James they look hungry. Also glad to see BR getting praise now from the doubters that is the man to take us forward.
Only two negatives, the board which you have written well on and the goal we lost. No real marking and no challenge. Free header. Things to work on.
While this was a good result and a very good performance, I still refuse to get overly excited about these fixtures.
We have to put into context who we were playing yesterday. Hibs will be bottom 6 strugglers this year.
This bar will be set by our perfomaces in Europe, THAT is and should be the benchmark. And it should be for us all. Getting excited about beating the likes of Hibs is like waking up to a cold cup of tea and soggy toast in the morning!!!
Yes Henrik’s, Europe is where we will be judged to have made any progress, especially for those watching outside of Scotland,it’s all very well beating the teams in a poor SPFL but we surely must improve in Europe to be taken as a serious football side.