On Saturday, Celtic opened the scoring at Hampden, thanks to Cameron Carter-Vickers.
It was brilliant to see the big man not only back in the squad but also back on the scoresheet. He’s not a regular goal-scorer, and our defenders as a whole aren’t prolific in that department—unless you’re Alistair Johnston, of course.
Yet, this goal stood out for another reason: it came from a dead-ball situation.
As everyone knows, this has been a pet peeve of mine for years. We’ve lacked goals from corners, free kicks, and even penalties. I’d wondered if the club was even doing much work on that side of the game. But one thing’s clear this season—something has changed. We now have a dead-ball specialist in Arne Engels, but it’s more than just his presence on the pitch.
There’s an obvious focus on positioning and training in these areas.
The routines we’re seeing have clearly come from extensive work on the training pitch, and this is significant. We scored in a cup semi-final from a dead-ball situation, and we kicked off our Champions League campaign with a similar goal.
These goals make a difference—they can win games, add vital points over the season, and bring home trophies. For too long, we’ve been missing this weapon in our arsenal, effectively fighting with one hand tied behind our backs.
Engels’ crossing ability is outstanding, a true asset for the team. While I’d love to see him hit a direct free kick straight into the net, his work on corners alone could be worth ten goals this season. Given that we’ve already scored from corner kicks in both a cup semi-final and a Champions League game, it’s clear how crucial those ten goals could be.
This is why it frustrated me for so many years to see us achieving so little from set pieces, as though it was a skill we’d chosen to overlook. But now, it’s evident that this is a skill set we need—and I’m thrilled to see we’re finally addressing it. The results are already showing, and I believe this will continue to pay off over the season.
It’s a classic example of the work going on behind the scenes over the summer. Brendan Rodgers has started addressing all the issues that have plagued us over recent years, and this was a big one. We’re plugging gaps in our game, filling the cracks in our arsenal, and as a result, we’re becoming a stronger unit. Our attack looks sharper, our defence more solid, and our midfield stronger than it’s been in years. It’s clear we’re improving on all fronts.
Even a small advantage—a few percent—can make a huge difference.
Opening the scoring in the Bratislava game and in a semi-final from corner kicks settled the team and got us over that critical hurdle of the opening goal. These goals were pivotal because they gave us the early momentum, not just added to a lead. They came in big, important matches and forced our opponents to rethink their approach.
The whole team deserves immense credit for the work that has been put in on this and the dividends that it’s already paying, and Rodgers deserves real praise for making it a priority. This work on dead balls, on its own, will win us points and games.
If you think Engels is good at dead balls, you’ve got an absolute treat to look forward to when you see Luke McCowan’s prowess at free kicks, corners and penalty kicks! The best dead ball expert in Scotland in my humble opinion.
Yep – It is indeed somewhere that has been we’ve been lacking and good to see it being addressed by Brendan…
Let’s hopef see it going from strength to strength going forward !
As well as improving the dead ball play, I often wonder why we don’t have anyone in the team that can deliver long throw-ins. It is an excellent weapon that is often used against us, so surely we must have someone who can do similar, or at least should be coached to improve on it with a lot of practise on the training ground.