By Paulina Jaczek
Scottish Premiership
Sunday, 6 April 2025
McDiarmid Park, Perth
St Johnstone 1
(Balodis 4′)
Celtic 0
It was a very disappointing afternoon for Celtic, as the Bhoys suffered a frustrating defeat despite controlling the match against St Johnstone in Perth. They ended up losing 1-0 due to an early goal from the home side, and honestly, I’ve no idea how that happened. I even said to myself: “It’s not like you, Celtic. My Glasgow Lions, you should’ve pressed harder from the very start, fought for every ball, and just put on a show.”
What happened this afternoon was a big shock. When you’re a champion on the brink of winning the title and the treble, you don’t lose to a club sitting at the bottom of the Scottish Premiership table. But let’s not get downbeat, let’s support Celtic through thick and thin—because it’s especially in moments of struggle when the team needs us—and keep the faith. It’ll be won soon enough, although today should have been the day we set up the party.
To be honest, Celtic started the first half sluggishly, and unfortunately, the home side took their chance and scored within the opening minutes.
When you’re playing at home, you have that edge, don’t you?
But I don’t think that’s the core issue behind Celtic’s performance and the result. I’ve got a feeling that some of the players let us down—maybe not all of them, but I’ve got to mention one or two. Nicolas Kühn stands out today. I think he lost interest. He just wasn’t good, and unfortunately, I wouldn’t be surprised if Celtic let him go in the summer transfer window. He’s playing like someone whose mind is elsewhere.
In the very first minute, the champions made an early attempt as Daizen Maeda—our Japanese samurai—showed his usual fight to dispossess Zach Mitchell, allowing Arne Engels to get a shot away. Andy Fisher managed to block it. But despite that quick start, it was the home side who struck first. Balodis scored with a header from six yards into the bottom corner after Graham Carey whipped in a cross from the right.
Just 12 minutes in, Celtic nearly equalised. Maeda’s shot along the goal line found Kühn, but remarkably, the St Johnstone defence managed to clear it to safety.
Viljami Sinisalo, playing in the absence of Kasper Schmeichel who is still recovering from injury, was called into action in the 20th minute. Duke McKenna let fly from distance with a shot that looked destined for the far corner, but Sinisalo made a brilliant diving save. Ten minutes later, down the other end, Jota unleashed a shot from range that was destined for just under the bar, but Fisher tipped it over for a corner.
It was a frustrating end to the first half for Celtic.
They created few clear chances and were up against a St Johnstone side determined to waste every goal-kick and throw-in. Brendan Rodgers made two changes at half-time: Yang came on for Kühn and Greg Taylor replaced Jeffrey Schlupp.
I’d sum up that first half as lifeless and lacking any real spark from Celtic.
I even said to myself, “Well, that first half ended goalless for Celtic and I must admit it was frustrating, but I strongly believe they’ll wake up in the second half and start scoring goals. After all, Celtic are the champions, and they should play like it.”
The second half started much better. Celtic came out fighting, pressing harder and trying to get that equaliser. In the 55th minute, Engels found Hatate in the box. Maeda’s shot left the keeper stranded but hit the post. Five minutes later, Hatate had another golden chance after Jota picked him out from the by-line, but his shot flew high over the bar.
Around the 70-minute mark, the Hoops nearly equalised, following a lovely attacking move from Callum McGregor—our captain, our leader—who slipped a great pass to Yang in the box. But Yang’s delivery to the back post was just too heavy for Jota to connect with.
In the 77th minute, St Johnstone had their first real attack of the second half, as Kimpioka surged forward, but Auston Trusty was there with a perfectly timed challenge to snuff out the danger.
With ten minutes left, James Forrest—our trophy-laden veteran, a Celtic man through and through, one of the few Rodgers absolved of blame—had a chance to score from close range after a great delivery from Luke McCowan, another Bhoy who gives everything for the badge. But again, Fisher managed to block it.
Then, in the dying minutes, Adam Idah had a shot from a tight angle, but it struck the side netting. It was over. Disappointment reigned.
Even Brendan Rodgers looked gutted after the match. He said:
“We’ve had that a number of times. That’s just about mentality, that’s about ambition in the game. They started more aggressive, won some duels and we didn’t deal with them at all. In the second half we came out and obviously we dominated the game and created opportunities. The keeper made some great saves. But it’s a mindset I don’t like. This is on everyone. We have to look at that as a team. Everything we’ve done has always been collective. That’s firstly on me. I need to think about my teaching, my inspiration, my motivation. Am I doing the right things to get them to that point? So first, I look at myself.”
He added:
“The squad have shown great mental strength over the course of the season but have lacked that ambition in games. Especially today, there’s no excuse—we had three sides of the ground full. And with your own supporters pushing you on, maybe that’s something I have to look at—expectation versus underdog. Everyone can play as the underdog, but when you’re a Celtic player you have to deal with both. You’ve got to be the underdog in the Champions League, and you’ve got to handle being the top team domestically. That’s what disappointed me today.”
I have to say—I agree with the gaffer 100%. I respect and like him a lot. He’s a world-class manager, but sometimes you need to act, not just talk. Just do it.
Make it work.
Celtic need some fresh thinking from the man on the touchline. When he says he takes some responsibility for today he’s right, he should, and he’s too good a manager not to know it.
To sum it up: this was a bad day at the office and Brendan Rodgers and the Bhoys will now need to give all their focus to the next league match against Kilmarnock at Celtic Park. It will no longer be a league decider, but we really need to win it.
So come on, lads—show everyone who the real champions are, why we’re heading for that title and why we deserve to win it. In short, be more than you were today. Celtic are still on the road to another league title and a treble, that’s still what matters most.
Fingers crossed! Come you Bhoys in Green!
Paulina Jaczek is a Celtic fan, and writer, from Poland. She regularly posts her videos on Facebook, and can be found on YouTube at GlasgowMyLove, where she talks about her love for Celtic and Glasgow in her trademark traffic cone hat!
World class manager? Please James, you cannot be serious, a man with such a rigid single game plan, his subs are like for like even when losing. He has assembled the team that has never been able to defend crossed balls. He has assembled the team with absolutely no physicality that get run over when a team presses them. He’s the man who has taught the team to play sideways and backwards. He is the man who said he just coaches what the board give him. A man content to take a big wage in a one horse league and pony up to the board for paying his big wage. No thanks
I think if you look at the header to this blog you’ll find that it wasn’t James that penned this article.
It was his Polish friend and recent guest writer Paula Jaczec.
Rodgers mentioned the slow start to games. This has been happening too frequently. It’s his job to make sure this doesn’t happen but he seems incapable of it. He also picks people out of form such as Kuhn and Engels. We have no physicality in midfield especially so why hasn’t Rodgers resolved this and please stop the sideways and backwards passing as it is mind numbing to watch. Try on occasion to pop a ball beyond the centre halves and let our quick players go beyond them. If I can see that why can’t Rodgers and when we are so bad at defending crosses what do Kennedy and Strachan get paid for. This league could and should have been won weeks ago. Nowhere need enough. Rodgers lose the arrogance and find a plan B.
Excellent ascertation and report Paulina…
Thank Goodness he says he’s gonna look at himself and the team and hopefully the tactics…
But will his intransigence allow him to !
Easter Sunday’s definitely around the corner. In our chocolate box we have soft centres needing to pay more attention to crosses.
God bless you Paulina but Brendan is nowhere near being a world class or elite manager. Glad at least he has the balls to come out and say he needs to look at himself and his performance of late. I like Brendan and hope he can make the necessary changes to the squad, their current inconsistencies and his own level of functioning.
Teams have sussed out our single system approach, they’re able at times to nullify our efforts and can train all week to do so because there’s no surprise what we’re going to approach games like. Our performances and results against a poor sevco team show that we’re vulnerable to even ordinary teams
Spot on Dan and Wotakun we are nowhere near good enough, when you bring in the wage disparity of our players and manager,no way is Brendan and elite manager,elite managers admit to mistakes and change tactics and formation, Brendan does neither,we are becoming dross in a second tier dross league, even Barry fudhead put one over Brendan as did flip flop