Good run out for the Celtic squad players at Sligo…
With the international break upon us we had the chance to give a run out to some fringe players in a friendly in Sligo tonight. The big guns were either on international duty or back home putting their feet up for a well deserved rest, so it was the perfect opportunity for Brendan Rodgers to run the rule over his fringe players.
Squad players and young hopefuls
Only Scott Bain, Alex Valle, Maik Nawrocki, Stephen Welsh, Luke McCowan, Yang, and Luis Palma, players you would consider first team squad members started the game. With youngsters Lenny Agbaire, Francis Turley, Lewis Dobbie, and Jude Bonnar completing the starting XI.
Hoops salvaged a 3-2 win
Without being spectacular, the Hoops salvaged a 3-2 win after coming back from 2-1 down thanks to a Luis Palma hat trick, something that will do wonders for his confidence. The young players would have also gained some great confidence playing in the first team while the likes of Maik Nawrocki would have benefitted from getting minutes on the park.
Scott Bain blundered badly
As for Scott Bain though it’s a different story. He once again blundered badly for the two goals and showed why he is well behind Kasper Schmeichel and Viljami Sinisalo in the pecking order. It was like that dead rubber disaster at Easter Road in the dying days of the Ange Postecoglou era. Tonight’s disasters were just as bad, maybe even worse.
All in all thought, it was a decent run out for our fringe players and a hard found win in the end. The Sligo Rovers boys gave it everything and were just a few minutes away from an historic victory over Celtic.
That embarrassment was saved by Palma’s second and honours even at 2-2 would have been a fair result. But Celtic play to the final whistle and Palma got his hat-trick right at the end to give Celtic the win.
In the end Celtic’s trip to Sligo will be remembered as Scott Bain 2 Luis Palma 3.
Just an Ordinary Bhoy
In the 1st half we still started with 7 players from within our 25man CL squad?
And apart from a few moments of quality shown from Palma, it was fairly embarrassing overall, and the least said about blundering Bain the better?
Would have said Rodgers had some very harsh words said at half time?
2nd half, was far more of what I expected from ourselves, and even though we got the 2 goals late, for the win eventually, it could and should have been by more in the end?
Regardless, for a friendly match it was very entertaining and sligo certainly played there part?
Still some very disappointing displays on show, apart from blundering Bain?
Also Welsh and especially rocki, didn’t show anything to warrant a place within the heart of our defence either imo?
Yang seems to have inherited Mikey Johnston knack of showing some promises and without finding the killer instinct required for a front line player for ourselves?
Even though Palma was the best player on the park and a huge boost in confidence with a hattrick to his name, he can still produce plenty of moments of frustration within his overall game?
Good workout for some of the youngsters, with a few producing a few decent moments for themselves, without shining to much either?
So individually it was a mixed bag from most of our players in the end, and certainly wouldn’t be to many given Rodgers selection problems for matches coming up, which I would say Rodgers is possibly disappointed about imo?