Patchy performance with the passing yesterday but also some really controlled passages. A wee bit rusty but never in real danger…
An international break only four league games into the domestic season is sometimes something of a momentum killer but Celtic didn’t allow a squad sent to the four corners of the globe to impact them too much yesterday.
Hearts, despite putting in their best performance of the season, were ultimately seen off with a performance with flitted between beautifully controlled and frustratingly careless throughout the afternoon before culminating in another rewriting of the record books for this Celtic side.
The passing was evidently out of synch on several occasions, however, there are clear mitigating circumstances given the vast majority of Celtic’s players hadn’t been together since they waved goodbye to each other after the Glasgow Derby win. Indeed, Friday’s training session at Lennoxtown was the first time the whole group had trained together since that win over theRangers.
Travelling will have taken its toll as would a slight loss in familiarity with each other. Rustiness surrounding patterns of play and rotations are to be expected after a fortnight of adjusting to international demands and different tactical approaches for their countries. That all takes a period of readjustment and for the first half hour in particular that unfamiliarity showed, but Hearts couldn’t take advantage and Celtic won more comfortably in the end that the 2-0 scoreline may suggest.
Indeed, now the ‘nice to see you again’ match is out of the way and a 118-year-old clean sheet record is added to the record books, Celtic have now had a run out to blow away the cobwebs prior to the start of the Champions League campaign on Wednesday night and can be more than satisfied with their preparation.
Defensively Celtic were solid, with Cameron Carter-Vickers and Liam Scales in no mind to allow the excellent Kasper Schmeichel to pick the ball out of his goal. And even when it seemed the net may bulge, Schmeichel appeared to take it as a personal afront that anyone should even try to score past him, so much so his mere presence led to Hearts fluffing their lines when the chances did present themselves.
In midfield Arne Engels turned in a Man of the Match performance and a display which offered an intriguing insight into what Celtic can expect for a record transfer fee outlay.
Good wee segment on Sportscene about Engels. About time the board pushed the boat out for this type of quality.
Rolls Royce of a player 🙌🇧🇪 pic.twitter.com/cDn8Lhnat9
— Ibrox Meltdowns 😎 (@GreedyPete11) September 15, 2024
It may well be too early to judge the Belgian international, and some slackness came into play as legs and mind tired late on, but Engels’ performance signified a player with wonderful composure, two good feet and a midfielder always available – and crucially always offering himself – for a pass and physically he looks every inch the kind of player who will thrive in Scottish football.
The potential for growth is clearly evident in Engels, having just turned 21, but even the unfinished article looks ready to shine immediately. His willingness to step up from the penalty spot shows an inner confidence and a calmness exemplified by the staggered run-up and cool execution from 12 yards.
In Luke McCowan the Celtic support have a player through whom we vicariously live the dream. Yesterday the former Dundee man and Celtic fan followed on from a fantasy Glasgow Derby debut and ensured there was no ‘after the Lord Mayor’s show’ about this one.
McCowan scored his first goal for the club and showed some strangely shot shy teammates that it is worth having a pop at goal when you can see even a glimpse net and the playing surface is wet and greasy – although he may be tempted to share his goalscoring bonus with Craig Gordon for the Hearts man’s assist.
Celtic may have started a little slowly – and it may have taken too much time to conclude proceedings to ever feel truly at ease watching this one – but there were large swathes of the game where Celtic controlled this match, in spite of a touch of rustiness, and that is to be commended.
There were of course the usual ‘controversies’ with Hearts boss Naismith bumping his gums post-match about refereeing inconsistencies but the officials were bang on with both ‘contentious’ handball incidents.
It took a few angles to be certain but Liam Scales saw his own penalty overturned after a VAR intervention as the ball struck just below the shoulder, meanwhile Hearts James Penrice handball was as clear as day even at first glance, and for this writer more than a little justice for some of the ‘welcome to Scotland’ treatment he had previously dished out to Arne Engels.
Celtic move on now to a fresh Champions League campaign and do so top of the Scottish Premiership, scoring goals for fun and with a defensive structure that looks stronger than last season and importantly somewhat miserly.
Dare we dream? Absolutely.
Niall J
PS Don’t miss Sandman’s Definitive Ratings today, link is below…
READ THIS…Sandman’s Definitive Ratings – Celtic v Fagan’s Weasels
ON CELTIC SHORTS…Celtic new Bhoys Engels and McCowan get the goals to send Hearts bottom
COMING SOON ON CELTIC STAR BOOKS…CELTIC IN THE THIRTIES, VOL 1&2 BY MATT CORR…
