SOMETIMES you just burst with pride that you support Celtic. Today was such a day. Straight from kick off you knew this was a team starting with aggression. No passing for passing sake this was going to be about territory and winning battles.
Odsonne Edouard’s boot to the corner from kick off may have been more reminiscent of Murrayfield than a football pitch but it was an immediate statement of intent. We were going to get in their faces. We were intending to turn them and make them face us. It set the tone.
Our last two visits to Ibrox were lacking in bravery and belief. Today we had both those attributes in spades. Lessons have been learned.
The Rangers had set out their stall pre match. Four defenders. Flanagan in for Barisic (big error) and five across the middle. All central midfielders. That’s an away formation not a home strategy. It showed fear.
On the other hand Celtic started with a makeshift defence. Only Nir Bitton had ever experienced Ibrox. By the time the game finished all four were Glasgow Derby debutants. They came of age.
Elhamed was wonderful at right back and just as good when forced to move inside to cover Bitton’s pulled hamstring departure.
Christopher Jullien was utterly imperious. A lot has been said of leaders like Lustig and Tierney departing and pre match it was a concern without doubt, but Christopher Jullien looks a leader, a man you’d go into battle with.
Nir Bitton was elegant and read the game like a veteran I’m starting to think maybe he’s a centre half after all and Bolingoli stepped up today.
Always an outlet going forward but defensively his strength was evident. Yes his positional awareness is questionable but week by week he’s improving. He could have melted today, he didn’t he stood up, fought his ground and looked like he enjoyed every second of it.
Scott Brown had a point to prove and he earned all the due plaudits. Callum McGregor as his partner in crime was protecting his Captain and showing wide to offer protection to Bolignoli and Mikey Johnston. The ground Callum had to cover both defensively and offensively shouldn’t be underestimated.
Calmac’s discipline allowed Brown to support the right side safe in the knowledge his requirement to move left was rarely required. It was a sign the Captain is not close to being finished yet, he simply needs help. With Calmac he gets that. I’d now assume with the impending arrival of Greg Taylor from Kilmarnock our left side of defence has now enough to settle down and rotate at long last.
Did anyone else notice the distance Bauer got on his throw in?
We could pretty much send the defenders up when we get a throw-in anywhere in the opposition’s half. pic.twitter.com/UynDjJKM1p
— Moravcik67 (@Moravcik67_) September 1, 2019
Bearing in mind ‘Rangers’ had three against two in the central midfield battle it’s testament to the abilities and guile of McGregor and Brown that you’d never have known we were pushing our extra central midfielder right up field to support Mikey Johnson on the left and James Forrest on the right.
Ryan Christie gives us that ball carrying threat but let’s not underestimate his ability to get stuck in and make his presence felt. His constant willingness to get into those challenges and emerge with the ball, strive forward and try and link with the attacking players was simply wonderful to watch.
When you talk of leaders and men on the field of battle to exclude Ryan Christie would be unfair and unjustified. He has just as much bottle as he has attacking intent. We’ve not had a runner with the ball to break the lines signs Stuart Armstrong departed. Ryan is just that and then some. I’d argue his ability to mix it adds a dimension to Celtic’s play that Armstrong was lacking.
Which takes me on to Mikey Johnston. Twice he’s gone to Ibrox and twice he’s been hung out to dry. Today he was a fine example of believing in yourself and thriving on inner confidence. The lad has seen off Scotty Sinclair, he now faces up to the arrival of Mohamed Elyounoussi from Southampton.
For now it’s his shirt and he’s earned it. It’s evident he needs cover it is quite clear his physicality and fitness is lacking for now, but that will come. You can teach that, you can train that, but see that beautiful balance and creativity, the riding of tackles and making space out of nothing you can’t show him that. It’s a God given talent, you can encourage it you can even guide it but you can’t teach it, it’s inherent. This lad is the real deal.
Incroyable ???????? @Chri6ViF https://t.co/1fjKKRHrLp
— Odsonne Edouard (@Oedouard22) September 1, 2019
James Forrest on the right was eventually replaced by Olivier Ntcham and despite his impact being short, he never stopped working and Forrest never ceased showing or tracking back. Today he possibly lacked in impact but you’d only have to look back to Thursday night to know Forrest is a man who steps up. Today may have passed him by in terms of attacking value but he did his bit for the team. You wonder sometimes what he’s got to do to be held in the same esteem as a Kieran Tierney. For James Forrest read Paul McStay or Tommy Burns. A one club man who gives his all.
And so on to French Eddy. Edouard has improved like the stallion sent to winter in the stables. Elegant, cool in possession. He holds up the ball now and he can cool his heart when all of ours are bursting. When a stadium turns frenetic Odsonne seems to slow down, don a smoking jacket, relax in his Chesterfield, raise a single malt, and just score. He has just about everything. He’ll eventually add the ability to shoot a little earlier when carrying into the 18 yard box, but at 21 years you’d expect him not to quite have it all. My word though he has enough for his age.
Now on to Neil Lennon. His tactical meltdown against Cluj was rightly derided. Today his tactics were absolutely spot on. He gambled on Brown and McGregor matching up to ‘Rangers’ midfield three. He gambled the extra man could be utilised better pressing ‘Rangers’ backline and as much as he got Cluj wrong he got today bang on.
Thought @sheyi_ojo was really good warming up to come on for the second half… did he make it on? ???? https://t.co/ouArQzHdjO
— ???? Gastro Celtic ???? (@Gastro_Celtic) September 1, 2019
Lennon won’t admit he got Cluj wrong and he’s unlikely to pat himself on the back today. He’ll treat the negative and the positive as imposters both the same, but I’ll do it for him.
Today the tactics were just right. He could have set up defensively but he realised Celtic are not quite ready for that. He didn’t go all out, but he asked for front foot football and he got it. We rested in ‘rangers’ back four possession but pushed them when they advanced to their midfield arc. He got the big questions right. Even the substitutes had an impact. Bauer drew the foul from Jones that forced the red card. Ntcham arrived and linked well with the front line and Jonny Hayes will retire a happy man someday, safe in the knowledge the grandkids will be well informed of Granda’s winning goal at Ibrox. All in, Lennon exorcised the ghost of Cluj.
One final compliment goes to the 800 or so hardy and brave souls who faced up to the cesspit of hate and racism at Ibrox today. It takes a set of balls to go into the lion’s den so short in numbers. That win was for them more than any of us watching on television across the globe.
Goal Johnny Hayes.
Words by Tom Commentator.
Geeez it! pic.twitter.com/m2euhXy3VC
— Celtic F1rst (@CelticF1rst) September 1, 2019
Maybe the tactics of reducing the allocation are just as wanting as those of Mr Gerrard. That’s one for the ‘rangers’ boardroom to consider however. They’ve probably got a lot more to contend with than that. On today’s evidence they’ve a lot to be getting on with.
Celtic won at Ibrox on another Beautiful Sunday. Raise a glass Bhoys.
Niall J
Also on The Celtic Star…
David Potter on Celtic’s Beautiful Sunday…see HERE.
‘There’s the house toilet wrecked’ Captain Bluebeard, ‘I’m raging Rangers (sic)’…see HERE.
Ibrox Emptied! – Gerrard’s False Dawn and Rangers Fans’ Tears2….see HERE.
“We came here, knew our jobs, knew what we had to do and we delivered on the park." @ScottBrown8 \o/8⃣#RANCEL
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) September 1, 2019
