It was a pleasure to attend the James Forrest testimonial last night and of course it was also the first time back at Celtic Park for Brendan Rodgers.
The roar that Brendan received was warming and welcoming so I guess we can now draw a line under any negativity that surrounds his return.
The biggest roar of the night though was for the man of the moment James Forrest, a homegrown hero who was more than worthy of his big night.
The games itself was literally the proverbial game of two halves. First half was rather unforgettable with a fine Reo Hatate strike and a fine display by Daizen Maeda the only real highlights. Although new boy Maik Nawrocki looked decent at the back. The other new boy Kwon looked nervy and gave the ball away a bit too often, but it’s only his first start so I guess we can cut him a bit of slack.
The second half seen the arrival of a different XI although James forrest was allowed to play for four minutes and then subbed on the 49th minute for a standing ovation as he was replaced by Liel Abada.
The second half was much better and the performance was night and day compared to a dreary first half. The second half side was made up of players not seen as regular starters, but they sure put their case forward and gave Brendan Rodgers food for thought.
Liam Scales at the back was terrific. The Irishman looked very calm and assured. Scott Bain looked competent. Alexandro Bernabei was excellent and took his goal superbly after great build up play.
New boys Yang and Holm also looked the part and of course David Turnbull who popped up with the winner. Maybe a new contract on offer for The blBull? I think he’s more than worthy of one.
A 3-2 win over a decent Athletic club side who were also celebrating their 125th year was a welcoming result and sets us up for the start of the season. Let‘s go!
Just an Ordinary Bhoy
