Falkirk boss John McGlynn admits that dealing with Celtic’s firepower was always going to be an uphill battle despite the Bairns spirited performance…
Brendan Rodgers was able to flex his squad depth on the hour mark and despite Falkirk leading for majority of the match, hanging on to a famous cup shock was never going to happen. Celtic struggled to find the equaliser in the second-half and did not pose any threat to Nicky Hogarth’s goal.
That was until the inspired duo of Nicholas Kuhn and Adam Idah who combined twice in two minutes to put Celtic ahead in the game for the first time.
There was no looking back for the Hoops whose technical quality shined through and Falkirk who are currently on a 43 league game unbeaten run could not find a way at stopping the relentless pressure in the final twenty minutes.
Falkirk manager John McGlynn recognised that Celtic’s substitutions changed the course of the game, “we gave Celtic a real run for their money today. We have got to 60 minutes before Celtic bring on their big guns and that makes a difference bringing that level of player on and our guys are just feeling it a little bit. Then as the minutes go on, we are feeling that little bit tired, because we have had to run all over that park today. They [Falkirk] done as well as any Premiership team would have done.”
McGlynn, who worked under Brendan Rodgers at Celtic between 2016-2018 as opposition analyst continued, “when you are bringing on that calibre of player, it would have been a miracle to survive.”
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Celtic’s opponents return to league action next Saturday with an away fixture to struggling Raith Rovers. The belief from facing Premiership opposition this season is that a title charge is on and a top-flight return in 15 seasons could be in sight.
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Rodgers always had the plan B in place for ourselves, with the power we had to introduce from the bench?
The fact that Rodgers felt that he had to introduce 4 at the same time, to totally change the course of a game, against a team that was always going to tire, must have been disappointing for Rodgers, to have to take such measures all the same imo?
Still shows ourselves that much work is still required within our squad to be undertaken?
Yet the good thing is that 22 of our 25man squad, got game time over the 3 games last week?
So many aspects of our overall game has been addressed, with players knowing exactly where improvements are still required, within many of our players individual games within our team?
This week, we have so little preparation time between vastly different opponents in St Johnston and Dortmund?
Will be a test for our more fringe players to start getting up to speed also?
Thought that the gap had been reduced between 1st and 2nd choice player’s in positions throughout the team?
Sadly it’s still in existence within to many positions still, and that’s the challenges that awaits for many of our players still?
Although we have a very good core group in place and playing some wonderful and exciting fantastic football, we still require more to help with our squad depth also?
That’s the challenges that awaits for many of the players getting reduced game time at present also imo?