International retirement has agreed with Callum McGregor and Celtic is going to fully reap the benefits going forward…
We’re all still on a high after yesterday thumping 3-0 win over theRangers, a win that sent us five points clear of the Ibrox club who are now down to joint fourth place alongside Motherwell with Dundee just a point behind those two.
Celtic are top on goal difference from main title rivals Aberdeen with Dundee United moving up to third after their win at Tynecastle. Hearts, who next up travel to Celtic Park, are joint bottom with Kilmarnock with just one point, from the draw against theRangers on the opening day of the season, and Steven Naismith is now under pressure alongside the Belgian Waffler Philippe Clement.
Yesterday very Celtic player more than played their part as you can see from Sandman’s Definitive Ratings – always a delight to enjoy after a Glasgow Derby skelping, but one player who was at the heart of all our good work, was our skipper Callum McGregor.
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Callum rounded off a terrific display by scoring an excellent goal to give the game a scoreline it more than deserved. He was everywhere on the pitch yesterday. He harassed theRangers players, he passed the ball efficiently and effectively, he was simply outstanding and more than deserved the man of the match award.
Callum has been terrific form since the start of the season and yesterday was his third goal in only four league games, all of which have been sublime goals. indeed that is actually one more than his total tally for last season!
Callum recently decided to retire from international football, and that can only be a major plus for us. The Celtic captain at one point had played a ridiculous amount of games over the years, and that would have taken its toll on his body especially in the latter stages of his career.
Now that he doesn’t have that inconvenience, he will be in good shape going forward, and we will fully reap the rewards. Brendan Rodgers will make sure he gets a good few days rest this week, maybe even a wee break away. He certainly deserves it!
READ THIS…“We were electric going forward,” Brendan Rodgers, “We beat Ross County 6-0,” Philippe Clement
And while Greg Taylor is away with Scotland, this break would be a good time for Michael Nicholson to turn his attention to getting his contract sorted out. Celtic brought in competition for places for Taylor and also Liam Scales and both responded yesterday by having their best games of the season!
Just an Ordinary Bhoy
The changes Rodgers has introduced to the games of Calmac and kyogo is having a massive beneficial factor to our attacking play, through the centre of the park imo?
Having Calmac more advanced is a much better role for Calmac to be operating in?
Can have a far bigger impact within the game, than sitting in the deeper role that we had become accustomed to imo?
Again his footballing intelligence shone through Again, with starting a bit slowly, and possibly taken a bit by surprise from the aggressive man to man press the scum put upon us early doors?
But once we got to terms with it, then Calmac and Paulo were able to run the show, with everyone else contributing also?
Agreed regarding Taylor also, and worthy of a new contract also imo?
Another player who has added another dimension to his game, especially with his positional sense, which has been questionable in the past at times?
Delighted to see Taylor and scales getting an understanding that makes our left side of the defence, looking far more solid and secure, that was on show last season imo?
Whether that remains as our strongest available partnership for the left side of our defence, remains to be seen yet, but great to see scales and Taylor won’t be handing there positions up easily either?
Always a very welcome sight to see within a team, and especially as its the way the best teams in European football have been operating for years now?
Delighted to see that we are starting to see just how important it is for ourselves to be finally getting an all round squad in place for ourselves this season imo?