Congratulations to Celtic on what was really a magnificent display in Budapest last night, and the major question is “Why didn’t we see this sort of stuff against Livingston in that utterly depressing experience last Saturday?”
But to last night first. It was a great game which more or less guarantees that there will be some European football after the New Year, and given the other result, does not exclude the possibility that we may even qualify for the Europa League in second place.
The goals were splendid examples of what positive football can do for you. Commentators enthused in particular over the third goal, but I would be happy to put in a word for the first and the second as well! With Kyogu on board we can do anything, but he must be deployed in the right position and he must be given enough of the ball. Jota really must be bought as soon as possible, and Abada, who we have wondered about, quietened quite a few of his doubters.
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The goals that we lost were hard to take – but for different reasons. The first was just sheer bad luck with a dreadful deflection, but the second came through a temporary loss of the 100% concentration that had marked and characterised our defensive display until that time.
Hart was quite right to berate Ralston who, for all that, had a good game after that bizarre business at the start with his stockings. We once had a Holy Goalie; we now seem to have Holy Stockings or maybe Holy Hose!
It is possibly unfair to single out anyone in what was an outstanding performance, and very definitely a TEAM performance. Mistakes were made – of course! – but they were generally recovered from, and even the substitutes, some of whom I confess to having had a few qualms about, came out well, doing what was asked of them.
It was nice to see Stephen Welsh getting a start again, but once again I have to give my Man of the Math award to Cameron Carter-Vickers. This chap’s ability to read a game and to be in the right position at the right time is truly phenomenal.
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So three good goals to savour on You Tube anytime we get a little down in our lives, and well done, once again, Celtic! Ferencvaros may not be the best team that Celtic will encounter in Europe, but three goals and a victory away from home is a rare privilege for Celtic fans!
Let us now delight everyone with this stuff in Dundee on Sunday. Quite simply, we must see no more of this “patient build up” and passing the ball across the park at each other. That ruined our weekend last Saturday. We must run at defences, we must get behind defences, we must hit the by-line and cross, and we must be prepared to shoot on sight! Last night proved that we have the players to do that. Let us see a lot more of it.
David Potter
