MIKAEL LUSTIG and JOZO SIMUNOVIC probably would not have played for Celtic in recent weeks had Brendan Rodgers not jumped ship to Leicester City. Our former manager had a preference for loan signing Jerry Toljan at right back and certainly rated Leicester City’s Filip Benkovic highly.
Yet Neil Lennon thought otherwise and had played The Celtic players ahead of the loan signings in recent weeks and today he got his reward. In our piece on today’s team news before the game we urged Celtic to get Lustig’s contract extension sorted out – Bhoy does he deserve it.
Lustig, who was today’s Man of the Match, pulled up with what looked like a tight hamstring in the closing stages, might therefore have played his last game for Celtic, if the injury is as bad as it looked.
Surely that can’t be allowed to happen? Ideally it will be good news on the injury front and also good news from Peter Lawwell next week on Lustig’s contract extension.
Like James Forrest and skipper Scott Brown, Lustig has been here for every step of the way to 8 In a Row which was won today in the 3-0 win at Pittodrie.
And it was Lustig on 40 minutes who signalled to Callum McGregor that a pass was on, he timed his run into the space perfectly and dived to head past Joe Lewis to open the scoring and set Celtic on our way to wrapping up the title.
Then it was Goal-a-Game-Jozo who headed past Lewis from a Callum McGregor corner (yes Celtic scored from a corner!) early in the second half to get the party well and truly underway. Odsonne Edouard, the classiest striker in Scottish football, rounded off a splendid afternoon in the closing stages.
Derek McInnes, who watched the game from the stand as he served his suspension for gesturing towards The Celtic fans at Hampden who chanted the unwelcome Cheer Up song, will have been left frustrated at his striker Wilson’s series of missed chances in the game. Not that they deserved anything from a game that Celtic dominated from the start but the Dons did have two or three excellent opportunities and on another day they might have shocked Celtic.
Celtic’s shut-out king, Scott Bain was in no mood to be beaten on this day, however it was disappointing that The Celtic fans indulged in a chorus of Cheer Up Derek McInnes. Why bother? You know the media will be all over this like a rash? An anti-Celtic story on the day we win 8IAR.
For the rest of the day our away support were MAGNIFICENT and the chants for Neil Lennon – who did a wee trademark aeroplane celebration – and in particular the one about never seeing Steven Gerrard win the league were both brilliant.
The tribute to our lost Lions, Billy McNeill and Stevie Chalmers at the start were touching, classy and befitting of both legends.
David Potter yesterday worried himself about the need to get the job done to avoid the pressure of it being in the Rangers hands to take to the last day. Well Celtic got the job done, with some style.
Champions again! OLE! OLE! ???? #GR8Since1888 pic.twitter.com/Dw1N4u2jb8
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) 4 May 2019
Well done Neil Lennon and Scott Brown – this is YOUR title. Now for the three points at Ibrox – a Know Your Place afternoon, a Double Treble and then 9IAR.
Congratulations to every player and every Celtic supporter who over the years has played a part in Celtic FC winning 50 league titles.
Man of the Match – Mikael Lustig
