Well, I suppose there is some sort of a smile on our faces tonight as we record our first win of the season. The win was deserved, and it is difficult to see Jablonec coming back at a full Celtic Park next week. The favourite goals were good and well taken, my particular favourite being the last one which was a great cross and header from two men who have taken more than their fair share of abuse, namely James Forrest and Ryan Christie – Christie, I repeat, must stay. But Abada and Furuhashi also showed that they have got what it takes. We should have scored more goals, of course, but that said, four goals away from home in Europe is a good yield.
But we have not yet solved our defensive problems. It looks dreadful when goals are scored when balls go over the heads of defenders, and we really have to “wise up” to that. John Hartson was possibly a bit too hard on men who have not been at the club for all that long, (McFadden was a touch more forgiving) but the point was correct in that we must sort things out very soon. One presumes that Ange Postecoglou has that in mind when he plans further excursions into the transfer market.
Joe Hart did not distinguish himself at either goal, but again, that is just his first game. We need time to understand each other, but there is not really an awful lot of time. Those who did not realise just what a huge and demanding team Celtic are will very soon find out when the big crowd turns up next Thursday.
They may or may not see Edouard. There can be little doubt that there was a nippiness about the forward line in the first half without him, and when he did come on, he did not impress. A new start is clearly in order for the under-performing young Frenchman.
But a win in Europe remains a win. The opposition was not all that demanding, but they still had to be defeated. It would be a catastrophic error to assume that the tie is already won.
The change strip was actually better that some of the grizzly horrors we have seen in the past, and there was a certain amount of green and white in it, but I keep asking myself if the green and white hoops really are a colour clash with a Hibs type strip? But yes, yes, I know – it is all about selling strips!
Onto Dundee on Sunday…
