Phew! A relief to hear the final whistle tonight but a satisfactory performance in all but goal scoring where we should have scored an awful lot more goals than we did. Nevertheless a professional performance brought to us by Celtic TV which did not cut out or break down once – so well done to them as well!
It was a professional performance, and I hesitate to use that word for I would rather be saying things like “dazzling” “brilliant or “sparkling” – but then again you do not get such performances in Europe, and we should be content to be in the Group Stage which is at least something and gives us something to relish for six midweeks between now and Christmas. We look forward to the draw.
The one goal was scant reward for the pressure that we put on them, but it was from a good piece of play from Ryan Christie (who had a far better game in the second half than he did in the first where a lot of his passes went astray) and Odsonne Edouard (who had hitherto failed to impress, it has to be said) was there to net the rebound. We really should have scored a few more, particularly from the corners than we earned.
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We were well served by Jeremie Frimpong, Greg Taylor, (my Man of the Match) and old reliable Scott Brown, but the centre defence also held firm throughout. The injury to Nir Bitton was a nasty foul but it did not seem to be all that bad at the time and I was disturbed to hear that he was carried off on a stretcher. Elyounoussi has had better games. He disappeared for long periods of the game and his shooting was weak, but he is a good player, as he has now proved, and is to be persevered with.
So satisfaction at least, if not triumph, as we fly home heading to Perth where St Johnstone will, as they usually do, give us a tough game on Sunday at lunchtime on SKY TV. There must be no relaxing of attitude. There is a lot of work to be done as we pursue FIVE trophies this year (the normal three, the Europa League and an extra Scottish Cup!). But, congratulations tonight, Celtic, for a job well done!
David Potter
