Callum McGregor scored his third goal of the campaign yesterday, surpassing his total for last season, and was named Man of the Match, as voted by Celtic supporters. It must have been a tough call though with so many candidates for that accolade.
The other two goalscorers in the comfortable Glasgow Derby victory for Celtic, Daizen Maeda and Kyogo Furuhashi were certainly contenders but so too were Paulo Bernardo, Alistair Johnston, Greg Taylor, Liam Scales and Nicolas Kuhn.
Afterwards the Celtic captain admitted that Celtic should perhaps have scored a few more goals, to put a more accurate scoreline on a dominant performance from the Scottish Champions and Scottish Premiership leaders.
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“The performance, quality of goals, quality of defending, the way the team worked for each other, it had a bit of everything and we were probably unlucky not to get more goals,” McGregor said, as reported by The Herald.
“I think we’re a good side. I think (the)Rangers are a good side as well, they probably had a little bit more possession than what they have had in previous games. But there’s more than one way to win a football match, and especially in transition today, I thought we were outstanding.
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“We were so dangerous, got three, probably could have got four or five really if we look after the ball in that transition moment.
“It’s easy to say there’s a gap because the scoreline suggests it, but there’s only a gap in football if you continue to work hard and keep pressing home when you’ve got that advantage. The boys inside the dressing room know that, that they have to continue to work and get better because if you stand still in football then there’ll be somebody chasing you.
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“Our mentality is us, we have to judge ourselves based on what we demand for the group and everything else then becomes irrelevant. We speak about that every day, we have to demand the maximum out of each other in training and games and then if we do that, then our level will be as high as it possibly can. And then when teams come and play against us, can they get to that level?
“But for sure we have to keep moving forward.”
On his run of goals this season, the Celtic captain tried to find an explanation for his good fortune in front of goal. “I just think sometimes you get yourself into these positions and when your luck’s in and you feel good then they seem to go in, so I’m happy with that,” Calmac said.
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“Obviously when you play in these games you want to do well and help the team as much as you can. I think the boys will tell you when you score in this fixture then it’s probably as good a feeling as you’ll get in football, so absolutely delighted.
“But the most important thing is the team and how we played and the results, so, a good afternoon.”
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On Glasgow Derby day it is starting to become our normality, that Calmac and kyogo will be our headline makers, to the degree it’s nearly expected nowadays?
As influential as both were yesterday, among other players also, it is the adjustments that both have added to there all round game, which in turn makes both even better players as yesterday proved imo?
For Calmac to have the shackles finally removed, and allowing him to dictate play in a more advanced position, is certainly showing to be far more beneficial to ourselves?
Already with more goals to his name this season, with wonderful strikes also.
Even Calmac himself looks rejuvenated as a player also.
Was starting to get himself bogged down in the deeper role, especially with the man to man marking placed upon him?
Now with more freedom, and going into the more advanced attacking areas, it’s not so simple to be putting a man on man in place upon Calmac?
Especially as with his footballing intelligence, he will pull players all over the pitch, to a degree that no-one ends up knowing who is meant to be picking him up?
As usual, the scum had no answers to Calmac.
This tactical changes from Rodgers looking very good regarding Calmac and kyogo with adding another dimension to there game, has the potential of being very effective and profitable for ourselves, even within our CL campaign imo?
As much as I was surprised that we sold iwata, especially as I thought he would be a very decent backup for calmac?
You can see now, especially from yesterday, that is no longer the case, with a far better and more suitable role for Calmac introduced into our team imo?