Champions League Qualifier (1st Round) Celtic 6 KR Reykjavik 0
This was a solid result. The opposition was poor, it has to be said, but Celtic still had to win the game and this they did emphatically without really having to pull out all the stops. The goals were all well taken with Edouard scoring the kind of goal that I did not think he specialised in! He has previously not been at his best in these “dribbling” sort of goals, but that one was a cracker. The comment however that it put £5 million on his transfer price (did I hear that correctly?) was possibly a bit of an exaggeration.
A RIDICULOUS individual goal from Odsonne Édouard! 😱
He worked his way through the crowd of defenders with great close control and then produced a clinical finish to cap it off 👏 pic.twitter.com/kP76vq5fNp
— Premier Sports 📺 (@PremierSportsTV) August 18, 2020
McGregor was outstanding, Christie was good, Elyounoussi was first rate, but the man that I have yet to see do well this season is James Forrest. He has been OK, but not as prolific or as sparkling as last year. The defence was sound, and great to see Greg Taylor getting only the second goal of his career. Barkas has not yet been tested, and the rest of the defence strolled through the game.
What are we to do with our four strikers? Clearly one at least has to give. Albian Ajeti said all the right things in his interview at half time, and we look forward to seeing him in action. “Paddy” Klimala we know a little more about but he is largely unproved at this level.
Odsonne Edouard we know all about, but Leigh Griffiths remains the conundrum. Other things being equal, one is inclined to go for the Scotsman on the grounds that he understands Scottish conditions better, but other things are not equal, and in all sorts of ways Leigh faces an uphill struggle. But he retains his popularity with the support, and we wish him well. And surely one of these strikers can produce the goods? Surely we do not have to put up with any more of that feckless rubbish we suffered at Kilmarnock?
Livingston did us a favour on Sunday, proving that the Rangers too are capable of “feckless rubbish”, but it is all to play for this season. Dundee United on Saturday and whoever we get next week in Europe will be far more difficult than the brave Icelanders were tonight.
David Potter
