SANDMAN’S DEFINITIVE RATINGS: CELTIC @ SWINECASTLE…
“Thoughts are tyrants that return again and again to torment us. Thoughts, and Celtic chucking it. Again….”Emily Bronte
BANE – 4/10 – Criminal. Well, he is a supervillain. After composed and timely play, coupled with a fine save, he ventured into no-man’s land like a shell-shocked batman (see what I did there, military rankings and comic-book shtick fans?) and the big bomb blew him and us out of the battle. Only point in his favour – was never a free-kick in the first place but when you’ve got a Bluenose like Madden sucking on his whistle such late ‘indiscretions’ are to be expected.
Anthony Ralston second right celebrates scoring for Celtic at Tynecastle. Photo Jane Barlow
TONY THE TIGER – 7.5/10 MOTM – What can one say? Grrrrreat! Almost spilled my Frosties as Tony channelled D10S and produced a goal from the 1986 World Cup Finals to set us on our way to another…defeat. Shame such a strike is lost in depression. His all-round game needs refinement but there’s no lack of will to succeed, and glimpses of class to raise eyebrows. And hopes.
Greg Taylor centre in action during the cinch Premiership match at Tynecastle Park, Photo: Jane Barlow
GREGGS THE BAKER – 4/10 – Oh dear. A space-filler, much like his sausage rolls. But they’re also a culinary wonder of the world. Greggs, conversely, looks to have gone backwards towards the unremarkable journeyman label he shook off to join us. Poor touch, passing vision absent, upper body strength letting him down time and again as he was shrugged off the ball, or bettered in challenges.
Celtic s Carl Starfelt right attempts a header towards goal at Tynecastle. Photo: Jane Barlow
STAR LORD – 4/10 – Well, that’s the Galaxy busted. A crushing debut for a guardian of… well, not a lot. Scampered across like a crazed racoon as he failed Sunday League Elementary lesson number 1 – better out the park than in the net. And it subsequently went in the net. Tried to make up for it in the second half by scoring directly into his own net, but was foiled by Bane, then Craig Flaming Gordon Who’s Not Good Enough For Celtic Anymore produced a wonder save to deny Star Lord a face-saving debut goal and me 20/1 on him scoring a header. In-between he saw far too much of the ball at his feet for a centre-back and neglected to organise/pick up Soapy Soutar for their winner. Maybe we should have signed the talking tree instead.
BITTON – 6/10 – The one-finger assassin returned to the first eleven and it seemed a decent call – given the amount of possession our backline had we needed his precise passing abilities. He didn’t err too much; makeshift defender is his forte. The main fault lay further up…
EDDIE TURNBULL – 3/10 – Showing all of his 98 years (deceased). If you’re going to suave your way into a game, you need to be tuned-in and buzzing from the start. Suaveness is the idiosyncrasy of truly great midfield players – Pirlo oozed suaveness on the ball, BUT, crucially, suaveness was NOT the mindset of the great Pirlo. His footballing mind broiled with the fury of swan’s legs below the waterline. Lesser players always think they can imitate but don’t realise the distinction between internal process and external aspect.
Eddie failed to impose himself at all, floating around ineffective, less suave and more messing-about. His lack of presence and connection let the whole midfield model down; Left Calmac and Soro toiling, out-numbered, to service the widemen; was the reason our defence saw so much of the ball. You got to get into it hardcore from the start, youngster – get on it like a real Pirlo, not the Phiss-Poorlo we saw last night.
CALMAC – 7/10 – Another fine showing from the skipper. Needed to be everywhere as Eddie T misfired, was everywhere. Only thing preventing his total domination of the ball is his current fitness level – still got a higher notch in him.
Gary Mackay-Steven and Celtic s Ismaila Soro battle for the ball h at Tynecastle. Photo: Jane Barlow
MAN OF – 6.5/10 – Terrific grafter, in the Broon mould of drive and commitment. In tandem with Calmac provides a great platform for creatives. But, as covered, swamped tonight yet managed a combative edge.
James Forrest left and Liam Boyce battle for the ball at Tynecastle. Photo: Jane Barlow
JAMESY – 4/10 – Struggled all game until back on his favoured right side late on and able to stretch his…legs. Thought he’d saved a point, but denied by Craig Flaming Gordon Who’s Not Good Enough For Celtic Anymore. Only an ugly 5 thousand in the aptly-named Gargoyle Road stadium tonight, so Jamesy wasn’t wasting the wang on such undeserving specimens. That will come with more game-time, which he evidently needs after a season zipped-up. Sorry, sidelined.
Alex Cochrane tries to get between Anthony Ralston and Liel Abada Photo: Malcolm Mackenzie
ABADASS – 4/10 – Hmm, never thought it was possible to sand-dance on that surface. Mud-dance maybe. This one’s got a bit to prove after his debut CL goal. Hoped for some sparkling play last night to roast them, but nothing transpired aside from a few moments of promise that frittered away, wasteful or spurned. Just a bhoy, in a new land, may need some bench-time to settle and focus.
Odsonne Edouard attempts a shot on goal at Tynecastle. Photo Jane Barlow
FRENCH EDDY – 5/10 – He was corralled by some unforgiving brutes all night and starved of decent service by malfunctioning wings and midfield creative. Yet, for the neat touches and occasional flashes of dynamite, he’s still holding something back – for Brighton probably. So why’s he starting anyway?
SUBS:
MR KOBAYASHI – N/A – Sent from the Far east at the behest of Kaiser Soze to sort the Bears. The man Griff refers to as ‘Japanese Eddy’ was (reluctantly it seemed) thrown in to win the game and ended up playing as some sort of defensive midfielder as Celtic legs gave way.
CORPUS CHRISTIE – N/A – Late on for impact. Did get a shot off, that was comfortable enough for Craig Flaming Gordon Who’s Not Good Enough For Celtic Anymore.
ROGIC – N/A – Suddenly appeared down the left in injury time without prompting, and I thought ‘Big Oz has gone loco and run onto the park for aggro!’
ANITA DOBSON – 6/10 – So what do you do, Ange? Stick? Twist? Get on a plane for Sydney? Halfway through the second half, when Abadass blew a great break with a cross as poor as any Bluenose trying to fake his way into confession (And there’s not enough time left in eternity to hear-out that), you could see the boss rage at his misfortune. And as for his first experience of an ‘honest mistake’? Offside law bends differently in Scotland, Ange…
Set up a side with ambition, two wingers and two forward-thinking full-backs, then watched as specific players failed the entire enterprise from the start and questionable fitness levels (ah, the legacy of the good old times…) meant momentum could not be maintained. So we’ll wait some more galling weeks to see if the Queen Vic’s
in good hands or the new landlord’s a rogue without a winning game-plan.
Hearts manager Robbie Neilson centre speaks to the fourth official as Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou left looks on. Photo: Jane Barlow
OVERALL – 5/10 – Replicants on the park and frothing bigoted mutants in the stands. Always a brave camera crew deployed at these fixtures, and it was sad to see the toll the Edinburgh leprosy epidemic had taken on the crowd. We gifted a lead then, as ever against these irritants, dominated, equalised, and should have won it; Another game we should have won. Three in a row.
However, it still remains overall encouraging to see the shape and vision Ange brings – trouble is we need the players to test it out as a functioning unit. Last night the few let down the many. We move on, frustrated, rebuilding, hoping, teeth-grinding, as we keep our ire in check and try and give the new boss breathing space to carry out his thankless task.
Once again, shame on you, Pistol Pete, Lennony, et all for letting standards slip so abjectly – YOU know who you are; and I’ll never let you forget.
Go Away Now.
SANDMAN
