MIBBERY – 5/10 – “It’s Dickinson. That’s Dick, with a ‘D’.” A real bona fide Son of a Zombie, this one; A dyed-in-the-goatskin blueknob. Probably couldn’t believe his luck at presiding over such a passive Celtic performance, able to throw around a few cards- luck-wittery award of the season contender, booking Greggs for pointing out he was uselessand didn’t know a corner from a shy. Pernickety fouls are his speciality, upsetting the flow of the Hoops. Got plenty practice in, and an extra reason to sneer his way back down the road to some citrus hellhole.
Daniels Balodis of St Johnstone celebrates with team mates after scoring to give St Johnstone a 1-0 lead. St Johnstone v Celtic, Scottish Premiership, l, McDiarmid Park, Perth, 06 April 2025: Photo Stuart Wallace/IMAGO Shutterstock
OVERALL – 4/10 – It had all been going so well since 5pm Saturday – New wood-burner (to annoy the climate hysterics) barbie, en route from an Amazon workhouse (sorry, ‘warehouse’); three delinquent coos ordered off
farmer McSavage’s slaughter belt; six kegs of Guinness barrelling towards the back garden; bouncy castle inflating all week as the kids need something to do during the school holidays and there’s only one bike pump kicking around; strippers lined up for dusk (including a ‘gentleman’ for the lay-dees)…
Adam Idah of Celtic’s shot blocked by Zach Mitchell of St Johnstone. St Johnstone v Celtic, Scottish Premiership, Football, McDiarmid Park, Perth,06 April 2025 Photo Stuart Wallace/IMAGO Shutterstock
And then the Bhoys go and majestically mess up the title party with that… aberration….in the gentle rolling Perthshire countryside on a sunny Sunday made for tickling the heehaws of the champions trophy. What we going to do next Saturday afternoon, now? Eh? Alright for that shiftless mob of players – they’ll have a cup-semi to focus on. How do I tell a dozen eager young weans that I had to cancel Tatyana Tittle-Tassles and Dug-Show Debbie? Repair those shattered dreams, Brendan!
Celtic Manager Brendan Rodgers applauds the Celtic fans at full-time. Final score St Johnstone 1 Celtic 0. St Johnstone v Celtic, Scottish Premiership, McDiarmid Park, Perth, – 06 April 2025 Photo Stuart Wallace IMAGO/Shutterstock
So out of nowhere comes a lacklustre defeat on the cusp of glory. One of the biggest Sunday shocks since escaping noon mass and hurtling round to your grandparents only to find Grandpa wearing Granny’s dress with no sign of her, apart from gagged screams rising out of the basement. This was the slasher-movie psycho twist to an otherwise satisfying season; but its come too soon and won’t spoil the finale – we’ve had the big warning before tangling with the cowpokes again in a fortnight, and that might ensure they don’t spring a treble-busting
trap on us.
🔊 LISTEN: “It’s not the first time. This is something for me to look at in the summer… There’s a comfort there I don’t like.”
🍀 Brendan Rodgers is questioning the ‘mentality’ of his Celtic team and says there are ‘no excuses’ for the 1-0 loss at St Johnstone. ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/E6y6e0yL5W
— Clyde 1 Superscoreboard (@ClydeSSB) April 6, 2025
As for today… Jee-sus. Football, flaming hell; we didn’t play too badly, or look too off the pace; it wasn’t a calamitous, awful showing – it just… meandered, and rarely ever rose above middling. There was a spark missing and no fire got lit across the span of the game. Everyone – apart from Reo mostly, and Jota infrequently – seemed to be hanging about waiting for a hero to emerge.
Celtic Manager Brendan Rodgers St Johnstone v Celtic, Scottish Premiership, McDiarmid Park, Perth, 06 April 2025. Stuart Wallace . Photo IMAGO/Shutterstock
So the bottom side overturned the top and it was ultimately deserved, as Saints showed just how to scrap for survival and won their pleasant metro-manager – probably my favourite in the league this weekend, just above Jackie Butland – a stay of execution. So the Bhoys got a lesson in standards and application. As annoyed as we are, I doubt anyone will be as dismayed as the players about the missed opportunity for a grandstanding afternoon of celebration next Saturday. Well, maybe Tatyana.
Go Away Now
Sandman
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Faulds’ ratings highlight Celtic’s disappointing performance against St Johnstone. Sinisalo and Carter were solid, but the defense was exposed early, with key players like Schlupp failing to make an impact. The lack of leadership at the back and inconsistent performances raise concerns for Celtic’s title hopes. The squad needs to regroup before tougher challenges ahead.
Celtic players just think turn up beat the saints job done ” Celtic are the best of a bad bunch of teams in the spl when you have no one challenging you standards drop and yesterday to many players thinking about there summer holidays pathetic display by them.