Sandman’s Definitive Ratings – Celtic v Aston Martin

YING – 2/10 – Man down! Man down! Ironically his best – and only – moment of the night was bringing a man
down and somehow escaping a card for the chop. Daizen was raging…This was a tough indictment on the young Korean’s level, and Celtic future. He was a bhoy lost in a man’s game; out-paced and outmuscled. And now possibly, out. Completely.

DUNCAN IDAHO – 7.5/10 – “Ya big lazy donk… Dancer!” Idah-San, take a bow. Just when we needed him, the man least expected fills the vacated tiny Japanese boots with his own thunderous diamond hooves. Two great finishes, one semi-hitch-kick – assisted by undercover Celt John McGinn (of gigantic arse infamy*) – and the second, my favourite, with the awareness to lift it over the clutching paws of magnificent Argie World Cup Hero, Dibu. This was a match Idah made his mark in. A proper big game, just as we’d hoped since last summer…

A gripe I have is his overall work-rate – not fit enough to maintain the press required, thus involving midfielders too much (Reo), thus a detriment to our chances of creating something when we win it back due to those exhaustive
supporting shifts. It all comes down to one thing now that he’s recovered the goalscoring touch – get in the gym, big fella.

*(© Gerry Creaney Arsepads Inc.)

TAKINTE – 7/10 – Tonight starts and ends with The Kuhn. It was he who took up the torch at two down and started to run at them, forced them back and instilled second thoughts as they fancied overrunning us. Again, later in the game, like last week, we failed to utilise his prowess enough – looking dangerous and hungry for it at his every involvement, service his way was insufficient. We simply didn’t prioritise him enough over the hapless Ying, leaving regrets over what might have been. Lesson: Use your talisman as much as possible; the CL margins are so fine.

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