CALMAC – 7.5/10 – Something wicked this way comes… Well there’s no rest for some and whatever Calmac’s done to warrant being driven into the turf – a thoroughbred worked like a carthorse – then there must be bodies under patios given his never-ending selection. But it’s not his engine that concerns – more like his footballing mojo; a refreshing reset of that baller’s brain to initiate new inventive vigour is what’s good for him and the team. And it should be the management’s call, not his – Calmac will play on his knees for the Hoops and that’s where he’ll end up without careful rationing.
Callum McGregor from distance! 🎯
The Celtic skipper arrows one into the bottom corner for the opener 🍀#ScottishCup | @ScottishCup pic.twitter.com/D29TDFkv9W
— Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) January 18, 2025
Yet here he was, rejuvenated? Certainly seemed the ‘old’ Calmac was out to play – you will have noticed just how much you sat up and were lit up as he was seen bursting forward, weaving a path, eliciting jhoy at the footballing purity on display; and ending it with a BANG! as he found the net at a distance in early season style once more. Calmac is back, Jack…
THE TERMINATOR – 6.5/10 – Another game, another gallus… If gallus was a noun, let alone a word. But that’s what he’s getting and that’s what he’s got. Terrific movement back and forth ahead of Calmac. If you can’t see it, take a refresher course or go watch the rugger-buggers… Well, rugger each other… Not utilised enough, though, but that may come with familiarity; but also not with Reo attempting the same – we need positional clarification there or get exposed as moves break down in confusion. Especially at a higher level. However, if they do synch-up well enough then we have a dynamic proposition on our hands. The bhoy was a handful today; let’s hope the
understanding extends well into midweek.
HAKUNA HATATE – 7/10 – What will we get today, Reo? Hot or cold? Looked silky, alert, then produced a ‘Dingwall Christie’ from 3 yards out. Moments like that can be pendulum swings, and so it nearly transpired. But as the game drew out, Reo grew – second 45 he was hungry and damaging; nailed his Zinedine Zidane half-turned reception of deep balls, and had us promptly on the front-foot with Killie backtracking furiously. He’s an enigma but when he enigmatises* in our favour, he’s mercury in a jersey.
* This is not actual English, probably, but it sounds flaming right.
The wee mushroom seems to have his mind on somewhere else; never seen him miss so many as he’s done the last few games. Hopefully they get back to normal after hitting that wall.
Nonsense, great for 30 minutes and as mentioned could have been out of sight, but after that we fell to pieces under the high press. The inability to play through the press and lack of bottle were evidenced when McGregor chooses to sky the ball into the air, rather than bring it down unchallenged, then doing the exact same thing 30 seconds later, under the same circumstances. Granted we could still have taken one of quite a few chances, but they could’ve also taken one of their few, again. I obviously watched a different game from most, with quite a few lauding a great performance, yeah for the first 30 minutes, after that it was just like the Dundee game, for the same reasons, inability to cope with a high press.
YB Bern must be licking their lips!!.