Benjamin Nygren. Hearts v Celtic, 26 October 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)
NEGAN – 3/10 – He’s Swedish, yes, but he’s not Henrik Swedish. So blast it into the roof of the net. It’s a fine line between zero and hero, and despite the deftest of touches his immediate attempt thereafter at smartarsery became game-defining; we miss the chance to take the lead and sicken them, they get invigorated at a perceived miracle-save and momentum swings. Even so, around that moment he was very much the invisible man.
Sebastian Tounekti. Hearts v Celtic, 26 October 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)
TUTANKHAMUN – 4.5/10 – There were moments. Flurries of inspiration. But it was always, ‘Did you see it, or didn’t you?’ up to his departure as the elusive final ball or clean heels run never transpired; though would have left him on to give us a slugger’s chance.
Johnny Kenny. Hearts v Celtic, 26 October 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)
KENNY JOHNNY – 2/10 – His big opportunity. Be the focal point, the rapier striker. Ended up like watching a greyhound with head trauma chasing a beach ball in a storm.
Always great insight and writing. The John Kenny description deserves an extra mention!
Have to say I agree with, pretty much, all of that.
But I’ll go further. As I’ve said many times, I don’t care for Rodgers, didn’t like him the first time, still don’t now, but I am close to accusing him of deliberate sabotage, on Sunday. Bearing in mind the venue, Ralston and Trusty HAD to play, yesterday and Rodgers should have known that, maybe he did? His substitutions are dubious, at the best of times, but bringing on Balikwisha was, for me, the final act of treachery.
He has an assortment of wingers who play on their ‘weak’ side, so never get ‘to the line’, he obviously can’t get the best from Engels and Nygren, he NEVER drops his favourites and I wonder, looking at some of his signings, if he could ever recognise a good player.
Time for a change, starting with an uninspiring manager.
Agree with all that, but for me the bottle crashed around 35 minute mark. By this point we had fought hard and having got the equaliser , took control. Then inexplicably we totally bottled it, not from Hearts pressure or Rogers changes to personal or tactics, just got a nose bleed after fighting our way to the top, and went to pieces. Powder puff team though, and too many passengers, not to mention self sabotage from Murray.