SUBS –
Shin Yamada. Hearts v Celtic, 26 October 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)
FEIN – 6/10 – Not saying it’s much but he did more in his stint than his predecessor had managed all game, and when we were on top. Put himself around, nearly got on the end of a few chances, glorious take-down out of sky only to be denied by a brave block. He looks as though he could offer something. His elite manager doesn’t share that opinion…
Michel-Ange Balikwisha. Hearts v Celtic, 26 October 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)
BALIKMORY – N/A – He does understand he’s allowed to run forward? With the ball?
James Forrest. Hearts v Celtic, 26 October 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)
JAMESY – 6/10 – Jamesy usually thrives in Edinburgh but despite Celtic’s ghod of fertility injecting some zip and sharp play, his team-mates remained impotent.
Luke McCowan. Hearts v Celtic, 26 October 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)
HIGHLAND TOFFEE – 6/10 – Would you Luke at that – Luke’s shown the rest of them how to take a shot. Another of the sub trio that really should be starting next week for their laudable efforts to look like they cared.
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.