Aberdeen’s veteran midfielder Graeme Shinnie knows what it is like to come up against Celtic’s Invincibles, having played against Brendan Rodgers record breakers in his first spell with Aberdeen.
Now having experienced Ange Postecoglou’s relentless version of Celtic the on-loan Dons star as reported in The Scotsman has admitted this Celtic side is equally as impressive.
“The manager has them playing a different style of football to what I have been used to, going there, especially,” said Shinnie. “They have inverted full-backs and try to make overloads in areas of the pitch. I thought they were very good. I played against Brendan Rodgers’ teams who were very dominant and very good, but I feel this Celtic side is very impressive.”
Shinnie and his Aberdeen teammates must have feared the worst on Saturday. Having gone two goals down after just 13 minutes, following wonderful goals from Callum McGregor – with a fantastic driven finish – and then from Reo Hatate’s brilliantly created and executed second goal. A 25-minute breather at the start of the second half only real saw Celtic kick back into gear later in the game.
Hatate grabbed his second goal of yet another man of the match performance with an incredible finish – after to all intents and purposes assisting himself for that wonder strike – and Liel Abada’s well executed finish for Celtic’s fourth goal of the afternoon wrapped things up nicely, and gave the scoreline the sort of reflection Celtic’s dominant performance deserved.
Yet Shinnie would know himself although Aberdeen ultimately got off lightly by only conceding four goals – given their backs to the walls approach for huge swathes of Saturday’s encounter at Celtic Park.
Comparisons with sides of the past are often unfair to make, given they often measure very different eras. Yet in this case, with Rodgers and Postecoglou’s respective reigns as Celtic manager being so close, it is perhaps worthwhile to make such comparisons.
Celtic’s first season under Rodgers was simply outstanding to watch, however the second – although just as successful – was perhaps a slight drop off when it came to both intensity and creativity.
Meanwhile whilst Postecoglou’s first season was a slow starter, Celtic made up for lost time. Yet in the second season, thus far at least, there has arguably been an increase in Celtic’s relentless play, and this side are arguably an even better version of the team which won a League and League Cup double last season.
Postecoglou it could also be argued is also facing a stronger theRangers side than Rodgers had to contend with, and we’ll get the chance to assess just that with the tantalising prospect of Michael Beale’s much touted, and arguably overhyped side, facing up to Postecoglou’s footballing force of nature this weekend in the League Cup Final at Hampden on Sunday afternoon.
Different incarnations of Celtic teams are often judged on the trophies they accumulate, and that will be no different for Ange Postecoglou’s side. Yet, silverware aside for a moment, there is little doubt in the entertainment stakes that Postecoglou’s version of Celtic is producing some of the best football seen by a team in green and white hoops this century.
Graeme Shinnie may have stopped just short of admitting it, preferring to perhaps sit on the fence, but this Celtic side is arguably a better side than the team Brendan Rodgers built, and what better way to prove it than by lifting that League Cup final against theRangers on Sunday.
Niall J
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GLASGOW DERBY UNDER THE LIGHTS ON FRIDAY 24 FEBRUARY, KICK-OFF 7PM….CELTIC V theRangers
Don’t forget there’s some Friday Night Football under the lights this coming Friday when Fran Alonso’s title challenging Celtic side take on theRangers at the Excelsior Stadium in Airdrie with the match only open to Celtic supporters. Celtic are a point ahead of theRangers at the moment and three behind Glasgow City who we play a week on Sunday, also over at Airdrie. A win against theRangers takes Celtic to the top of the league and a win the following Sunday will really put Celtic in the driving seat for our first ever SWPL1 Title. Get along and support the team, for full ticket details click below…COYGIG!
Anges Celtic, when compared to Rogers team in Europe removes any doubt as to who has built the better team. And as yi says, this is a team still on the rise whereas Rogers team peaked in it’s 1st season.
Now, transfer policy change between then and now can’t be ignored either, Ange got to spend £12+m on his central defensive pairing, Rogers I think if I remember correctly had a budget of £8.50 and a half eaten bag of smokey bacon crisps to fix what was an obvious problem area in the team.
Never blamed Rogers for leaving, even if the way he left lacked a whole load of class. So it’s good to see that our board has finally learned the lesson of how to keep a good coach and are giving Ange proper financial backing.
HH