Celtic finally produce the type of football we have been waiting all season for…
Celtic turned up today against a Hearts side who have caused us problems all season knowing that nothing less than a win would suffice. They delivered not only the much needed three points on offer, but also treated the fans to one of the best performances of the season.
Most of us would have been looking at the post split fixtures a few weeks ago and anticipated that one of our hardest games would be today’s match against Hearts. We needn’t have worried. Today the real Celtic turned up and when this team is in full flow there is absolutely no team in Scotland who can get anywhere near us.
I’m not ashamed to say I was gutted when Ange Postecoglou left us at the end of last season. Although Ange himself was a likeable guy and a successful manager it wasn’t losing the man that I was most upset by, it was the thought of losing the brand of football we had nurtured under the Australian. That free flowing, attack minded, ‘we never stop’ style that we all loved to see week after week. Today, for the first time under Brendan Rodgers, it felt like it had finally returned.
Today was just one of those days when everything clicked. We finally produced that complete 90 minute performance. Every single player played their part. The crowd was absolutely immense throughout. Honestly it felt like a switch had been hit and suddenly the performance we know these players are capable of finally transpired.
It only took us to May but today must be one of the first times during this campaign that Brendan Rodgers has looked out onto that pitch and watched as his players finally delivered the type of football he and the rest of us have been yearning for all season.
Now let’s go onto some of the players who deserve our full praise this evening and we will start with our retiring hero between the sticks, Joe Hart. Like many of our displays under Ange Postecoglou, although we were dominant throughout we did hand the opposition opportunities but fortunately for us we had in goals a goalkeeper determined to end his career on a high.
Hart pulled off three top saves during this game that proved to everyone that he is still more than capable of operating at the highest level. We are going to miss this man when he’s gone.
Last week I questioned our midfield three, who I thought looked totally out of sorts against Dundee, but my god did they prove what they are all about today. It seems like we have waited all season to have our three best midfielders all playing together. Hatate, O’Riley and McGregor on paper are a dream triumvirate at the heart of our team but for whatever reason seems to have been out of sorts over these past few weeks but today they proved what a force they can be when all fit and fully firing.
Captain McGregor has finally shaken off the ring rust and was looking every bit the warrior we know he is. He was excellent as the holding midfielder today, making some fantastic tackles and giving the Hearts attackers absolutely no room to breathe while also orchestrating attacking plays from deep inside the Celtic half.
When Hatate came back from all his early season injuries we were expecting him to prove he’s one of this teams greatest talents yet he has been a bit underwhelming in all honesty, until today that is. He showed the type of dynamism our midfield has been missing all season to put in his best performance so far this campaign.
O’Riley has been a shadow of himself since the turn of the year but today showed the type of form that attracted the attention of La Liga giants Atletico Madrid and has him in the running for player of the year. His overall play was exceptional and his ball for the second goal was a thing of absolute beauty. His penalty was dispatched with aplomb and everything he did today showed that he is easily worth £20m+ when he does eventually leave these shores.
One last player who deserves high praise is our man up top, Kyogo. The Japanese star who has struggled at points during this campaign and has even been dropped at times showed he’s still the best striker in the country by a clear distance. On the opposite side of the pitch today was Lawrence Shankland, who will most likely end up top goalscorer in the Scottish Premiership, but there is no doubt that we still possess the best goal scorer in the division.
When he gets the service the wee man is unstoppable, it’s just a pity the supply to him from his teammates has been well below par this season. The first goal summed him up, the quick train of thought to jet into that position is a skill that other players dream of having. His second showed how lethal he is with the goal at his mercy. A great all round performance from start to finish.
Some save there shankland 😂 pic.twitter.com/OKQefRZHzf
— Liam 🇮🇪 (@Liam196788) May 4, 2024
Now we move on to next weekend where we have the opportunity to wrap the league up against our biggest rivals in front of a packed and raucous Celtic Park. If we play like we did today we will absolutely blow them away. They are on the ropes as the season comes to its climax, let’s deliver the knockout blow and finish them off Celtic.
Conall McGinty
took a while, probably one of the best performances this season
Tog e bog e. Great performance.
Let’s settle until the next game’s won.
Hail Hail