SOME games are simply routine and regulation. Last night’s was one of them. We didn’t “win ugly”, nor did we play “champagne soccer”. We simply won 2-0. It was one of those games which you simply have to win, if you want to win the League.
The opposition was not glamorous, they are in a lowly League position and they understandably chose to defend and hope to hit us on the break. At half-time it was beginning to look as if they were succeeding, but ten minutes into the second half, it was all over. A rat-a-tat goal eventually put away by Elyounoussi, and then a sublime piece of skill from the hero of the hour, the beloved Jamesie who will now be here for 10 in a row, the Green Brigade tell us. Mind you, they used to say that about someone else… did they not?
We started a little flatly, I thought, and never really lifted things until our purple patch at the start of the second half. We never really looked in any danger, but there was a certain complacency that crept in during the second half, and other more ruthless teams than St Mirren might have taken advantage of that. Possibly this means that some of the players are a little mentally exhausted, and maybe there should have been a little more squad rotation at the start. Lewis Morgan for example got a brief run out. I often feel that he has not had enough of a chance.
This game will not live long in anyone’s memory, but it was significant in that it was Greg Taylor’s debut (well worth another game, I feel) and we had another chance to look at Moritz Bauer who also did well enough. Some limitations were highlighted as well. Odsonne Edouard needs space. He is not at his best when the play is tight, and he should work on finding space for himself, even if it means using the wings.
At worst, this would mean taking a few defenders with him, and leave more room in the middle for someone else. Elyounoussi is very good but tends to fade a little in the second half, Fraser Forster remains a first class goalkeeper but some of his kick-outs last night left a little to be desired – but these are only minor criticisms, and I leave it to the coaching staff to work on that.
More concerning perhaps is the apparent injury to Scott Brown. I hope he is OK for Saturday, but we will some day quite soon have to reckon with the biological fact that Scott is no longer young. No-one can ever deny his tremendous contribution to the club, and there were times last night when he was not so fast as he used to be. But we certainly still need him.
The crowd was surprisingly high, and enthusiasm remains infectious. Those of us who came to the game from the east last night faced major and annoying roadworks delays, and one fears it will not be any easier on Saturday. Once again the Green Brigade did us proud, but the St Mirren supporters displayed a banner which said “Twenty’s Plenty”. Pardon the ignorance, but can anyone tell me what that was all about? There was a certain irony in it as we edged along the M8 last night, sometimes doing a lot less than twenty!
And so to Saturday. It is a semi-final and there are no draws or second chances. Hibs’ best hope would probably lie in a penalty shoot-out, so we really have to kill the game in the 90 minutes, something that in theory at least we should do with little bother. A glance at the Hibs’ websites will tell us how highly their supporters rate their chances, and from what I have seen of them on TV, there are a few glaring problems.
But that will count for nothing on Saturday. We must not under-rate them, and once again a large stick must be applied to the serpent of complacency. It is a semi-final, and I want to see once again the magical combination of silver with green and white ribbons a few days before Bojo (whom I sometimes by a Freudian slip call Mojo!) gets the boot as well. Yes, I’m dreaming of a green and white Christmas!
David Potter
Here’s Neil Lennon’s Post Match thoughts…
And some post match feedback from debut Bhoy Greg Taylor and Man of the Moment Jamesy Forrest…
And here are the Match Highlights from Celtic’s 2-0 win over St Mirren…
And don’t forget to read Sandman’s hilarious Player Ratings, some belters in there, someone has said that the ratings were better than the game!
