CELTIC’S five-goal romp against Kilmarnock at the weekend was the team’s biggest away win in any competition since an identical scoreline against Ross County in Dingwall on September 12 2020.
There have been remarkable changes at the club since that day in the Highlands almost two years ago.
Amazingly, none of the five goalscorers at Rugby Park – Kyogo Furuhashi, Filipe Jota, Moritz Jenz, Carl Starfelt and Giorgos Giakoumakis – was on the Parkhead playing staff back then.
FLYING HIGH…Kyogo Furuhashi celebrates at Rugby Park on Sunday.
Along with the marksmen, another seven performers were not signed Hoops stars at the time – Joe Hart, Josip Juranovic, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Matt O’Riley, Aaron Mooy, Daizen Maeda and Liel Abada.
The recruits have been part of an astonishing transitional period under boss Ange Postecoglou who of course replaced Neil Lennon in June 2021.
In fact, NINE of the 16 players who figured in Dingwall are no longer at the champions while another two are out on loan.
Shane Duffy, who scored on his debut against County, and Mohamed Elyounoussi were returned to parent clubs Brighton and Southampton after their loan spells in Glasgow.
ON THE MOVE…Scott Brown was part of Celtic’s exodus over the past two years of transition.
Jeremie Frimpong (Bayer Leverkusen), Kristoffer Ajer (Brentford), Olivier Ntcham (Swansea), Odsonne Edouard (Crystal Palace), Ryan Christie (Bournemouth) and Patryk Klimala (New York Red Bulls) have moved on permanent deals.
Skipper Scott Brown left at the conclusion of his contract at the end of the Hoops’ first trophyless campaign in 11 years for an ill-fated stint at Aberdeen and is now manager of English third-tier outfit Fleetwood Town.
Vasilis Barkas, the Greek keeper who has failed to impress since his £4.5million arrival from AEK Athens in the summer of 2020, is on a temporary season-long switch to Dutch outfit FC Utrecht while Ivorian midfielder Ismaila Soro is at Portuguese top-flight side Arouca.
The survivors from the triumph at the Global Energy Stadium are skipper Callum McGregor, James Forrest and David Turnbull.
KILLIE CRACKER…Callum McGregor was in control again in the 5-0 win at Rugby Park.
The remaining two members of the five – Christopher Jullien and Albian Ajeti – could be on the move on permanent or temporary transfers before the deadline at the end of the month.
FOR THE RECORD:
September 12 2020:
ROSS COUNTY 0 CELTIC 5 (Edouard pen, Ajeti, Duffy, Ajer, Klimala)
TEAM: Barkas; Jullien, Duffy, Ajer; Frimpong, Brown (sub: Turnbull 77), Ntcham (sub: Elyounoussi 71), McGregor (sub: Soro 77), Forrest; Ajeti (sub: Klimala 61), Edouard (sub: Christie 71).
August 14 2022
KILMARNOCK 0 CELTIC 5 (Kyogo, Jota, Menz, Starfelt, Giakoumakis)
TEAM: Hart; Juranovic, Carter-Vickers, Jenz (sub: Starfelt), Taylor; O’Riley, McGregor, Turnbull (sub: Mooy), Jota (sub: Forrest), Kyogo (sub: Giakoumakis), Maeda (sub: Abada).
