It was neither glorious nor convincing, but Celtic’s poor record at Easter Road was improved by Martin O’Neill’s sixth win in seven games since returning as interim manager in October. Hibernian bossed the early exchanges, with Celtic careless in possession, but outcomes are often determined by who makes the fewest mistakes. On that metric, the champions prevailed comfortably.
For the second time in three days Celtic profited from a poor pass from the opposing goalkeeper. You and I have watched Scottish football long enough to respect any side try to play out from the back, but Hibs’ Catcher in the Net, Raphael Sallinger, erred when trying to pick out a pass with Reo Hatate ready to pounce. The reborn-midfielder had the freedom of the penalty area before passing to Daizen Maeda, who rolled the ball into the empty net.
33 seconds after play restarted, Yang did what Yang does – found space on the left and delivered an inch-perfect cross for Arne Engels to power a header Sallinger got a hand to but could not catch. Hibs were bust and Celtic moved into what looked very like Game Management mode. Martin O’Neill must wonder why Yang and Engels were unable to command a starting slot earlier in the season.
A penalty early in the second half got the home side within touching distance of Celtic but despite forcing Kasper Schmeichel into action on a couple of occasions, they never looked likely to draw level.
The penalty did not affect the outcome of the game, but I have questions. The ball first struck Liam Scales on the shoulder before his hand made contact. When is a ricochet from close range that deflects onto a hand or arm not considered an offence?
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And just like that it was Monday and December and we are only 2 point back.
December set to be quite the month.
Everyone still knocking around in November?
Tough couple of weeks ahead.
I would have thought that keeping Martin and Shaun until Christmas would have made more sense.
Anyway, looking forward to Wednesday.
To answer your question Paul 67, when the player in question wears the Hoops and/or has Celtic crest on the shirt
“Hibs’ Catcher in the Net, Raphael Sallinger, erred when trying to pick out a pass with Reo Hatate ready to pounce”.
Like it👏👏
Read it for Higher English for the first time of many.
Great book.
“Catcher in the net” . . . very good. A compulsory book to study for O levels when I was a pup.
‘Martin O’Neill must wonder why Yang and Engels were unable to command a starting slot earlier in the season.’
I’d add big Auston to that list.
BR’s choices of Donovan AND Murray for the farts game still baffles me – harakiri honchoism at its worst.
Again, the mark of Championes to win while a mile aff wur best form. HH
Hibs’ Catcher in the Net, Raphael Sallinger,…cmon…applause
Almost John Lennon’s anniversary also
Celtic Collective – The Papes of Wrath
If all we want to do is keep racking up old firm championships then Yang-level types are fine, certainly as squad players.
If we want to go beyond that (hahaha) and make an impact in the Champions League (hahahahaha) then we need to be getting in more Jota-level players and there’s no reason (well, apart from the obvious one) why we shouldn’t be able to do that.
GTTF
I think maybe, we need to be making Jota-level players out of Yang-types.
TBB
Well it needs to happen a lot quicker. The likes of Abada and Ajer got up to speed far earlier.
Good afternoon all from the post match discussions in the Brazen Head, delivered in a mixture of Gaelic, Urdu and Swahili. And that’s just the sober clientele.
bigrailroadblues on 1st December 2025 1:09 pm
“… discussions in the Brazen Head, delivered in a mixture of Gaelic, Urdu and Swahili.”
That is a fair description of the Glasgow accent.
Hot Smoked
🤣
TBB
Agree 100% re making Jota level out of Yangs.
That said making Jota 1 level out of Jota 2 would be great also.
Agree also your observations that it is simply the necessary ‘accreditations’ delaying things re new ‘crew’. Personally I would be happy if the change happened post League Cup Final or even post Jan 3rd. For me it is essential Fotheringham and Maloney are retained in current situ for a transition phase. Maybe longer tbh
I thought we were excellent in the first half yesterday, especially Hatate. Could have scored 5 in that period. The 2 that we did, the one off the post, the break that McCowan had and the offside by Yang. The penalties that are being given every week, just if a ball hits a defender’s arm (unless you’re Sevco) are ridiculous and rewarding teams unjustifiably. Our two CBs have been brilliant in the time that Martin has been here. As much as I love Martin, I hope the new boy is in place after Wednesday.
The performance of Maloney and Fotheringham is as good as O’Neill. However, do we want to saddle a new manager with club coaches as he has his own coaches
Both would want to stay with 1st team. Not going back to gateway management
It’s a difficult judgement act
That’s a good question – has a temporary manager ever won manager of the month?
Frances’ story is really powerful and a change of tact from Celtic this Christmas.
HH.
According to a report in The Times,Nancy has to wait for anything up to 8 weeks to get all paperwork completed.A lot of red tape.No idea if that includes time passed.
:))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
Afternoon To All Good Celtic Quick News Timsssssssssssssss
HH
“Martin O’Neill must wonder why Yang and Engels were unable to command a starting slot earlier in the season”
it was a sensible decision to withdraw Engels from the constant barrage of blogger and commentator criticism, particularly over the constant reference to his transfer fee, which would have had considerable effect on his confidence. The Rodgers three were considered acceptable collateral damage for the war in the heavens, where some Celtic “fans” would hold no sacrifice too great in their pursuit of a negative Rodgers spin, this would include throwing their own players on the pyre.
There are those who always knew Engels was a player, and that includes those who scouted and recruited him. No revisionism required.
Afternoon BANKIEBHOY
SONSOFERIN on 1ST DECEMBER 2025 2:15 PM
“Martin O’Neill must wonder why Yang and Engels were unable to command a starting slot earlier in the season”
it was a sensible decision to withdraw Engels from the constant barrage of blogger and commentator criticism, particularly over the constant reference to his transfer fee, which would have had considerable effect on his confidence. The Rodgers three were considered acceptable collateral damage for the war in the heavens, where some Celtic “fans” would hold no sacrifice too great in their pursuit of a negative Rodgers spin, this would include throwing their own players on the pyre.
There are those who always knew Engels was a player, and that includes those who scouted and recruited him. No revisionism required.
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Played 👏👏👏
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Imo, our former manager simply stopped trying to bring on the likes of Engels and Yang. Why? I haven’t the foggiest.
MoN a visual rep
https://x.com/antearmann1967/status/1995505802355044440?t=p5ZGknvVM_sklm_aJTRTGg&s=19
HH
MoN a visual rep
https://x.com/antearmann1967/status/1995505802355044440?t=p5ZGknvVM_sklm_aJTRTGg&s=19
HH
GTTF
I don’t know how you accelerate a player’s development. Norman Whiteside was playing in the World Cup as a teenager, while Alan McInally left us aged 24 having underwhelmed for most of his time with us and ended up starring for Bayern Munich 3 years later.
Teemu Pukki arrived at Celtic aged 23 and could barely kick his own butt. He then rattled in 46 in 103 matches for Brondy, 87 in 198 at Norwich and retired the highest capped and top scoring player in Finnish football history.
Henrik of course is the archetypal late developer, a brief blossoming as a winger for Sweden at USA94 before he arrived at our place three years later aged 27, his career at the crossroads. His 16 goals that season didn’t suggest we’d signed one of the greatest strikers of his generation that he became in the subsequent 7 years.
Abada arrived aged 21 and got off to a flyer, no less a judge of a player than P67 declaring him the next Larsson. He’s 24 now and doing OK in the MLS – 5 goals and 2 assists in 34 league matches this year. Maybe he’ll follow the Larsson trajectory right enough.
Yang arrived here aged 21 with just 66 appearances in the S Korean league to prepare him. He’s had 54 appearances for us since, the vast majority fleeting minutes as a late sub. Perhaps now, aged 23, he’s about to emerge as a performer at the very time that Abada merges into the background? Perhaps not. Who knows.
We seem to go through a cycle of hot streaks and cold runs when it comes to recruitment. John Parks was a phenomenon when Lenny got the Celtic job in 2010 – signing an extraordinary run of talented kids who would become outstanding players – VVD, Forster, Wanyama – and a host who were just very good – Ledley, Matthews, Hooper. But he couldn’t maintain it and now works at St Mirren, I hear.
The guys who recently got us Jota, Abada, O’Reilly and Khun also delivered less stellar space rocks.
I think most folk in the game recognise the prerequisites for a top player in a given position, but there’s a heck of a lot of luck that goes into a young player getting and converting the opportunity, let alone in the making of the man. Speaking of luck; Callum Osmand. Bummer!
All we can do is shout support from the sidelines and hope they have the wherewithal and the good luck to take their chance. His managers seem to rate Yang highly – he’s big, strong, quick, skilful, hardworking. He’s been dealt a good hand. Let’s see if he can validate their judgement.
Remember when Arne Engels was a dud who Rodgers had squandered £11m on…….
Engels and Trusty are definitely looking very astute buys at this point.
BR was far too reticent to drop Nygren, Engels should have been starting. Hopefully we’ve now settled on our midfield.
Interesting that after saying we needed a squad rebuild, MoN started one summer signing yesterday.
Transfers will need to improve.
Where’s the new gaffer ?
TBB @ 3.19.
Very good👏👏
I had a rye smile at Paul’s Salinger pun.
TBB
Yeah – some valid points, but let’s take it from the end point. If we are looking to sell these guys to a Bournemouth for example, they will be looking to sell them on after a couple of years. Therefore they’ll be looking for players in their early twenties so they are mid-20s when they sell.
If we are taking players in their early 20s and they are taking 2-3 years to get first team ready, then realistically another two years playing regularly to get recognised they are going to be too old.
Oh, and the Larsson winger-to-striker thing is a bit of a myth. He played some games as a winger but was always a striker by trade. The notion that he hadn’t played there until he turned up at Celtic is just lazy journalism.
Someone told me long ago
There’s a calm before the storm
I know, it’s been comin’ for some time
When it’s over, so they say
It’ll rain a sunny day
I know, shinin’ down like water
[Chorus]
I wanna know, have you ever seen the rain?
I wanna know, have you ever seen the rain?
Comin’ down on a sunny day.
J.C. Fogerty 1969
Scales for me had his arm in a natural position, the ball looks to have hit his shoulder first and the ball was not travelling towards goal…
Hibs should have conceded a pen for the late head crash on Yang. Their player does not make contact with the ball and head butts Yang. It’s a foul and a pen all day long.
TURKEYBHOY
I loved opal fruit’s
How many times do I have to tell you bhoy?
Write 50 times…
In English an apostrophe is not required for plurals.
Last thing on the handball, the camera angle the VaR decided to show was bizarre. There were far more accurate angles available that weren’t shown to the referee.
I find that very strange. Why not avail of the best camera angle ?