Just as in Bologna on Thursday, Celtic’s passing during the opening exchanges was excellent. They dominated early proceedings and could have scored through a Liam Scales header from a corner before Benjamin Nygren put them ahead with an outstanding free kick.
This period ended after 20 minutes, when a series of Hearts free kicks interrupted the champions rhythm. Once Hearts established a foothold in midfield, Celtic’s passing disintegrated. Unforced errors allowed the home team time to build a way back into the game. Celtic were unable to do anything about this malaise, even when the game was 11 v 11.
Tomas Cvancara made his Celtic debut and started his first game since November. He had a relatively quiet game until he showed us what all the fuss was about just after the hour. A one-two with Daizen Meada allowed him to race down the left wing, drawing Craig Gordon before sliding a perfect ball into the path of Yang to put Celtic 1-2 ahead. This move involved the three fastest players. It offers an interesting template.
With Celtic needing to hold the ball in the middle of the park, I was surprised Reo Hatate was unused. Changes were limited to fitness or an intervention from the officials. Cvancara was replaced minutes after the aforementioned goal, Kieran Terney went off after treatment, and Anthony Ralston replaced Yang to bolster the defence after Auston Trusty was red carded.
The decision of VAR to intervene and suggest an upgrade to Trusty’s yellow card strained the credibility of an obvious error by the referee. You are asked to believe that Celtic’s fastest defender would not have adjusted his trajectory had the Hearts striker got free of Trusty. The decision cost Celtic a win and I was genuinely surprised when it was made.
Critical interventions from Liam Scales and Kasper Schmeichel, both of whom delivered their second outstanding performances of the week, kept Hearts at bay with so much on the line.
The result was celebrated by the home side in a similar way to how Philippe Clement’s team celebrated a 3-3 draw against Celtic two years ago. Then, as now, a home win would have gone a long way to eliminate Celtic from the title race. A draw did not achieve this on either occasion.
Early days, but what we saw from Tomas Cvancara was encouraging. He has pace and links the ball to feet or in front of him. Link-up play with his new team-mates will improve. If we can get his pace working with that of Daizen and Yang, we have an interesting fast counter-attack option. During the game, I was shouting for Celtic to go long. We’ll see how this plays out in the weeks ahead.
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Trusty red card being appealed
lets be honest with ourselves – we are just not very good. Kairat result showed us everything we needed to know about our quality. We have spent very poorly in the midfield. Players all too similar with no dig and no pace – our engine room is really a Honda civic.
Stats tell us how poor we are at defending corners and rarely score from corners in attack – stats dont lie yet we dont fix it.
Maeda and Hatate have turned into the worse technical players I’ve seen in a celtic jersey – their control and use of the ball is actually woeful . Just because you can run and run and run shouldn’t be the standard to get a Celtic jersey.
there are 2-3 players in Scotland – who are fit and ready and adjusted – can make a difference right now!
Our board are not stupid – MON certainly is not stupid – My guess is we dont buy until we move on players who are simply not celtic class.
Mccowan , Hatate, Ralston, are not at the level.
Finally , MON and Maloney have made blunders lately – Keeping Nygren on the pitch when we are crying out for defensive quality and physicality. Bernardo or even Welsh as a 6 would have helped the team these last 2 games.
MON has mentioned power – let’s see if the board support him. My guess is only if we move players on – or loans only.
I used to love the days when Dermot would swoop in a sign a couple of stars to help the team – he appears not to GAF now!
£10 million for OH.
https://thecelticbhoys.com/celtic-flop-in-line-make-10-million-transfer-winter
TinyTim on 26th January 2026 5:14 pm
It’s goal scorers we need , not sprinters .
McPhail Bhoy
Totally agree.
If Rugby can do it, why not football.
An appeal should expose Beaton
Celtic is appealing the red card for Trusty
I ain’t surprised
We have to recognise we haven’t the strength in depth squad we’ve had previously but we still have players who are good enough to compete with those in the Hearts and Rangers teams.
We also have a manager who has a proven record of achievement, another advantage over those managers at Hearts and Rangers.
It is evident from posts that many see our problem as the referees. It has always been thus and our experienced manager must drill into the players the need to play smart and play the referees.
What we need is to get the players to play like Rangers and Hearts players do. Celtic’s players need to be smarter in their approach to pressing the opposition. By all means reduce their space but put the onus on them to play their way out rather than give the referee the opportunity to give them a get out of jail free kick because the Celtic player’s press caused them to collapse in a heap.
Hatate and Medas loss of form is a major concern.
Hatate’s 2nd yellow card was inexplicable as are Maeda’s miskicks from 10 yards. Everything I see in Maeda’s on-field persona suggests he’s pissed off. It makes me wonder if they’ve had a conversation.
Anyway, Celtic need a new gameplan. Too often we’ve seen dismal 2nd half displays, the tactical gameplan needs to be one that allows the players to pace themselves for a ninety minute game as we no longer have the depth of squad to bring on game-winners after 60 mins.
The red card is subjective – subjective always hurts Celtic and favors rangers . Beaton made the call and card happy Maclean chose to change his mind. thats why they are paired!
When Celtic had a corner – Mclean always looks for a wee nudge to blow his whistle – I really irritates me – jostling on the box is normal , it’s a physical sport. Watch rangers players , they fall down in the box with any contact – ref blows and he corner is no longer pressure.
Celtic need to be smarter on the pitch and more assertive off it – Cheating Beaton is a disgrace , the SFA is a disgrace and Column is a disgrace for appointing him for this match given his recent Celtic controversy. Piss take!
It’s up to our CEO (google him if you dont know who he is ) – to stand up for this football club!
maeda doesn’t have competition – he’s on the team sheet as a winger or a center forward. he has never had to fight for his place! There are a few positions like that – it’s not healthy and it’s possibly why these players are complacent.
Will the appeal be heard before the weekend ? I wouldn’t want to run the risk of his suspension being upheld and we end up losing him for Pittodrie. Better he miss out against Falkirk.
vale bhoy on 26th January 2026 5:33 pm
McPhail Bhoy
Totally agree If Rugby can do it, why not football.
*Check out the NFL, they have a couple of officials on the field similar to linesmen as well as a ref who is miked up, as soon as a flag is thrown indicating possible foul play they have a confab then the mike is turned on and the ref addresses the crowd as well as the televised audience.
I’m happy that Celtic are appealing Trusty’s red card. I think they should demand a red card for McLean and Beaton. At least demand that they play no part in any of our games.
Celtic should demand that MIBs inform the SFA which team they support (and I realise all that support the deid team will never tell the truth). I think it is the norm in England and, quite possibly elsewhere. I still can’t get my head around how the bigot Dallas got a promotion to Europe after being found out here.
As well as not ref at our games, they cant referee or be VAR at Sevco games, look at Dickinson penalties for ,not given against, they’re a bunch of cheats zero honesty with any of them.
It’s the right thing. Go after Beaton pour encourages les autres. Of which there are many.
Big week (weak?) for Nicholson. Put on your big boy pants and go and get us 3 quality players of the standard of Araujo (excellent) and Cvancara (I think he’s going to be class) and get this league won despite your negligence to date.
Double down on the balance sheet and it will prove a false economy. Patience with your shitty projects model for future profit at the expense of the here and now is at an end.
I still have never got over davidson, Feyenoord and the hun in 1970. Scottish Cup, European Cup and League Cup. No wonder I take strong drink.
Tontine Tim
Another successful example.
Cheers.
Looked up Scottish Football Social Club ,Its a Irish Radio Station in Dublin,well in this country ,except Charlie Mulgrew ,the rest are all Sevco supporters ,why ,seems our club need to grow a pair and tell all the media in this country that they need to be impartial,or there will be no more live broadcasts inside Celtic Park,and for the life of me i cant understand why Celtic cant show our team live ,
So, let’s say we get the red card rescinded, what difference does that make, hee haw in my book.
I have never been one for conspiracy theories, but I’m beginning to doubt myself. Old firm is big money, and without that nobody, other than us wants a one horse race every year, good for business and all that.
Sincerely hope I’m wrong
kingLUBO
Weill, those expecting movement on the transfer front tomorrow,h,mmm,remember its Mikey Boy.Expect another attack of Psychasthenia,from the not so bold boy.
Felix Horn Myhre latest rumour midfielder
https://share.google/brZNk6Q4lSB1gqtdK
Not sure of the source
We can al see we need a bit of dig in midfield, what is the current state of Holms fitness please anyone
kingLUBO
what clear and obvious error was made by mclean ?
al that analysis on yards the Celtic players had to make up to cover
ignoring completely the hearts player was some distance from actually getting to the skidding away football .
cheats.
the Bada Bing on 26th January 2026 5:34 pm
An appeal should expose Beaton
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Think the wording of Celtic statement Bada covers both McLean’s and Beaton’s part in this. They say they are appealing the red card but rather than leave it at that, they specifically mention “the intervention of VAR”.
I think that says not happy with decision and process, therfore highlights the part Beaton had in it.
Clear the deck with Mclean and Beaton…there is any amount ready to take their place(s).
I’m sure they made the excuse that in Scotland referees support one or the other of our two biggest clubs (95% the other I’d guess) and there’s not much they can do about it. I beg to differ…a letter to UEFA explaining the predicament, and reserving the right to hire referees from outwith our borders. I’d allow Scottish refs to referee lower league football and employ refs from anywhere bar here or Norn Ireland to referee games in the premiership….problem solved…
….if we can use the law of probability (Tonev) to ban players…we can use the laws of probability when it comes to St Mirren supporting refs who probably support Sevco….
31003,
Would be great if UEFA forced us to have overseas refs. It happened once when the refs went on strike. I think our game was at Celtic Park and we got beat but everybody was happy with the ref.
If we had been reffed fairly over the years, our history (and the deid team’s) would be very very different.
PARKHEADCUMSALFORD
I remember that well….the day after the games I scanned all the match reports in the papers…looking for any controversial referee decisions in any of the games….there were NONE…..for the first time in god knows how long…
BRRB
Totally with you on all 3 of them.
And a year later Patrick Thistle 4-1
31003 – The SFA found Shay Logan a more credible witness. That’s right, the guy who told the Sun that Johnny Hayes shat in a football boot.
Parkheadcumsalford on 26th January 2026 7:44 pm
31003,
Would be great if UEFA forced us to have overseas refs. It happened once when the refs went on strike. I think our game was at Celtic Park and we got beat but everybody was happy with the ref.
If we had been reffed fairly over the years, our history (and the deid team’s) would be very very different.
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I remember that wee twat chic dung trying to get refs to turn around at airport ,blatantly lying to them😤
KB- I think Beaton will back them
adam idah – 3 goals in 20 games.
kuhn – 1 goal in 18 games.
kyogo – 3 goals in 35 games
matt – 4 goals in 49 games
maybe the executive did fantastic in getting circa £50m for players who were on the down turn
incoming ………….
I thought the Alan Muir episode might give the MIB’s pause for thought , but obviously not . Beaton and McLean should meet the same fate as Muir and maybe the lesson will hit home at the second time of asking . Beaton should be taken off VAR duties permanently at the very least . McLean should be demoted for not sticking to what he undoubtedly knew was the correct decision in the first place .
michael, will they taken you away
https://x.com/CFC_Collective/status/2015860577206243530/photo/1
BACK TO BASICS – GLASS HALF FULL on 26TH JANUARY 2026 2:08 PM
AN DUN @ 4:06 PM
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You both go for Nancy as the bigger disaster , A Dun In particular on the basis that we’ve missed out on the CL (and the money it brings ) before and recovered.
I wouldn’t argue with that logic at all.
I do think , however , that Kairat were so bad that the loss to them went deeper than just the missing out on the CL and its riches per se and set off a chain of events leading to where we are now.
Whichever event might be worse than the other ,there’s no doubting each was an unmitigated embarrassment.