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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All this walking a mile in other people’s shoes, does that also apply to all the Celtic supporters on here who have at various times, been called bedwetters, oiks and scum?
DESSYBHOY on 27TH JANUARY 2026 11:44 AM
Mark jumpers rather than going totally zonal, that guy Mcantee loves scoring/assisting against us, from the Republic too going by his country affiliation.
….
If only , you can’t mark jumpers if you are a smaller team it’s totally bonkers , the other teams big guys take our big guys for a walk and the lose out to balls played into 6 yard box , see St Mirren and Hearts under Wilf,
Ben was marking Findlay but managed to lose him , so we are currently playing a hybrid.
Keepupcfc
ACSOM is live
https://www.youtube.com/live/xZ7qmsy-kTY?si=nUwnCWAAu2Rt37dE
PJD quoting as tweeted last week MON is fuming with non contributors MN & CM.
GET THE DEALS DONE YESTERDAY!!!
PJD quoting as tweeted last week MON is fuming with non contributors MN & CM.
GET THE DEALS DONE YESTERDAY!!!
Tontine Tim,
He is incompetent and would never be a CEO anywhere else in football. The only reason is our CEO is that Lawwell needed a rubber stamp.
Rumours he offered his resignation ( have probably been fabricated so he has the sympathy vote). If you intend to resign , hand in your letter and work your notice ( club would probably place him on garden leave).
We need a new Chairman, CEO and DOF to lift us out of doldrums. Desmond , would prefer he goes to as he is a huge part of the problem.
I find it very difficult to pen poems for Nicholson when I see the industrial scale damage he has allowed to happen as CEO. He is 100% accountable and in any other company would have been fired some time ago. The last thing you do is keep him in place to do even more damage.
That’s how badly run we are — apologies for pointing it out esp with a light hearted joke. I hope I haven’t hurt his feelings— especially when tens of thousands of Celtic fans are in despair at the shambles.