It was quite a fascinating weekend in the Scottish Premiership. Celtic started the action by labouring before taking the lead and moving into cruise control against Ross County. St Mirren bookended the action by scoring a 95th minute winner at Easter Road. Motherwell rode their luck to earn a point at Dundee, St Johnstone continued to concern their fans by going down 0-2 to Hearts, while Aberdeen failed to make a single attempt on target in a 0-0 at Livingston. Oh, and Kilmarnock failed to read the script by beating Newco.
The excitement Kyogo generated two years ago, on his first league start for Celtic, against Dundee, was palpable. He scored a hattrick, causing us all to hope we had signed the real deal. Two years on and the evidence is overwhelming. His performance on Saturday was just as impressive.
Twice he dropped deep to create a chasm of space behind that he filled with two inch-perfect passes. David Turnbull should have scored with the first, Matt O’Riley made no mistake with the second. His goal was not an easy strike; placing a bouncing ball from 12 yards with enough control to keep it on target, but still managing to beat the keeper. Turnbull’s head-flick and Liel Abada’s early cross both contributed to an excellent move. He is without doubt in the top two Celtic players of this century.
Maik Nawrocki showed enough to indicate why we spent so much money bringing him to Glasgow. His first involvement was a choice to concede a corner within 15 seconds of the start. It’s what we would expect in a Champions League encounter, less so against County, but the player was right to take no chances.
For two years I have lamented the infrequency our central defenders break the lines and carry the ball forward – as Kris Ajer did. Maik took one opportunity to do this, hopefully we’ll see it again.
We are a few weeks shy of two years since Carl Starfelt and Cameron Carter-Vickers teamed up in central defence. In that time, they have not lost a single game over 90 minutes to Scottish opposition. Carl took the more difficult left-sided role, despite being right footed. If, as likely, he moves on this week, he leaves a big jersey to fill.
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Hola
https://t.co/rQeDL2rACy
Starfelt’s dentist telling us he’s offski….
Mis Amigos
Can’t get a bigger body than Harry Souttar to fill Carl’s jumper.
Smashing big player; miles ahead of McKenna.
Mon the Tildas !!
Clubs must bring their artificial pitches up to a set standard, age wear and tear, as defined by who I don’t know, which is probably where this argument needs to go, por cierto.
Player of the Year Update Now Available, by kind permission of JOBO:
https://celticpools.co.uk/celtic-fc-player-of-the-year-2022-23/
por cierto
Dentist is just filling us in, por cierto
So Carl’s away – molar less ?
POR CIERTO on 7TH AUGUST 2023 12:07 PM
Clubs
Correct, I mentioned on here or SC that there actually exists a set standard for maintenance on artificial surfaces. From what I have seen neither Livingston and particularly Killie conform to it. Buy a good quality surface and maintain it, or buy shite and don’t bother …….
Should be a plaque to him!
BURNLEY78
Your anti-English bias is very obvious and childish. You demonstrated it with your puerile comments after the last Ashes test.
England has been by far the best team at the World Cup so far. Yes, they struggled today but deserved to win the shoot-out. As for criticising me and other posters for daring to praise England’s performances, well that says it all really.
You’re better than that.
POR CIERTO on 7TH AUGUST 2023 12:07 PM
Clubs must bring their artificial pitches up to a set standard, age wear and tear, as defined by who I don’t know, which is probably where this argument needs to go, por cierto.
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The Killie pitch looked terrible on Saturday. We do little in this country to encourage good football. Albeit, I quite enjoyed that match😁
Awe_naw_no_a_bombscare_away_anaw_noo?
Photo taken by Phil Macavity
On the weekend, a local commentator pointed out how Japanese football has a 100-year plan designed to culminate in them winning the world cup by 2092.
Certainly, their game has grown in leaps and bounds over the years.
Their best players hold their own in some of the biggest leagues in the world. And in Scotland.
Their ladies stand a good chance of winning the wummin’s vase.
https://www.fifa.com/fifaplus/en/articles/rise-and-shine-japan-and-the-goodness-of-its-100-year-plan
What if Scottish football had such a vision.
Stuff that, what if Celtic had a comparable aim to win the Champs League ??
STRATEGICINTENT CSC
Commiserations to Nigeria – they deserved to win that after a great performance.
Congratulations to England – got through on organisation and attitude. Perhaps their name is on the trophy.
There had been some talk that Maik was Carl’s replacement so it was encouraging to hear BR confirm that should Carl leave, we’re in the market again for a CB.
While it was great to see the sevco beat at the weekend, I’m holding off writing them off until I see how they get on this week.
We’ve seen treble winning sides look dire at Rugby Park so let’s see how they do on Wednesday.
Beale certainly will feel the pressure should they get beat on Wednesday.
AN DÚN
I agree that’s it’s too early to right them off, but I know a few of their fans have not been happy with preseason performances even though they won the cup.
When it comes to sport……’Anyone but Engerlund”
Tom Mc Laughlin,
Your comments to Burnley about England being the best team so far at the World Cup,arrant nonsense.Poor in their 2 opening games,and poor today.Nigeria let down badly by a clueless manager,and a Ref denying a stonewall penalty,letting them fall over the line.They may well go on to win it,but you obviously have not been watching Japan and Spain.Maybe you only watch England.
TURKEYBHOY on 7TH AUGUST 2023 12:47 PM
Ye i fancy Japan.
It’s too easy to ‘doctor’ these plastic pitches by not watering them to reduce the skill element when facing a superior team . When watered they are terrible , when not watered they are much worse than terrible .
Bisgrove rehashing the”Ticket” fiasco again today.
H,mm,just after his club suffer a shock defeat,and the scum.
are as usual,frothing at the mouth.
How handy.
Glendaly,
Yep,they are terribiler. :-)))
Surprised to hear Owen Coyle’s Granny is working as Carl Starfelt’s dentist !
Jeremy Corbyn
The choices for Ireland
https://youtu.be/sNnVPrf5co0
HH
Rugby Park,anyone remember us struggling their recently,or Livi ?.
Regarding Sevco ,disregard them at our peril,the season has just started,me personally isn’t shouting that they are rubbish,incidentally our team weren’t that clever allowing Ross County to put 2 goals past us ,bad defending
Don’t youze discount my Matildas !!
Smash n grab goal again.
OIOIOI CSC
Waltzing through…….
https://twitter.com/EwenDCameron/status/1688297201892577281?t=kOtMro84y1qVNWhP0ZZN6w&s=08
VAR anyone?
“For two years I have lamented the infrequency our central defenders break the lines and carry the ball forward – as Kris Ajer did. ”
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I have been lamenting the lack of a Stuart Armstrong-type of midfielder to break the lines at the other end, making runs beyond the striker and scoring goals. Maybe O’Riley and/or Turnbull can be that player.
Good afternoon all from the International Bar. A warm day in old Glasgow Town and no huns in here to wind up. Oh well, set em up barkeep! 😊🍻
Regarding the women’s world cup, there’s been some really good performances by a few teams. Quite fancy France. Quite fancy a few of them actually 😉
Ziggydoc1
You naughty bhoy. 😜 😂
Pitches (Football Turfs) are required to meet the requisite FIFA standards, which must be extremely low if Rugby Park does so. The problem is the merger of the SPL and the SFL back in 2013. 2013? That rings a bell, wonder what happened back then? Time for a new SPL of up to eighteen clubs, none of which can have a plastic pitch. Ever.
TURKEYBHOY on 7TH AUGUST 2023 12:57 PM
Yep . Killie , Livvi and Hamilton (when they were in the top flight) have all used the unwatered pitch trick against us, ruining football and risking injury to our players . Presumably this doesn’t break any rules ,but as Por Cierto said earlier , there needs to be much tighter regulation , including a requirement to properly water.