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O’Neill’s spark transforms Celtic

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By on CQN BLOG & Comments

So many great performances, where to start?  The left wing.  Yang had a lot to do when Reo Hatate’s pitched cross dropped two yards beyond the far post.  The outer edge of his right foot poked the ball beyond keeper Wellenreuther and Celtic were level.  Yang has speed, the ability to get past a defender and is perhaps the best crosser among the multitude of wingers at the club, but he also has that innate sense of when to make a run.

What elevates forward players is often not their ability to shoot from within 8 yards of the goal (where the bulk of goals are scored), but how they unthinkingly find space to connect with the ball.  Martin O’Neill knows a thing or two about footballers, listen to him on Yang:

“He does things that we can’t do.  He can turn players he can beat players.  He’s strong, and he can manoeuvre it.  He can do all of those things.  It’s just a matter of giving him confidence the whole way through.”

He arrived in Scotland in July 2023 having just turned 21 into an environment which sapped every ounce of confidence from him.  Before Martin arrived in 2000, Celtic destroyed promising talent for decades – just like happened to Yang.  Martin stopped the rot, which had again taken hold in recent seasons.  You and I have a job to do to support this player.

Daizen Maeda had a typical Daizen Maeda game.  He ran constantly and lost the ball frequently, but on two occasions, he timed forward runs which resulted in the second and third goals.  Every goalkeeper in Scotland watches for his runs, Wellenreuther did not get the memo.  The keeper’s waited too long for a pass to reach him and Daizen blocked the clearance.

Reo Hatate had even more to do than Yang when presented with his chance. The midfielder returned a fast moving ball with a first-time shot into the empty net.  Anyone who has played football will tell you, putting the ball into an empty net is one of the hardest things in the game.  Our players from Japan and Korea were simply too good for Feyenoord.

Arne Engels (22) joined the club as part of that much-maligned £32m spend in the summer of 2024.  We paid significantly over the odds for a young player who was relegated to the bench in the early part of this season.  He bossed the middle of the park last night and was a true leader.

Missing three defenders, at least two of whom would be first choices, Celtic were organised and effective at the back.  Two left footed central defenders showed how ridiculous the myth was that they were not up to the task of playing at Tynecastle.  Who knows what state the club would be in had Martin O’Neill not brought some sanity back to our game.  Congratulations to all involved in a fabulous win.

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  1. Chairbhoy on

    Celtic Mac @ 10:12 pm,

     

     

    It’s very true many Celtic supporters didn’t want Brendan Rodgers back.

     

     

    It is also true, while he turned many around to backing him, a lot of supporters just didn’t take to him, maybe couldn’t forgive, maybe the possession based football, maybe both.

     

     

    That’s all fine.

     

     

    For me what’s not fine is Board members and those within the club who didn’t want him back mounting an underhand campaign against him.

     

     

    It was totally unprofessional and vindictive and has no place in any work environment let alone Celtic.

     

     

    Hail Hail

  4. An Tearmann on

    *SENTINEL CELTS PLAYER OF THE YEAR 2025-26*

     

    *RESULTS FROM GAME #22 FEYENOORD 1 CELTIC 3 (YANG, HATATE, NYGREN)*

     

     

    Good evening, friends.

     

    Firstly, a disclaimer. I watched the game live on TV, didn’t catch any half time or full time analysis and haven’t yet even watched the goals again. So, let’s see how my ole memory does here!

     

    The team lines certainly caught me by surprise. Pleased to see Donovan return at right back but slightly confused on seeing our midfield and forwards. Were we going to play 4-5-1 with Maeda on his own. Was it 4-4-2 with McCowan or Yang supporting Maeda. But as we now know we were simply using a pretty fluid set up at the top end of the park. Maeda was the only ever present up there, with mostly Hatate playing just behind him, Yang out left and McCowan not really out right. Anyway, whatever it was, it worked a treat!

     

    The first exciting moment came from a Celtic corner when the ball into the box found it dropping to McCowan just 2 yards out. Luke hit his effort off the bar and away to safety and when he saw the linesman raise his flag he managed a smile to recognise that he had sort of got out of jail. Although later in the game the commentators did suggest that he was just onside and that VAR would have overturned the linesman’s flag.

     

    4 minutes later with 11 minutes played and we fell behind to a very simple goal, albeit that it was extremely well executed. A ball over the top of our high press was controlled brilliantly and fired across for Ueda to finish well, in off the post. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who immediately thought ‘just get to the 15th minute without conceding a second!’. Oh, me of little faith.

     

    Celtic had actually stared reasonably well and although there were another couple of nervous moments we continued to look reasonably comfortable when on the ball. And we were rewarded in the 31st minute. A brilliant spot by Luke McCowan led to a chip into the box to Hatate who then executed an even better lob to the back post area where Yang knocked it home with some aplomb. Deservedly level I thought and a decent score to take into the break.

     

    But Daizen (did he really only come on in like the 35th minute or something?) had other ideas. Good pressing from Celtic saw Feyenoord pass back to their goalie and enter the Daizen of old, rapidly closing down and perhaps even getting a touch on the keeper’s poor clearance. It went straight to Hatate about 22 yards out and Reo expertly first timed a cushioned pass into the gaping, unguarded net.

     

    Reo certainly featured a fair bit in that first 45 – an assist, a goal and a yellow card in between! And so we had a 2-1 lead at the break away from home in Europe. Something of a rarity in recent seasons.

     

    After the expected onslaught from Feyenoord early in the second half, Celtic really did get a control of the game with much improved possession and passing from the first half. It did seem like there were several passages of play where we knocked the ball about for 25 – 30 passes leaving Feyenoord chasing shadows. And yet, our 1 goal lead still felt to me as if it could disappear in a moment. That moment almost came in the 71st minute when Captain Calum managed to head an effort off the line. And 2 minutes later Feyenoord had an effort off the bar.

     

    However, in the 81st minute there was absolute mayhem in the travelling support as we finally looked to have a rare away win in Europe. A throw in down the right near the Feyenoord corner flag seemed to be lost but Donovan pressed well and chased a ball down to the bye line. His cut across would have been gathered by their keeper but Daizen got there first and passed it back out to substitute Nygren who smashed the ball in off the crossbar.

     

    15 minutes of the constant non stop singing of 2 songs – ‘This Is The Day (that we win away) and ‘Martin O’Neill, Martin O’Neill’ – left me euphoric and I can only imagine how dear Saint Martin must have felt.

     

    So we now sit on 7 points from our 5 games. On the face of it, not brilliant but with 2 of our 3 remaining games being at home there’s now a decent chance of us getting the 10 or 11 points that we are likely to need if we are to progress to the knock out stages. Although we are also just 5 points off top spot and just 3 points off 8th place. We’ll see….

     

    We have now played 22 games, and have won 12, drawn 6 and lost 4. We have scored 39 goals and conceded 18.

     

     

    As for the voting numbers, my huge sincere thanks to the 107 who voted making this the joint 2nd highest of the season so far. There was one ‘spoilt’ I mean accidental nomination for Saracchi who didn’t even make the bench!

     

    The total votes cast for each player are as follows, with my own nominations asterisked.

     

    Schmeichel: 4

     

    Donovan: 34

     

    Trusty: 5

     

    Scales: 16

     

    Tierney: 0

     

    McGregor: 26

     

    Engels: 43

     

    Hatate: 85

     

    McCowan: 10

     

    Maeda: 40

     

    Yang: 56

     

    Nygren: 1

     

    Murray: 0

     

    Tounekti: 0

     

    Bernartdo: 0

     

    Ralston: 0

     

     

    Unused substitutes: Balikwisha, Doohan, Hale, Iheanacho, Isiguso, Kenny, Sinisalo,

     

     

     

    And so, the POINTS earned by each player for this match are as follows –

     

    25 points: Hatate

     

    22 points: Yang

     

    19 points: Engels

     

    16 points: Maeda

     

    14 points: Donovan

     

    12 points: McGregor

     

    11 points: Scales

     

    10 points: McCowan

     

    9 points: Trusty

     

    8 points: Schmeichel

     

    7 points: Nygren

     

    4 points: Bernardo, Murray, Ralston, Tierney and Tounekti

     

    1 point Balikwisha, Doohan, Hale, Iheanacho, Isiguso, Kenny, Sinisalo

     

     

    And the cumulative points achieved after 22 games played are now –

     

    369: Scales

     

    300: McGregor

     

    239: Tierney

     

    227: Tounekti

     

    216: Engels

     

    213: Nygren

     

    211: Hatate

     

    182: Forrest

     

    176: Maeda

     

    171: Schmeichel

     

    158: Carter-Vickers

     

    150: Donovan

     

    146: McCowan

     

    141: Trusty

     

    140: Iheanacho

     

    138: Saracchi

     

    114: Kenny and Ralston

     

    113: Yang

     

    78: Murray

     

    62: Bernardo

     

    60: Balikwisha and Johnston

     

    49: Yamada

     

    40: Osmand

     

    36: Sinisalo

     

    22: Inamura

     

    19: Idah

     

    10: Simpson-Pusey

     

    4: Doohan

     

    1: Hale and Isiguso

     

    0: All the other players who’ve not yet made a matchday squad!

     

     

    We complete our post-International Break Tour with our 3rd away game in 8 days when we travel to face Hibs in the league. BY all accounts this will be Martin O’Neill’s last direct involvement with the team and so, hopefully, we put on a show! Kick off on Sunday is High Noon. The current league leaders, Hearts, play on Saturday away to Motherwell. Celtic will kick off in Edinburgh either 7, 5 or (hopefully) 4 points the league leaders. But with 2 games in hand.

     

    Hail Hail!

  5. clunks on

    Got myself another “real” xmas tree

     

     

    (though this year instead of going to Garrochar Tree farm in Ayr, I succumbed to a cheap one from Aldi!!!!!)

     

     

    So the first xmas song of the year – before we all get sick of it getting played everywhere

     

     

    The Pogues – Fairytale Of New York

     

     

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9jbdgZidu8

  7. quadrophenian on

    CB,

     

     

    Whatever Yang’s levels are, they’re blighted by his patent inconsistency.

     

     

    I don’t currently see your concept of peak Yang really gaining traction; tho’ mibby at Birmingham City where he can strut his stuff alongside peak Iwata ;))

     

     

    TwinPeaks CSC

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    For me I’m seeing a player that is at least twice as good as he was when he first came.

  33. Saint Stivs on

    chairbhoy

     

     

    serious question.

     

     

    take it in the spirit it is intended.

     

     

    what real life experiences and qualifications do you have ?

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