Kieran Tierney taking up right-side corner kick duties further enhanced Celtic’s threat from that position, complimenting the potent deliveries from the other side by Arne Engels. We will have go without the latter benefit for around six weeks, but evidence mounts of a growing set-piece strategy.
Sunday’s dramatic win at Rugby Park was achieved courtesy of two goals from throw-ins. Julian Araujo’s long throw fell into the heart of the Kilmarnock six-yard box, where a grateful Benjamin Nygren knocked it home. Julian rightly took all the attention for the winning goal, leaving the fact that it was a result of a throw from Marcelo Saracchi.
Marcelo’s throw went short to Tomas Cvancara, whose movement, turn and cross created the scoring chance. Set-piece technique is not all about the kick or throw, it also takes account of what the rest of the team are doing. Movement is king; there is nothing more frustrating to fans than watching stationary players wait for a throw-in.
Martin O’Neill and Shaun Maloney have only been back in charge for seven weeks, but you can see the fruits of their set-piece work at both ends of the field.
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Aye
.
A long time coming. Celtic have been poor at shys for as long as I can remember. Let’s hope this is a permanent change for the better.
Just need to be better at defending set pieces
HH
GSU
Music to my ears that we are getting better at throw-ins. We usually just give it away to the opposition. Frank Mcgarvey was brilliant at receiving a throw in. Hopefully we start to have more control in games and win some of them comfortably. Don’t we have anyone from the B team who can help out just now? The boy McArdle looked very orowhen we saw him last year. I know he had a 6 month loan but is now back. A comfortable lead in any game could give us a chance to try the boy from Brentford. An injury to Trusty or Scales just now and we don’t have many options.
Happy St. Simon Day! Ave Ave
Petition:
One Celtic. Back our Board, Manager, Players and Charity.
https://c.org/kC24nkswRn
Yep, Cvancara‘s first touch to take two defenders out the game was sublime 👌
Well at one end maybe, not at the defensive end, where throw ins, corners and free kicks continue to cause us problems, the latter in part because opposing referees have a tendency to gift them to our opponents in dangerous areas. And the others where we seem to have trouble setting up for corners especially at the back post. That said with Tomas and Nygren back we have a bit more height and the Toun is around six feet tall in old money, Junior too, so we should be able to better defend in the box. And both Trusty and Scales can defend, and are pretty good in the air, Kasper & KT too when they put their mind to it. As they will have to in our next few games or so.
Paul 67,
At last we are turning a throw in into a positive rather than a negative. As you say this has not gone unnoticed.
I know your article tomorrow will be about our game against a team sitting 4th in arguably the best league in Europe
However I hope you will mention our remarkable achievements in the last 7 weeks.. we will certainly not be overawed .
Such transformation can not be understated and it would be churlish to deny credit all round.
HH, the journey continues.
Nice one Paul … but the biggest takeaway from your article for me?
“We will have go without the latter benefit (Arne Engels set pieces) for around six weeks”
Martin is doing brilliant work.
But even he can’t take the best bits of Reo, Luke, and Paulo and form them into a single midfielder who we can rely upon until April Fools Day.
FWIW- I loved the mix of goals we scored on Sunday
– Individual brilliance
– Scabby .. resulting from applying pressure
– Quality team goal, 3 phases, out of nothing
Blogger @ 12:19pm – agreed.
Cvancara looked quickly and saw TWO defenders standing a fraction too high
Quickly gave Saracchi the nod
Shaped his body to look like he was going to take the touch into feet, with his back to goal.
Superb touch and spin
Brilliant cross from inverted position … stroked not forced.
Interesting to watch how Motherwell shape up tonight, with no skin in the game
The long throw in.Shocking it has taken us so long to use ITT after the success Ireland had in the intenationals using Scales as the target.3 or 4 goals Parrott scored from them.I said it at the time.Arsenal use it to brilliant effect,as do Villa,and a good few others.KT has a decent long throw and now we know,Aurajo has as well.The knock on causes havoc.We should us it will the time.
Probably better than our success rate from our corners,which,considering how many we get,is woeful.
“Itt”.This tablet is aff its heid.
Celtic v Stuttgart 2002
3-1
Lambert
Maloney
Petrov
We went through 5-4 on agg
A used to take tablets tae get aff ma heid…😁
Just in case….maybe on the off chance you missed it
:-)))
https://x.com/i/status/2023364004723544387
HH
Bognorbhoy,
What?You gave the tablets up?When?
😃😃
i find something different and interesting in every angle of that goal.
most of all, the desire, the need, the will to win.
oh and the boys magical mid-air heel click as he jumps over the hoarding, very gene kelly.
BSR,
Was at the return game.Nerves shredded.Drinking all day.At the game,one of mates,pissed dozes off.Wakens up,says to me” I know we have to stay here,but why are all the Stuttgart fans still here,what are they waiting about for”.I said,” Second half”.Thats pissed.
😋😋😋
Just noticed Calum didn’t go full metal jacket after the winner , as inevitably he’d have received a 2nd yellow.
Is Calum suspended for the Huns game , sure it was his 6th booking
HH
What about all of the empty seats at the Celtic end for the entire game?
Saint Stivs on 18th February 2026 2:06 pm
“i find something different and interesting in every angle of that goal.
most of all, the desire, the need, the will to win.
oh and the boys magical mid-air heel click as he jumps over the hoarding, very gene kelly.”
https://thecelticbhoys.com/rangers-legend-takes-celtic-side-as-kilmarnock-boss-mccann-branded-sour-01khra1djfnj
AN TEARMANN on 18TH FEBRUARY 2026 1:51 PM
Just in case….maybe on the off chance you missed it
:-)))
https://x.com/i/status/2023364004723544387
HH
———
Thanks for posting.
To be honest, watching it is getting just a touch jaded for me.
I don’t think I can bring myself to watch it any more than another two or three hundred times…
https://celtsarehere.com/celtic-fc-martin-oneill-sir-alex-ferguson-pep-guardiola/
FLYNN on 18TH FEBRUARY 2026 2:26 PM
Nothing personal but that’s just clickbait.
Ferguson doesn’t call McCann sour – just that the result was a “sour one”.
Even at that , with Ferguson’s tendency to go 10 rounds with the English language at every outing he probably meant ( maybe he even said and it was misheard) a “sore one”.
HH
What about Maloney & Fozzy as our management team next season?
All they need to do is wear a couple of MON masks.
There have been far worse appointments.
It’s probably unlikely, but I hope The Sheep can go on a wee run.
They have 2 games in hand and play Dundee at home this weekend, whilst Fawkirk are away to Hertz. Then they play one of their games in hand against Dundee Utd next Tuesday. That could be six points gained on Fawkirk.
They then play Hertz, us and Fawkirk before they head to Mordor.
I’d like their confidence on the up ahead of Hertz and in with a shout of a top six finish by the time they play the huns.
If, buts and maybees, but hopefully they can get the ball rolling tonight.
Or maybe the website can’t spell?
Just lie they can’t see through Brendan Rodgers after 9 years on and off of his mood swings?
the long wait is over on 18th February 2026 2:30 pm
FLYNN on 18TH FEBRUARY 2026 2:26 PM
Nothing personal but that’s just clickbait.
Ferguson doesn’t call McCann sour – just that the result was a “sour one”.
Even at that , with Ferguson’s tendency to go 10 rounds with the English language at every outing he probably meant ( maybe he even said and it was misheard) a “sore one”.
Do wee not do shy’s any more
Just like I can’t spell like.
But I’m big enough to admit it.
Anton Rogan was good at shies.
KINGLUBO on 18th February 2026 2:39 pm
Do wee not do shy’s any more
More clickbait.
https://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/fergie-hails-elite-oneill/
LADTH.
Me too :-)) trying to get it down to double figures!
HH
Well,we should know tomorrow,maybe later tonight,if the club really are determined to do everything it takes to help us win this league.The Board and Collective meeting.
I think a few questions will be answered.The main one,just how much power is the HOS wielding?.
Reverse the pack of lies “Taylor Report” or continue to back up Tory Capitalist lies about unsafe terraces.
Just like David Murray, Graeme Souness, Fergus McCann, Margaret Thatcher, 100% of lying Mainstream Media.
The beautiful game was stolen from the working class by Thatcherite Capitalists.
Just ask the Hillsborough families.
Rest In Peace 97 Innocent Liverpool Comrades.
Everything else is flim flam.
https://celtsarehere.com/celtic-fc-park-proposal-moves-forward/