Celtic smash six past Livi

CELTIC warmed up for the Old Firm Scottish Cup tie by recording their biggest Premiership win of the season as they routed Livingston.

James Forrest and David Turnbull (above) struck in the first-half to reward firsthalf dominance.

A Jack Fitzwater own goal, a Mohamed Elyounoussi double and a late Ryan Christie strike cliched a convincing victory as Livingston collapsed.

Interim Celtic boss John Kennedy said: “I’m just focusing on the team and how we can improve week on week. I think we’re seeing that in the performances now.

“Confidence is huge in football and the players have had a tough time this year. Again, we’ve tried to rebuild that.”

Livingston boss David Martindale said: “That’s probably the worst we have played in my seven years at the club.

“We need to have a long, hard look at ourselves.”

Celtic next face a trip to Steven Gerrard’s Rangers in the Scottish Cup. ■ Hearts have clinched an instant return to the top flight. They needed Raith Rovers and Dundee to drop points yesterday, and both slipped up.

OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER speaks brilliantly and comes across as a thoroughly likeable, thoroughly decent chap.

And when asked about football clubs boycotting social media to highlight the ongoing, escalating problem of online racial abuse, he was typically eloquent.

But, while Ole (above) supported the actions of those who were staging boycotts, he said that his club’s preferred course of action was to work with the social-media giants to stamp out the abuse. I guess he has to say that. I guess that might be company policy.

I guess that might not be his own point of view.

If Ole’s private feeling was that should Manchester United – the football institution with by far the biggest social-media reach – take part in a boycott then the likes of Twitter and Instagram might take more notice, then he would be right.