TALKING CELTIC
IN A week that builds up to an afternoon at Ibrox, there would have been something particularly satisfying about a performance that took Celtic to 55 domestic games without defeat.
If we learned much from Celtic’s routine slaying of Ross County on Saturday afternoon, it was simply an exercise in revision.
Just as Celtic felt dwarfed by the vast resources on show last week when they kicked off their Champions League campaign against Paris Saint-Germain, so there was the same discrepancy on offer at Celtic Park, just with the roles reversed.
Certainly, this week will provide questions regarding the profitability of this season’s domestic campaign, but they will not be anywhere near as testing as last week’s meeting with the Parisians.
Celtic head to Dens Park on Wednesday night on League Cup duty before Ibrox beckons this weekend, and given the manner that Rodgers’ side have started this season there is a feeling they will look to repeat the same feats as last term.
Publicly, of course, there will be few who will acknowledge that, but on initial evidence there seems few in a domestic sense who can puncture Celtic’s dominance.
As well as strengthening the overall squad, the emergence of Anthony Ralston appears to have given Celtic an additional dimension.
The 18-year-old academy graduate (inset) had a decent game in the back three, while Jonny Hayes had arguably his most comfortable afternoon in a Celtic jersey since arriving at the club this season.
Ralston looks like coming to the fore this term but, perhaps mindful of the growing hype around the player, Rodgers was keen to serve a reminder that there is still plenty of work to be done on the training ground.
“He is improving but he needs to get better with his serving of the ball,” said the Celtic manager. “Defensively he is very strong, very committed and of course supporters love that. But he will have watched Dani Alves the other night hardly give the ball away and Tony was a bit hit and miss with his passing [against Ro s s County]. “He needs to improve that element of his game – when to run with it, when to pass it, when to dribble it. “But that all comes with experience and he has a great mentality. He wants to improve, he wants to get better. “To have played two performances like he has done this week shows we are gaining a player for the now but also for the future. At 18, there is still a lot of work to do but he is showing great signs.”
Moussa Dembele’s goal on his return from a hamstring injury would have pleased Rodgers, while Tom Rogic was unplayable.
Leigh Griffiths and Demble played together, a scenario played out rarely given Rodgers’ feelings that it can upset the balance of his team, but coupled with a back three it seemed to give further menace.
Ralston watched Dani Alves hardly give the ball away. He wants to improve
AND it would be unsurprising if it emerges as a domestic system as this season goes on.
“Very well,” said Rodgers when asked how he felt it worked/ “It is more opportunities working together. I think this was a good opportunity to have a look at it and I thought they linked very well.”
Meanwhile, Tom Rogic also shone on Saturday. The