Hoops delight on frigh
DUNDEE 0 CELTIC 5 Parkhead side don’t mess about on Tayside as it’s five stars from Rodgers’ Bhoys
EVEN if Celtic had not got their act together over recent weeks this would be have been the simplest of nights for them against a Dundee team in big trouble.
The champions, as you might expect, were in a different class and if anything found this game too easy. They overplayed at times but then they could afford to. This did not look like a contest between teams from the same league. Come May, the Dens Park men may well find themselves in the Championship.
Dundee have three points after 11 Premiership games. They have changed managers but nothing has changed so far. There were a lot of empty seats in the ground although the game being shown live on television would have kept more than a few in the house.
For all that Celtic were good, and some of the football was seriously good, Dundee are in a dire situation.
Of course the Dark Blues are not expected to challenge Celtic, not any more, but there was a lack of desire on the pitch which is not acceptable. Jim McIntyre has some job on his hands.
Brendan Rodgers wasn’t messing about. This was his strongest team available, he can smell blood, plus there was Daniel Arzani on the bench for the first time since arriving from Australia.
Celtic could easily have scored more. All the attacking players were on it from the start. They were also superb at retrieving possession on the rare occasions when it was lost.
It was a good night for Celtic but the songbook was far from pleasant. That the away support like a rebel tune is hardly news but the dreary Provo stuff and all that goes with it has been far more prevalent this season. The club should do something about this.
Anyway, to the football. Ryan Christie, the hero against Hearts, got things going properly with a well hit shot on the bounce after 13 minutes from distance which fizzed over the hand of Dundee goalkeeper Jack Hamilton but also the crossbar.
Not long after, Mikael Lustig tried his luck with a controlled half-volley which, again, was a touch too high. On both occasions Celtic appealed for corners that never came. It mattered little.
Tom Rogic doesn’t look like your typical player, his feet are too big for one, but this lad sure can play a bit. His goal on 20 minutes was a bit special.
‘‘ Rodgers wasn’t messing about. This was his strongest side
Celtic kept pressing, Dundee could only do so much blocking, the ball got played to Rogic on the edge of the box, his shot perfectly beat Jack Hamilton for height and power, the ball then dipped into the net.
Rogic was in a good mood. A wonderful 50-yard pass put Odsonne Edouard behind Darren O’Dea, Hamilton came off his line when he shouldn’t have, but just as the Frenchman was about to score, O’Dea got back to make a goal-saving sliding tackle.
But it was a matter of time before Celtic got another. It came on 33 minutes, Christie found Forrest with a pass which travelled half the length of the pitch, he squared to Rogic who scooped the ball into Lustig’s path and he went down when challenged by Dundee defender Ryan Inniss.
It didn’t look like a penalty