Hook, line and Sinclair
HAT-TRICK HERO PILES ON THE MISERY FOR ST JOHNSTONE AS THEY CRASH OUT OF SCOTTISH CUP WITH THIRD DEFEAT TO BHOYS IN TWO WEEKS
AS preparations go, Celtic couldn’t have scripted a more morale-boosting performance ahead of their Europa League test against Valencia on Thursday night.
It was a day that was all about the numbers – Brendan Rodgers made a little bit of Scottish football history with his 24th successive domestic cup victory – while Scott Sinclair’s hat-trick suggested that Celtic have a player close to harnessing the swagger that was the hallmark of the winger’s inaugural season at the club.
Scott Brown netted his first goal for the club in almost two years when he smashed a piledriver from the edge of the box in the opening stages, a goal that was Celtic’s second of the day after just nine minutes. If Brown enjoyed it, it was a goal that effectively broke the fragile spirit of St Johnstone.
There was more too. This was Celtic’s seventh game since the break and the figures make for impressive reading with 21 goals scored and none conceded. On the back of a catalogue of injury problems, it is not a bad run of form.
Valencia, of course, is a different level altogether.
And crucially, much might depend on the personnel available to Rodgers on Thursday evening.
Oliver Burke was not among the scorers yesterday at Celtic Park yet his name was all over this encounter. The on-loan West Brom player seemed to be among so much that went on in an attacking sense with his power and pace a perennial problem for the visitors.
Burke left the pitch in the latter stages with what appeared to be an ankle issue, but Rodgers was relaxed in terms of the availability of the 21-yearold Scotland internationalist for Thursday night.
“We hope he’ll be okay,” said Rodgers. “You see his intensity and the threat he gives us. He was absolutely fantastic. He should be okay.”
Celtic will certainly hope so. Odsonne Edouard came on for the final half hour of the game as he looks to bank match sharpness, but Burke looks like a player whose running spooks people. The 21-year-old put in a commanding display against St Johnstone and gave the Perthshire backline barely a minute’s peace with his incessant running.
“Oli has shown and started
It’s a joy to watch a Scottish player [Burke] with that physicality
to progress as we thought he could,” said Rodgers. “He has wonderful attributes and his pressing sets a real tone. He’ll be difficult to play against because the one thing that frightens defenders is pace. The speed he showed for Scott’s first goal and the second one in behind is frightening really.
“It’s a joy to watch a Scottish player with that physicality and quality. There are things that he continues to work on, but he’s doing exceptionally well and he has to keep improving.”
In addition to Brown’s strike and Sinclair’s hat-trick, there was another goal for James Forrest.
The winger was taken off during last week’s win over St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park with a tight hamstring but was fine to take his place yesterday.
With 17 goals for club and country this term, Forrest will form part of an attacking threat as Celtic look to upset Valencia on Thursday night.
The only additional note of concern for the Parkhead side is the availability of Olivier Ntcham. The midfielder pulled out of the warm up with a tight hamstring while Jozo Simunovic was forced to go off at the interval with a stomach bug.
They were the only sour notes of an afternoon when Rodgers admitted that surpassing Walter Smith’s record of 23 successive cup wins was something that the Parkhead side should draw considerable pride from.
“I said after the game,” said Rodgers. “Before the game I said today’s game would reveal a couple of things.
“We were playing them for the fifth time and the third in a short period of time.
“We’d won the four previous games and today was going to be the game that would show their mentality and character.
“Because if they didn’t work and aren’t focused and aren’t hungry then it can be a really, really difficult game.
“But they showed their mentality and quality and I said to them after the game that they’d broken another record. I didn’t want to
mention before because they didn’t need it. There are enough demands from me to win.
“The consequence of it is they broke a record and it’s another great tribute to how they’ve been working for the last two-and-a-half years now.”
Jonny Hayes looks as though he will stay in that left-back role for the visit of Valencia after putting in an impressive performance, with Rodgers praising the professionalism of the former Aberdeen star.
Hayes had offers to go elsewhere both in the summer and more recently in the January transfer window, but Rodgers confirmed that he blocked the player leaving because he felt he still had something to offer.
“There were some options for him but I told him I couldn’t let him go,” explained the Celtic manager. “If he was at any other team, he’d probably be playing every week with his qualities.
“He stays super-professional, does his work and looks after his body. He’s not doing stupid things. When he’s asked to play, he is ready. We couldn’t afford to let him go and days like today demonstrate that.”