THE FONDEST FAREWELL
Magnificent seven from buoyant Bhoys gives Deila a perfect send-off
FOR Celtic, this was a strange old day. A day of youthful firsts. A day of forgiveness. A day of fond, final farewells. A day for one last Ronny Roar. The departure of an under-achieving manager rarely ends like this. In the sunshine, a thumping victory, the presentation of a league championship trophy and a standing ovation from supporters who, six weeks ago, wanted him gone. Quickly.
The circumstances of Deila’s departure are unprecedented. The only two managers to have previously secured five-in-a-row in Celtic history, Willie Maley and Jock Stein, remain giants of the club. Towering figures who shaped the folklore. In contrast, Deila will be a footnote; a boardroom misjudgment.
When Celtic managers lose to clubs like Malmo, they usually leave next morning with a black bin bag under their arm.
The former Stromsgodset coach departs with a second consecutive league medal, an enhanced CV and a measure of goodwill.
Blooding a number of young players yesterday, there were shades here of Kenny Dalglish’s final hurrah in 2000.
Kieran Tierney and Ryan Christie scored their first goals for the club. Late substitute Jack Aitchison had an incredible introduction to first-team football. At 16 years and 71 days, the striker became the youngest Celtic player ever, marking the occasion by making it 7-0 in 77 minutes with his first touch of the ball.
These kids may yet prove Deila’s legacy.
‘I am very happy with the young players,’ said the Norwegian. ‘KT scored his first goal and it won’t be his last. Jack came in and was very good. Ryan is very talented.
‘Maybe I should have used him more before, but we had to get over the line with the players with more experience.
‘I told him he would get his chance and he will be important to the club in the future.’
Christie has been a peripheral figure, but thanked Deila for his monthly pep talks.
‘Everybody wanted to put on a show for him,’ said the former Inverness player. ‘He said a few words after the game, just saying thank you.’
That Deila will not be around to see these players flourish is a source of regret on both sides. A likeable man, his innate decency is why the fans came in large numbers yesterday to drape garlands around his neck for the flight home.
This thumping of Motherwell was the kind of performance he promised on taking office. The shame is that days like this did not happen sooner and more often.
His was not the only Celtic farewell yesterday. Emilio Izaguirre also leaves this summer after a half-hour cameo appearance. Before an injury in Aberdeen, he was the club’s finest left-back in decades. A potential £10million player. That baton passes now to Tierney, Celtic’s shining light in a season of shade.
Crowned Young Player of the Year by the Scottish Football Writers at a dinner in Glasgow last night, he scored his first Celtic goal in 21 minutes. Taking the ball from Patrick Roberts, he drifted inside past Luke Watt before striking a right-foot shot low into the bottom corner. The teenager’s delight was a sight to behold.
Stuart Armstrong had his best game in a Celtic shirt here, choosing the manager’s final game to spark into life. He deserved a goal when a neat onetwo with Christie in 26 minutes ended with the ball bouncing off the base of the far post. It fell kindly for Tom Rogic to slot home.
Two minutes later, an Armstrong corner ran right to the back post where captain Mikael Lustig headed down and into the net.
Motherwell minds were already on a far-flung beach.
Boss Mark McGhee has seen all this before. As manager of Aberdeen, a 9-0 defeat at Parkhead was an indignity difficult to recover from. Dons fans have long hoped someone might remove the stain by doing just as badly. When Celtic scored three goals in nine minutes early in the second half, it was natural to fear McGhee might be struck by lightning twice.
Armstrong deserved his goal in 50 minutes, a fizzing strike into the top right-hand corner.
A Roberts strike was predictable when he curled the ball into the corner from 20 yards for 5-0.
Young Christie — a midfielder — had been pitched up front. It seemed he might have a day to forget when he blew three first-half chances.
The first two were blocked by the keeper’s legs, the third a shocking miss from an open goal after Conor Ripley fumbled.
There was some relief, then, when Christie calmly slotted his first goal for the club in 59 minutes, placing a low shot into the bottom corner for 6-0.
On a day when Carlton Cole and Colin Kazim-Richards were nowhere to be seen, a third youngster was given the chance to score his first goal for the club when Aitchison was pitched in for the final 15 minutes.
What an introduction to the first team he had, slotting the ball low past Ripley for 7-0 with his first touch.
It was now a deeply humiliating experience for Motherwell. Morgaro Gomis produced their first shot at goal 10 minutes from time.
Facing further cuts, McGhee’s job shows no sign of becoming any easier. With his family down south, the summer will bring some thinking time.
In the days and weeks ahead, Deila will have a bit of that himself.