Injection of youth gives Celts a spark
Fledglings highlight depth at Rodgers’ disposal as visitors hit cruise control
FIELDING a back four with an average age of 19 and without a proper centre-forward gave the impression for a very short window in the first half that this, if the ball broke a certain way and the wind blew in a certain direction, could maybe have the potential to be some kind of a contest.
A rather naïve daydream, now you reflect on it. Silly, really. Maybe Celtic could just go the whole hog next time out on domestic duties and play ten men — or an entire team of Under-20s — to make it a little more exciting.
A first half high on possession from the away team yet low on bona-fide opportunities was punctuated by further brilliance from the influential Tom Rogic and a sharp finish from James Forrest, the man given the nominal role of spearheading the attack with Leigh Griffiths on the bench, that determined the destination of the three points.
From that stage onwards, the visitors just squeezed the life out of the game. Their young players did not look remotely out of place, fitting into the system with ease in the absence of the likes of Jozo Simunovic, Mikael Lustig, Olivier Ntcham and Scott Sinclair.
Killie could hardly get a touch of the ball for long periods of the second half and, after substitute Eamonn Brophy had squandered their only real chance, Callum McGregor made the most of a kind bounce to make the scoreline a more accurate reflection of the game late on.
The only guy who put a foot wrong for Celtic was manager Brendan Rodgers, taking a tumble on the touchline at the break. ‘Did you see me fall at half-time?’ he laughed. ‘I’ll put a claim in, I think. You didn’t see it? Good.’
It was hardly a dizzying display from Rodgers’ side. It was never likely to be given the large-scale changes and the midweek exertions in blowing away Astana. It did not have to be.
A lunchtime kick-off on a plastic pitch in intermittent downpours is hardly likely to inflame the imaginations of players already looking forward to the possibility of welcoming Real Madrid and suchlike to their own stadium under the floodlights in the Champions League.
It was a day for getting the job done, keeping the juggernaut rolling inexorably towards another title. And it surely is.
Kilmarnock failed to test visiting goalkeeper Craig Gordon over the 90 minutes, long balls forming much of their strategy and their most interesting moments in that opening half forcing nothing more meaningful than Anthony Ralston — an 18-year-old described by Rugby Park manager Lee McCulloch as a lad ‘who is going to be Scotland’s right-back soon’ — and Kristoffer Ajer to put the ball behind their own goal.
For the overwhelming majority of the time, Celtic kept the ball, waited for openings, rotated possession, barely gave their opponents a look-in. Their support accepts this now, understands that keeping the ball at all costs is the crux of the game plan.
They keep themselves occupied by going through the songbook while they wait for something to happen in front of them. Yesterday, they even had time to unveil a banner bearing the message ‘A Club Open To All’ in large letters incorporating all colours of the rainbow to coincide with the Pride Glasgow event taking place up the M77. As one-sided as this affair ended up being, it is not to say that watching Celtic press their victims into submission rather like a footballing boa constrictor is not interesting. At times yesterday, captain Scott Brown ended up serving as the last man as the defenders collectively tried their luck further up the field. Nothing exemplified that more than an incident seven minutes before the break when left-back Calvin Miller swung a great cross to the back post and right-back Ralston was waiting for it. Iain Wilson had to hack the ball clear to avert the danger. More conventional attacking players took the initiative shortly afterwards and gave Celtic the lead. Rogic really does have the ability to produce little moments of magic, tapdancing through defences for fun. He can be so dainty, co-ordinated and fast with his feet that he certainly reminds you of Lionel Blair if not quite Lionel Messi. On Wednesday, he produced his own little version of the soft-shoe shuffle to skip past Astana’s flailing rearguard and kick off that five-goal rout. It is something he is routinely capable of, as last season’s dramatic Scottish Cup win over Aberdeen at Hampden proved.
The Australian was the instigator again yesterday, adjusting his stride, lifting the ball in the air at the key moment and leaving Adam Frizzell flat-footed before surging into the area.
He played a simple square ball to Forrest (left) and did the rest by sidefooting it first-time past keeper Jamie MacDonald, low into the corner of the net.
MacDonald was hardly overworked after the interval. Rather, it was Killie’s outfield players who expended most energy. Generally chasing shadows.
The big chance to salvage something came and went 14 minutes from time. Chris Burke swung in a corner from the right and Eamonn Brophy, on for Steven Smith, peeled off his man. The former Hamilton forward adjusted his body shape relatively well, but his volleyed effort went well wide of Gordon’s left-hand post.
The game needed another bit of brilliance to stop it fizzling out.
Step forward the mercurial Rogic again.
He surged forward from midfield and played a clever pass forward that did appear to be intended for Griffiths. Instead, it found its way to the onrushing McGregor in behind and he called upon his own intelligence and technical ability to take a touch and pop it home.
For Kilmarnock, this was better than the 5-0 loss in the Betfred Cup at Parkhead. They stayed fairly well-organised. That’s about it, though. They are bottom of the league with no points after three home games and have not looked terribly dangerous.
Lee McCulloch clearly has a kindred spirit in Rodgers. The jobs they have ahead of them, though, could barely be further apart.