McGregor pulls strings on a day Celtic showmen take centre stage
DAVID TURNBULL is capable of stunning moments. Tom Rogic possesses mesmeric skills that can blur the vision of opponents.
But these cast members can’t truly sparkle unless someone properly prepares the stage.
It’s what makes director Callum McGregor so vital.
They say one man does not make a team and strictly speaking, that’s bang on. But not having one man can sure as hell disrupt one.
Right now McGregor is that individual for Ange Postecoglou.
There were long spells during his 14 years at Celtic the team was unrecognisable without Scott Brown. McGregor hasn’t just taken his armband since his departure, he’s also taken on that mantle.
It’s no coincidence that, having started to find their feet under the new boss, Celtic dropped off again in the period between the last two international gatherings when their leader was out injured.
Of course, there were other factors such as the exciting Kyogo Furuhashi suffering a knock and new boys still settling into the club.
Since McGregor’s return against Bayer Leverkusen, Celtic have banked wins at Aberdeen and Motherwell to regather some momentum. Watching him at Fir Park was an education.
Turnbull’s goal back on his old patch was a pearler. Some of the silky touches and passing, such as the sublime defence-splitter to put Jota away for the opening goal, were vintage Rogic.
But behind them was the man pulling the strings.
If Joe Hart needed a ball when the centre-backs split, McGregor offered it. If any defender had it and was in trouble, he gave them an option.
Little five-yard adjustments of position just to give a teammate an angle and an out ball.
Having the awareness, the touch and the confidence to do it constantly is what separates average players from the influential ones. McGregor knitted the whole Celtic performance together. It was a terrific display that helped bring a controlled win. Postecoglou had other reasons to be positive, among them Jota’s goal being delightful. His first touch and finish were emphatic and from the moment Rogic put the 22-year-old clear, he never looked like missing. Composed finishing from various areas is needed as, on an afternoon Liel Abada was quiet, Furuhashi can’t be expected to do the lot up front while sub Giorgos Giakoumakis finds his rhythm.
Turnbull’s strike for the clinching second was classy, so too his refusal to go nuts afterwards out of respect to the club who shaped him.
Perhaps the best part for Postecoglou was the clean sheet, a first in nine away games under him.
Motherwell did not offer much of a test but Carl Starfelt and Cameron Carter-Vickers shut
most things down at source. With Christopher Jullien on the way back, it was another encouraging sight for the manager.
Anthony Ralston was good at both ends, with Josip Juranovic also returning. On the other side Boli Bolingoli got through despite a big handball penalty shout against him and a succession of passes not finding the target.
Postecoglou is planning further recruitment in January and a leftback has to be high on his list.
Seeing Bolingoli in the role again with Adam Montgomery or Liam Scales not having long-term experience makes it clear the Aussie is still short on that side, even with Greg Taylor.
In a system that makes his full-backs so important, he needs to capture a top operator, especially one who can be trusted in possession given Postecoglou has made it clear his team must play it from the back.
The risk of Hart taking on striker Jordan Roberts in his own box in the opening seconds was obvious but it’s a strategy that brings rich rewards when it works.
Celtic will start moves and score goals by breaking the press with this policy given the talent they have in attacking areas.
The second goal was a perfect example with Turnbull involved deep in his own half before advancing 50 yards to collect again and rifle into the top corner.
There will also be moments when it might go wrong and making sure good outweighs bad will shape the rest of their season.
In that respect, McGregor was a dream release for Celtic’s boys at the back when he made himself available to take it off them time and again.
From there he popped it on and got team-mates moving in the right direction, such as when speedily feeding Rogic at the 17thminute opener when Furuhashi nicked possession. It was effortless and so impressive.
With his team now back to just four points off the summit, Postecoglou made a quip after the game about people recently saying the title race was over.
But if Celtic are going to make a serious fight of it, it’s not unreasonable to suggest that, for all the new faces, old hand McGregor is going to have to stay at his absolute peak.