MY BHOYS ARE UNBREAKABLE STEPHEN McGOWAN
Rodgers’ salute after dominant Celtic make history by sweeping aside all before them
BRENDAN RoDgERs sent his players out with a single word in their minds. one you won’t hear at a scott Brown press conference. or any other, for that matter.
‘Infrangible was the word I used,’ revealed the Celtic boss. ‘That was the word I wrote up on the paper.’
The dictionary definition of infrangible is something which can’t be broken. something that can’t be infringed or taken away.
In the context of Celtic’s season, it means something else: History. An unbeaten season not witnessed in scottish football since 1899. A feat so rare and unusual Rodgers doesn’t expect to see it matched in his lifetime. And, for the record, the Celtic manager is only 44.
‘stuart Armstrong understood it (infrangible),’ smiled Rodgers, ‘but I did say that, for those of you who don’t, I would write the meaning below.
‘To be unbroken, to feel that way. I gave them another word for their vocabulary. The definition and how we designed it, that was the purpose of today.’
Make no mistake. For Celtic, this felt different. A cut above the norm and more subdued recent title celebrations.
In recent years, players have trudged around the Parkhead pitch, kids perched on shoulders, looking almost apologetic for winning the league yet again. And the uninspired way they did it.
Under Rodgers, success no longer feels like a chore. Winning has become a pleasure again.
Parkhead has witnessed unbeatable sides before. Prior to this win over Hearts, a vast tifo display wound round the stadium in tribute to the 50th anniversary of the Lisbon Lions, the club’s greatest team.
By time up, it was the new Invincibles who were being hailed; Celtic’s first unbeaten league season in 119 years.
some landmarks and records can be racked up on one hand. Rodgers’ team are bringing back the abacus.
A points total of 106 is a new sPFL record. Armstrong’s strike with 14 minutes to play — after Leigh griffiths broke the deadlock in 50 minutes — made it 106 goals for the season, shattering the previous landmark set by Martin o’Neill’s side in 2004. It’s not over yet, of course. Victory in the scottish Cup final this weekend would secure a first Celtic domestic Treble in 16 years; only the fourth in the club’s history.
By coincidence, the first Celtic Treble was won by the Lisbon Lions when they beat Aberdeen — this saturday’s opponents —in 1967. Relying on omens is a dangerous business. But, in this of all seasons, it feels as if the club’s past and present are in perfect symmetry.
In this victory for the team spirit engendered by Rodgers, there were some poignant moments before the presentation of the Premiership trophy for a sixth successive year.
A rousing, emotional farewell for the unused Kris Commons.
A brief substitute cameo for Kolo Toure, an Arsenal defender when Arsene Wenger’s team went the entire English league season unbeaten in 2004.
Yes, the game was a slog at times. Hearts formed a guard of honour before kick-off, but can’t be accused of making things easy.
Ian Cathro handed a debut to 19-year-old Jamie Brandon and even overlooked his midweek tiff with Bjorn Johnsen to name him in his starting eleven.
Eleven men packed tight behind the ball in two lines of maroon, the visitors allowed their hosts plenty of the ball — Celtic toiling to turn expectation into something more tangible.
They came through in the end. Previously unplayable in a 5-0 thrashing of Partick Thistle, the hosts were short of their best here. It took 50 minutes to craft the opening goal from griffiths.
Embroiled in an embarrassing and unwinnable touchline spat with his manager at Firhill on Thursday night, he came up with the best form of atonement.
once again, Patrick Roberts was the creator in what was likely to be his final game at Parkhead, skipping to the goal-line and guiding an inch-perfect cross onto the head of the scotland striker. The outcome was a foregone conclusion.
Later, a fine pass down the right allowed griffiths to burst clear of Liam smith with one touch.
The striker’s attempt to play in Tom Rogic was half-blocked by defender Krystian Nowak before landing for Armstrong to sweep the second goal high into the net.
Cue emotional scenes. Albeit with Rodgers, sentiment only goes so far.
There was to be no farewell substitute’s appearance for Commons before he savoured the fans’ acclaim after the final whistle. By contrast, Toure left the bench for the final 16 minutes in what was most likely his last appearance in a Celtic jersey. He made an impact as well. Hearts sub Malaury Martin came close to a consolation in the final minutes, Toure blocking a low shot before a fizzing volley was halted on the line by Craig gordon.
Johnsen’s header also struck the upright before bouncing clear.
Yet the truth is the visitors were making up the numbers here. since Cathro took over as head coach at Tynecastle, they have mustered 19 points.
This victory took Celtic to 66 in the same period and, beneath the shadow of a glittering new stand, Hearts have some thinking to do.
Celtic’s task is rather different. To follow and improve on a season which might well be impossible to beat come next saturday night.
Inevitably, cold water will be poured on the achievement in England and beyond.
The scottish league has seen better days. To argue otherwise is futile. Yet Rodgers believes an unbeaten 38-game league season — in any setting — commands respect.
‘I was at Chelsea when they won 8-0 at Wigan in the last game of the season,’ he said. ‘It’s a fantastic league — but they won 8-0. It’s all relative.
‘The only thing Celtic don’t have is money. If you are talking about massive clubs, this is one of the great clubs of the world.
‘It’s not in the league with the finances — but, if we were, then this thing would explode.
‘But to square the circle, it’s all relative. Juventus have won six in a row.
‘Look at Bayern Munich. They have more money than others but you still need to win it. It doesn’t
take away from this remarkable achievement.
‘It wasn’t just about going through the season unbeaten, it was how we did it.
‘The tactical discipline shown and the excitement they have given the fans has been incredible. They now stand alone in history, which is fantastic.’