TURNBULL IN AWE OF WIZARD OF OZ
TAKING a routine ball into his feet in Paisley on Wednesday, a player in Tom Rogic’s position would ordinarily have offered no immediate threat to the St Mirren goal.
What happened next was a reminder of the Australian’s ability to conjure up things that others simply couldn’t imagine; a drop of the shoulder, a balletic shuffle across the edge of the penalty box, a missile dispatched into Jak Alnwick’s net with his left boot. All carried out as if they were matters of pure routine.
This was the timely return to centre stage for the player once dubbed the Magic Man by Brendan Rodgers. So hot was
Rogic throughout a game played in the sub-zero temperatures that Neil Lennon stood and admired his repertoire of skills for fully 84 minutes — way beyond the 28-year-old’s normal match contribution.
The regret for both the player and his manager has to be that it’s taken Rogic so long to produce the kind of wizardry he’s capable of in this campaign.
Injury, an all too familiar blight on Rogic’s career, denied him a full pre-season, with interest from an unnamed Qatari club hardly helping his mindset.
He didn’t start a match until October 4 at St Johnstone, scored just once before Christmas in Milan and, bluntly, laboured badly. Eight years after joining Celtic, it felt like his time at the club had run its course.
With a contract running until 2023, Wednesday’s display was as close to a statement as you are ever likely to get from the mediashy midfielder.
For the first time in long enough, his commitment to the cause was beyond all question. His ability, of course, has never been in doubt.
‘When I was up against Tom, I always felt it was impossible to get the ball off him,’ said fellow midfielder David Turnbull. ‘He’s just so strong, he can hold the ball up and hold you off as well.
‘There are so many good touches — it’s just hard to get it off him.
‘He’s right up there with the best I’ve played with or against. You see his technical ability when he plays.
‘He looked very sharp the other night, especially in the second half when we all kind of clicked together. We all showed our ability but Tom especially.’
Rogic is an intriguing character. When he flew to southern Spain to join Celtic as a 20-year-old, in keeping with the transfer model, he seemed destined to spend three or four years in Glasgow before moving on for big money.
Despite speculation linking him with every club from Leeds
United to Zenit St Petersburg, he’s stayed put. Only Scott Brown and James Forrest can now count longer service at the club, with Rogic one of the few to bridge both Lennon eras and bear witness to all that has happened in between.
His loyalty has been handsomely rewarded with 14 major honours and 47 international caps.
‘He keeps himself to himself but there’s a bit of banter there,’ said Turnbull. ‘He’s such a chilledout guy.’
After witnessing a dominant display which scaled the heights of the 4-0 win at Kilmarnock the previous week, Lennon must view the current league table with a sense of exasperation.
That Rangers have been excellent this season is not up for debate. Steven Gerrard’s men have hardly missed a beat. But Celtic’s staccato form has contributed hugely to a league race scarcely worthy of the name.
Some credit, then, is due to the
Parkhead side for the way they have rallied of late. In seeing off Kilmarnock, Motherwell and Saints, they have at least reminded their fans what they are capable of .
‘That’s three games we’ve won in a row and we’ve got better in each game,’ added Turnbull.
‘Hopefully we can kick on and continue the run. We played St Mirren a few weeks ago and it wasn’t a great result. We just went back to work on the training ground and made sure we gave 110 per cent in every game.
‘We’ve stuck together as a team. The second goal really killed the game the other night and once we got it, we played with more confidence. You can then go out and get a few more goals.’
While the main purpose of the exercise — namely winning the title — is now a pipe dream, there is more than just pride to play for. Provided the tournament is played to a finish this season, a fifth successive Scottish Cup would be more than a consolation.
Turnbull, for one, has been one of the few success stories of the season, a fact that won’t be lost on Scotland boss Steve Clarke as he looks towards next month’s World Cup qualifiers and the summer’s European Championships.
‘It’s great to play every game,’ said Turnbull. ‘I just need to keep up the good work to keep my place I need to keep striving to play well in every game to stay in the team.’
Three successive league wins won’t change the destiny of the title race but they have at least blown away the storm clouds.
Where once it would have felt like a burden, tomorrow’s trip to Perth now feels like another opportunity to right some more wrongs.
‘It’s just about fighting until the last game,’ Turnbull stated. ‘We’ll keep pushing and sticking together as a team.’