Luis Palma

Celtic 3—0 Saint Mirren

Zach Hemming had little or nothing to do in the first-half. Celtic had two enforced changes from the team that started against Rangers. Liam Scales has picked up an injury. I’m not particularly worried. He’s been on a downward slide. Nawrocki gets his chance and did OKish. I am worried about Maeda. We saw his value at Ibrox. It’s not so much the work he does with the ball, but his closing down, in that sense he is irreplaceable.

Yang got the nod. He took the wrong choice with a chance in under sixty seconds. He could have shot, but chopped back. His form has been up and down as it was here. The same could be said for Kuhn. He’d a disastrous start to his Celtic career and then had a few assists. I’d have preferred Forrest at Ibrox and Forrest now, which tells you everything you need to know of what I think of our wingers. But Kuhn made a few tentative passes and you wonder if he should have shot instead.

Most of our goal-scoring opportunities came from the right wing. After giving away the penalty that wasn’t a penalty last week, Alistair Johnson had a man-of-the-match performance with a hand in our two goals.  

Reo Hatate from the edge of the box and an attempted nutmeg inside the box were one of the few other first-half chances. O’Riley a sidefooted shot but didn’t look like scoring.

But it was Hatate’s genius that opened the scoring. A pass from Johnston and inside the crowded box, the Japanese international pinged it into the top corner to open the scoring and the floodgates of relief in the 53rd minute.

 Much has been made of there being lots of rain over Dundee. No conspiracy. Just Scottish weather and bad groundkeeping. The assumption being, Dundee wanted to avoid defeat by employing a rain maker. Someone explain that to me. All our games are must-win now. We take it for granted that is going to happen. But I get nervous, pre-match. We’ve seen what happened this season and it’s not been good enough.  

We’ve had high winds over Paradise making it harder to judge passes. A twelfth man. With Saint Mirren and all other teams coming to sit in, including Rangers, we know what to expect. Long throws were their primary weapon. In the main we dealt well, with them. Carter-Vickers brings composure to our defence and allows us to pass from the back.  But corners present the same challenge. But Saint Mirren’s first, and only corner, didn’t come until the 89th minute and we were 3—0 up.  

Kyogo’s goal, fifteen minutes into the second-half, settled the game. Again it was Johnstone with the assist. A delightful ball over the top took out Gogic. Kyogo from almost inside the six-yard box headed home.

Celtic upped a gear. Greg Taylor, strangely reluctant to shoot, with Hemming saving awkwardly with his knees locked together. Yang getting into a muddle in front of goal, again.  Hatate’s effort swinging past the post.

Obviously a quiz question in later years, both teams made six substations. We weren’t really sure how that worked. Something about a head knock.

Adam Idah got a late goal in the 89th minute. Luis Palma should have scored but fluffed it. His rebounded shot hit by Paula Bernardo. The ball looped into the air and easily knocked over the line by the Norwich loanee. Every point counts. Every goal counts as we know from the recent past. We weren’t as ruthless as we could have been, but after a wind-strewn first-half, most everyone would have settled for a three goal, full-time lead. Let’s hope it doesn’t snow on Hampden next Saturday.

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Celtic 1—0 Ross County

The game should have been gone for Ross County after sixty seconds. Alistair Johnston’s shot deflected and squirming over the line. It’s not often Celtic are booed off the pitch after winning.

The hunt for a regular Celtic penalty taker goes on, after Callum McGregor was fouled inside the box. Simon Murray should have been booked, not because of his tackle but the afters and mouthing. Luis Palma stepped up not once, but twice to miss from the penalty spot in the same way. For a few seconds it looked as if he might even be given a third chance. Wickens, the Ross County keeper’s foot, had to be judged by VAR to be on the line. That would have kicked off countless conspiracy theories. But even I was glad it wasn’t given.

Liel Abada had looked lively down the left. He’s whipped in a few balls that seemed to be either in front of Kyogo or behind him. Bernardo looked to have missed a relatively easy chance when the ball bounced to him close to the penalty spot, but the major scare was Joe Hart flapping and Nightingale somehow contriving to hit the bar from almost underneath the bar.

O’Riley, Celtic’s player of the season so far, also was a worry. He went down injured midway through the first-half. But came back on and played the 94 minutes.

Celtic almost mirrored their first-half start. Johnston almost netting a double at the beginning of the second-half (don’t ask me the odds on that, it would thousands-to-one) but the ball fell to McGregor. But he couldn’t get his shot away.

O’Riley had a vicious cross-cum shot that might have sneaked in at the back post. Cameron Carter-Vickers had a header from a corner saved by Wickes, before he was replaced by Maik Nawrocki. But it was Nicolas Kuhn for Palma we were waiting for. The Rapid Vienna signing then switched to the right wing, when Mikey Johnstone came on for Palma. It’s difficult to judge Kuhn on the little time he had on the pitch (but, of course, I’m going to anyway). I think we can tell he’s not a dribbler. Which I think is disappointing. I understand he’s got pace, but with a packed defence, we’ll need to wait and see him opening up.

 Jordan White came on for Simon Murray. Ross County had presented a threat. But like most Scottish teams, the left wing is where long balls are aimed. Bernarbei seems a good enough wee player if he could defend. He can’t. Taylor is injured after having an up-and-down-season. It seems obvious this is an area of the pitch that should be addressed. Rant over.

Celtic dominated possession as they had in the first-half. Kyogo got fouled on the edge of the box. He tried to grab the ball and take the free kick, in a game in which he was largely anonymous, but O’Riley took it and bent it past the post.

That’s when we start getting nervous. Often for good reason. Long balls into the box too often haunt us after the game is over. White had a chance to equalise, but Joe Hart made the save. Ross County had another chance in extra-time of extra-time and that would have been two points dropped.

Celtic were unconvincing. We have lots on games coming up in February. Next week, at Pittodrie, kicking off the run-in. Our strength is in our slick passing and superior players. Our weakness is in being bullied from long balls, corners and free kicks, particularly down the left. Sort it.

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Celtic 2—1 Feyenoord

Sometimes you can’t make it up. Gustav Lagerbielke nods in Matt O’Riley’s cross in the 91st minute to win it. Fans celebrated as if we’d won the Champions League (me included). If I say we will next year, you know I’m getting carried away.

Substitute, Yankuba Minteh, who’d been booked and should have picked up a second yellow card, was home alone at the back post and equalised in the 83rd minute. Feyernoord looked the team more likely to score the winner. We’ve been here before many times in the Champions League. Lazio stealing the winner in extra-time of added time. A sucker punch we know all too well.

Even in the 96th minute, when the Feyenoord keeper came up for a corner, if he’d equalised it would have felt like déjà vu. We’ve grown used to swapping victory for defeat.  

Much was made of the defeat to Kilmarnock. Let’s put that into context. Three points in the Champions League tonight guaranteed more money than the combined budget for players and staff at Rugby Park for a year. Much the same team that capitulated to Kilmarnock started tonight. Nat Phillips, who for many is the reincarnation of Shane Duffy, not surprisingly, drops to the bench.

Stephen Welsh, who hasn’t kicked a ball since August, comes back into the team. He was caught ball watching in the first half. Gimenez’s goal was ruled marginally offside. He’d a shot blocked by Joe Hart. Geertruida hits the inside of the post. Celtic rode their luck.

It’s 50/50 whether we score with a penalty now. Luis Palma slotted it away on the 33rd minute. Zerrouki wrestles man of the match, Liam Scales to the ground at a corner after the referee had warned him twice. He, too, should have picked up another booking. But to score from a penalty and a corner is perhaps to ask too much from the Papal blessing.  

Lagerbielke, joins Phillips on the bench, but it shows where he stands with Welsh playing in front of him.

The exclusion of Oh Hyeon-gyu for Kyogo is no surprise. The South Korean missed a few sitters on Sunday. Kyogo was Scotland’s player of the year. The Japanese international had a couple of pot shots on goal. He worked tirelessly as you’d expect, but it’s still not going for him now.

Oh had the ball in the net after shrugging off a defender and rounding the keeper. But he was pulled back for fouling. A strange decision since the referee let a lot worse than that go. But I’ve ran out of conspiracy theories for this week. I’ll begin again when we play Rangers, or even Hearts if it’s a slow week.

Result in Europe have made grim reading. Even under Sainted Ange we only picked up two points. We can stop using metaphors like monkeys and backs. We’ll maybe stop being compared to Man U. Well, maybe not. But it feels good.

It was a big night for Lagerbielke for all the right reasons. Perhaps he won’t be such a dud. Perhaps even he’ll start the next game (unlikely). Let’s not get carried away. I always get excited by wingers. Mikey Johnston did put a great ball across the goal that was crying out to be knocked in. But Mitchel Frame (17) to make his debut in a Champions League game. Wow. I hope he gets used to winning. I hope he’s not another Mikey. We’ll wait and see about both.   

Celtic 4—1 Hibs

Celtic started well. Oh scored in the first five minutes of the first half. The ball coming off his heel, from a Carter-Vickers’ header, and going over the line to give us that crucial lead. Hibs’ (or any other Scottish team’s) plan to play ten men behind the ball and hit on the counter-attack then comes under severe scrutiny which few pass.

Rocky Bashiro almost doubled Celtic’s lead after the opening after Miller fell over the ball and Palma’s shut-cum-cross travelled across the line and was nearly knocked into the home net by the defender.

Luis Palma created the second goal. He turned Philips inside out on the touchline. Dinked a ball into the back post. Matt O’Riley is having one of those purple patches where he’s even scoring headers. 2—0 at half-time and cruising. The worry was Palma and McGregor had picked up bookings.  

Celtic’s back four picks itself, but it was tested by Hib’s pace upfront. I can’t say they passed the test. Celtic had around eight corners in the first half. We scored from one, and for a change, looked like scoring from others. Oh, for example, getting his head on an in-swinging cross to the near post, which looped over the bar. Hibs get one corner and very nearly score. We know how it goes. Joe Hart flaps. The opposition get up first and get up early. If we’re lucky they don’t score and didn’t here. Still suspect for the same reasons. But the same went for last season.  

 The Irish stopper has been getting lots of plaudits. But Liam Scales was caught in a Hib’s penalty shout and twice with balls played over his head. Joe Hart’s first kick of the ball, for example, wasn’t even a kick. He had to spread himself after Youan got in behind in a one-on-one. That would have made the score 1—1 with Hib’s first attack and shot on goal.

Celtic get a penalty at the start of the second half. Beaton, the referee, let the game go on, and Palma nearly scored anyway, before being told to look at the monitor. There’s a joke in there that you know it’s a stone-waller if Beaton gives it.  Alistair Johnston leg had been taken away from him near the touch line in a flowing Celtic move. The Canadian looks to be somewhere near back to his best.  Oh wanted to hit the penalty, but Palma took it and scored. No stuttered run, but a shot into the top corner. Palma was also unlucky with a free-kick from outside the box.  

There was another joke, and it wasn’t Celtic’s defending. Oh done Fish like a Fish, shouldering him off the ball, when a McGregor dinked pass meant for Palma travelled into the box and Oh slotted it into the bottom corner for 4—0. Game over, ten minutes into the second half. But we still had time to lose a goal.

Carter-Vickers, who was taken off at half-time is virtually unknown as a goal scorer. But he claimed for the first goal. His header came off Oh. And from another cross ball had Marshal scrambling across the goal like a Keystone cop to keep the ball out of the net.

His replacement Matt Philips didn’t do much to suggest he’ll be here after Christmas. His passing was mostly square. Youan beat the Liverpool loan defender too easily. His cross left Doidge with a free header in the middle of the goal. The kind Kyogo has been missing recently with a late chance, the latest in a string of near misses, but the Hib’s man scored a consolation goal.

Ralston came on for Taylor when we were so far ahead there looked little danger of losing it. Ralston nearly scored with the last kick of the ball. But he’ll never do as a left back, although he did OKish here. He keeps turning back to his right. Any manager with a bit of savvy would quickly pick that out and crowd him out, in the same way they swing long balls up towards the diminutive Taylor’s left-hand side. Taylor played well tonight.

O’Riley and McGregor are certain starters in the same way that Kyogo was under Postecoglu. The Japanese international came off the bench. Oh led the line. Iwata comes into anchor the midfield. It was an easy-enough shift for the Japanese anchor-man. He shifted the ball well and almost scored in added time, turning in the six-yard ball superbly, taking everyone out and yet managing to hit the side netting. Hmm exactly.

 Brendan Rodgers has given David Turnbull a chance to nail down that midfield slot with Hatate out. Bernardo had played there, usually in European ties and he came on for ten minutes for a late cameo. Holm has started but not finished games in midfield. The not so merry-go-round continues with McGregor pushing forward and looking as if he’d played there most of his life, which he had. He too almost scored.

Yang has been yanked out of the team. His first-half performance against St Johnstone was one he’ll want to forget. It’s another Johnston, Mikey that’s on the rise. Whisper it, I’ve high hopes for Mikey (again), he wasn’t great, but wasn’t bad either, which just about sums him up. James Forrest kept in reserve. But with the absence of Yang from the squad, Tilio moves up a ranking and came on for Mikey but kept going backwards. The young Australian, however, did have a shot of goal and put in a few crosses to no effect. Yang drops down four of five places and out of the match-day squad, perhaps for a while. It’s the other South Korean that’s on the up and up.  

Celtic 6—0 Aberdeen

Celtic hit six goals, three in the ten minutes added on at the end of the second-half. Brendan Rodgers has brought in Odin Holm and Yang to the team that started well for six minutes but were hit for six and dismantled in Madrid. Questions have been asked. The usual suspects on display. Maeda is a big loss. Quite simply, he does the work, and the doggies of two players. Yang has shown some flashes of potential. Now it’s time for him to step up. And he did today. Scoring the first in the nine minutes. An outside of the foot cross from Luis Palma allowing him an easy enough header from four yards.

I wasn’t sure about Luis Palma when he first arrived. He seemed to lack pace and didn’t have a trick in him the way, for example, Jota had. But the Honduran had the beating of Nicky Devlin today. As did Yang on the right wing against MacKenzie. The Aberdeen defender also gave away the penalty with a late challenge on Oh.  That width, and use of the ball, made it easier for Celtic to penetrate a packed Aberdeen defence. Palma edged it, the better of the two wingers, and had a good shout for a man-of-the-match performance. Without doubt Celtic have a new penalty taker. Hatate and Turnbull have both missed penalties in recent games. With Luis Palma you get the feeling this isn’t going to happen any time soon. His penalty on the 77th minute—from a clear foul on Oh—was  composed. He was watching the keeper before he hit it. I like that confidence. All it takes is one miss, of course, for me to not like it.

Celtic had picked apart the Aberdeen defence in the first five minutes. Kyogo failing to score from around the penalty spot. O’Riley failed to keep down the rebound from the Aberdeen keeper, Roos, and score.

They combined to create the second goal in sixteen minutes. Yang cut inside across the penalty area. O’Riley took his perfectly weighted pass to the touchline and cut it back. Kyogo nipped in at the front post and it looked a simple enough goal, but it was all about the constant movement.

Odin Holm makes his first Premiership start and steps into a midfield that largely picks itself. McGregor and O’Riley fill two slots. Hatate fills the other. But as we know, the Japanese international is out injured. Bernardo has fluttered about to no great effect and didn’t appear today. Early days, but my guess is when the loan deal is finished, we won’t be keeping him like we did with Jota. I hope he proves me wrong. Pity we can’t say the same for Lagerbielke.

Turnbull, is also his own last-chance scenario, at least offered another decently taken goal after coming on a substitute of Holm. It was typical Turnbull strike in off the post from outside the box to make it 4—0 in the 92nd minute, but it looked to be in slow motion and the keeper should perhaps have done better. The former young Scottish Player of the Year remains on the bench. But three goals in his last three games give him a stronger than usual chance of starting.

Turnbull had a hand in one of Oh’s late-late goals in the 96th and 99th minute, but it was that man Palma again that had a major part.

Holm got himself sent off against Feyenoord in Rotterdam and has pretty much faded since then faster than memories of Michael Beale, but Holm has come off the bench and showed some decent touches in cameos. Holm has a chance to stand out and make that other midfield slot his. He’d an early instinctive shot from a ball played into him from Palma, early in the first half, which Roos palmed over the bar. I’d guess he’s ahead of Bernardo and on par with Turnbull for that other midfield slot before Christmas and, in particular, the Old Firm game.  

The major talking point were the goals. Kyogo’s head injury five minutes into the second-half was our major worry. Slobodan Rubezic went for a header and wiped out the Japanese international. He got a yellow card, which might have been a red, but more importantly, Kyogo was helped up and was able to get up and walk off the park. If that puts him out of contention for the next Japanese internationals that would be a bonus. We’ve enough injuries to contend with. Oh proved himself, on the day, to be an able deputy with his late double, which was an easy enough game, more a training exercise. Aberdeen, like Celtic in Madrid, mustered one effort on goal, a Miovski flick which never looked like going in. A gulf in class. I hope Aberdeen are able to pick themselves up play better, and more importantly win, in their next home match after the International break.  

Ross County 0—3 Celtic

Celtic took the chance to extend their lead at the top of the league to eight points. We score three goals and spend most of the game on the edge of the Ross County penalty box after Brown is send off for a tackle on Yang after ten minutes.

We’ve big game midweek, Champions League against Atletico Madrid. This was a very much changed Celtic team. Oh, who scored when he came on in midweek, led the line. He thought he’d scored in Dinwall too. After a lengthy VAR call, it was disallowed.  Maeda judged to have been marginally offside when he crossed the ball. Normal service was resumed, but we just didn’t score that all-important first goal.

It’s make or break time for David Turnbull. He scored two against Ross County in the corresponding fixture. Brendan Rodgers was making encouraging noises. With Reo Hatate blowing more cold than hot the former Motherwell man must have though this is it. Like one of those late-night movies, he faded out.

His equalising goal against St Mirren was a thing of beauty. And it came at the right time (equalising goals usually do). He did it again today. Almost the last kick of the ball of added-on time in the first half, he found the top corner. What looked like a walk in the park finally began to feel like it.

Kyogo, O’Riley and Johnson on the bench. I read Chris Sutton’s column and the names he banded about and it’s impossible to argue that this time last year, we had a much stronger and better squad for the slough of matches coming up. Big money buys Gustaf Lagerbielke and Maiw Nawrocki have disappeared. I expect the latter to reappear at some later match. The former looks a dud.

I don’t expect to take anything from the match in Madrid. We’ve a tendency to look at thing retrospectively. The team he started today, would probably be the team I’d put out on Wednesday. What matters most now is the measure of every game. Points in the bag.

The South Korean duo did well. Oh, in particular, reminds me a of a striker you probably don’t remember, a wee fat guy with a stinker of an attitude that played for the team on the other side of Glasgow. Allegedly, he was worth £30 million.

Kyogo is having a mini-goal drought. Of Celtic’s nearly 40 attempts on goal today he had around four and should have scored at least one. Laidlaw, the Ross County keeper, had a decent enough game, without all the usual clichéd superlatives flying about.  

I’m not sure what to make of Luis Palma. He got the second goal midway through the second half. Knocked a Ross County defenders tooth out with a free kick, which would only be funny if it was a Rangers player and set up the late third goal for James Forrest, with a dink to the back post. But I guess his problem is he’s not Jota. He doesn’t seem to have pace. Doesn’t seem particularly skilful. But his goal to game ratio is fantastic. He might even outgun the Portuguese winger. I wouldn’t want Palma in the other team. That’s usually a rule of thumb. But I’ll wait and see.

I think most of us know what the team will be in Madrid. Kyogo will be in it. O’Riley will be in it. Johnson will be back for the ponderous Ralston. I still expect to lose. Interesting times. I’m wondering what team we’ll put out next weekend against Aberdeen. There’s a midfield spot up for grabs beside McGregor and O’Riley. Paulo Bernardo has been tidy, but done nothing exceptional to suggest he’ll take it. His free kick flying over the bar before half time sums up his contribution.

Turnbull has scored goals. If he sorted his feet out he’d have got a second goal today He took the majority of free-kicks and corners. They were terrific balls into the box. Liam Scales, in particular, Oh, even Carter-Vickers all had chances. What was different was the ball from corners didn’t come back to near the half-way line for recycling. Perhaps with Oh in the team we were looking at better odds on winning a header in the opposition box. But equally, bringing the ball backwards doesn’t seem to give us a better chance of scoring.

An outside chance of starting against Aberdeen is Thiago Holm. This guy has class. Just keep winning. Simple.

Celtic 2—2 Atletico Madrid

Celtic take a deserved point. Kyogo scoring in four minutes, darting inside the box, after playing a clever one-two with Matt O’Riley and guiding the ball into the corner of the net. Lift off.

But in a game that ebbed and flowed, Antoine Griezmann scored from a rebound in twenty-four minutes after Joe Hart had pushed his penalty onto the post. Greg Taylor is having one of those second season syndromes. I know he’s been at Paradise a lot longer than that. But he dangled a leg inside the box and Nahuel Molina fell over it to give away the penalty.

Luis Palma thought he’d scored in the Champions League against Lazio. In 35 minutes he did score. Maeda, who was Celtic’s best player, had switched wings with Palma. He came from the left and the ball went across the box to Palma on the right, evading Kyogo. The Honduran steadied himself and blessed himself when it went in off the post. A good one-two combination.

There was still time in the first-half for the sucker punch. A dreadful ‘goal’ to lose. From a dinked free-kick (does this sound familiar?) to the left-hand side of the back post. Axel Witzel easily wins the header. Morata, who’d been anonymous, apart from a shot put into the side netting, ghosted in at the right hand post to score. But he was offside. No need for VAR, but a bit of luck and a let off. Morata kept making those runs and that’s not luck.

Celtic too had their chances, such as a Matt O’Reily hit from just outside the box. Jan Oblak made the save seem easy.

Marcos Llorente’s second-half showing was the equivalent of Maeda’s first. He made the difference and created the pass for the equaliser and also had a decent shot saved by Joe Hart.

Reo Hatate had been taken off injured just after the first goal, which is a worry in our busy match schedule. Hatate is a big player who was coming back to something like his peak.  Paulo Bernardo, who replaced him, looked tired at the start of the second-half, but it was goal- scorer Palma, who was substituted and Nat Philips brought on.

Second-half substitute Marcos Llorente was the catalyst for a second-half push for an equaliser. Taylor was booked for a foul on him. Llorente remained unfazed. He provided the cross from the left-wing from which Morata ghosted in behind Carter-Vickers to head into the net.

 Rodgers attempted to turn back Madrid’s domination by rejigging the defence and giving us an extra midfielder. Taylor pushed up to midfield where he’s more comfortable and Scales dropped into the left of a back three. Rodgers change worked to a certain extent. But so many Celtic players looked knackered he could have made three or four other changes if he had replacements of the quality of Madrid’s.

Kyogo was replaced by James Forrest with Maeda playing through the middle as we searched for a winner.

We were helped with a red card for Rodrigo De Paul. He’d been booked after twenty minutes for repeatedly claiming for a penalty in the box. With ten minutes of the ninety remaining he flicked a boot out at Paulo Bernardo after tacking him and was given another yellow.

Down to ten men, Madrid fell back and Celtic looked more likely to get the winner. We’ve been here before, of course, most recently, when searching for a winner against Lazio.  Nat Phillips won a header. Griezmann got the foul and went down with a head knock, until his own manager, Diego Simone urged him to get up. Perhaps he knew something we didn’t. Witsel almost gets his head on the end of an Atelti free kick. But we don’t concede and don’t create much with the extra man.

I’d have taken a draw before the game. It feels like a fair result. I’m a fan of the dog’s chance, but we’re pretty much destined to finish bottom of the group. But with ten minutes to go with Madrid down to ten men, we could taste those three points. We haven’t won a home match in the Champions League for ten years is a concern, but on the bright side, statistically, it’s more likely to happen. I’d bet in our next home European tie against Feyenoord, who top the group. I wouldn’t bet on taking anything in Madrid. First things first. Hibs away.

Hearts 1—4 Celtic

Celtic dominant from start to finish. It’s always good to hear Hearts’ fans booing their team off at half-time and scuttling down Gorgie Road well before the end. Brendan Rodger’s team was much as expected. Our midfield picks itself. Matt O’Riley has been Scottish player of the month, based on his goals and assists, he’ll be Scottish Player of the Year. Knocking back a ten million quid bid was just common sense.

He was at it again, scoring after four minutes. Luis Palma dinked the ball into him. A swivel of his hips and he knocked the ball into the far corner, leaving the Hearts goalie with no chance. A superb opening goal set the tone of the match.

 Reo Hatate before and during the international break looked to be somewhat closer to the top of his game. He’d a few lose passes in a half which Hearts rarely threatened. Kenneth Vargas committed more fouls than Hearts’ solitary first-half strike. Joe Hart put out for a corner, even though it was going past the post.

Hatate set up the second goal. O’Riley’s pass played him in behind the defence. Hatate, from near the touchline, put the ball across the goal. Maeda tapped it in. After the obligatory VAR check, the second goal was given.

But Hatate could—and should—have put Celtic on easy street at the start of the second- half. Alex Cochrane had taken a roasting from Maeda all afternoon. The full back was adjudged to have pulled Kyogo back after he turned away from him inside the box. It looked a soft penalty. Hatate’s penalty at Livingston had the virtue of creeping under the keeper. This one did not, hitting the post. Perhaps it’s a good thing Hatate is taken off penalty duties now. In closer games it might cost us. I’d give the ball to Palma at penalties.

Kyogo tried to take the ball from Hatate for the penalty (he’s missed a stack too). But he’s scored in eight of eight against Hearts. O’Riley dummied (or missed the ball) and the Japanese forward was on hand, as he invariably is, to fire home.

Lawrence Shankland hasn’t scored in ten games. He fired home in the 65th minute to give Hearts an outside chance of taking something. Ironically, it was Maeda that played him in. He took the ball from Cochrane but his run across the Celtic box and slack pass played in Shankland. He still had lots to do, but bent the ball around Scales and in off the post.    

Maeda and Kyogo give us an unmatchable work rate. That touch of magic and goals. Lots of goals. The other place on the wing hasn’t been nailed down. Yang had his chance in some of the bigger European matches. He came on today and had a shot on goal blocked. Forrest, in some of our more difficult matches on plastic pitches such as those at Livingston, also came on for the last twenty minutes.

Luis Palma doesn’t have their pace, but the Honduran is scoring goals and he keeps the ball better than Yang. His dink set up the first goal. He looks to have the jersey as we go into the next big European tie. And he can think himself unlucky not to have scored already in Europe. Small margins.

Iwata came on as a substitute and smashed the ball home for his first Celtic goal from inside the box after a game of ping-pong to make it four. A fairer reflection on Celtic’s dominance. But the Japanese midfielder is unlikely to be first pick any time soon. It seems likely that the team that started today will be first-picks against Atletico Madrid.

The Spaniards will be unfazed with Celtic’s pressing. Our defence needs an overhaul. Matt Philips, on loan, hasn’t added defensive solidity, but it on the bench today. He’ll be away when the loan period finishes. Gustaf Lagerbielke has come in and hit the buffers. It’s a pity we can’t send him back to Elfsborg and recoup some of our £3 million. He wasn’t in today’s squad.  Maik Nawrocki is back and it looks like him, or, fellow injury victim, Stephen Welsh will challenge Scales for a first-team spot.  Carter-Vickers is back—European clanger aside—is a big plus. Simple. We win most games with him in the team.

Greg Taylor has a poor start to the season but he looks to have picked up a little. Alistair Johnston had slipped backwards to where he was last season. But there were signs of resurgence today. Neither full backs, nor our keeper, Joe Hart have serious competition for places. But I guess you could make a case for saying the same thing about Kyogo. Although Oh was unlucky with a few strikes today. Iwata finished off his rebounded double whammy of shots.

Tynecastle can be intimidating. Not today. Parkhead can be intimidating. Let us hope so on Wednesday night. There was much to admire in Celtic’s performance. But Wednesday is the real deal. Any sloppy passing, as we know, will be severely punished. I’d put us as underdogs. But the old mantra, if we play to our capabilities, we might sneak a win. I’d take a draw. We need a new penalty taker. We need that bit of luck that has evaded us in the competition so far.  Hail, Hail.   

Celtic 3—1 Kilmarnock.

Back to league business. Reo Hatate’s opening goal was a boy’s own effort after twenty-two minutes. A nutmeg on Watson in midfield. A shimmy to take him to the edge of the box. A curler into the corner. Loan Kilmarnock keeper, Will Dennis, had no chance, but helped keep the score down. The Japanese playmaker had a poor start to the season. But this was just goal of the season stuff.  His passing range was back to its best as he won man of the match and could have had a hat trick, coming closest with a second-half dart into the six-yard box. And we expected him to finish. We really did suck in our breath and wait.   

Kyogo could have had a hat trick too. An offside ‘goal’ flagged in under ten minutes. Maeda could have a hat trick. The two Japanese internationals trying to outdo each other in the box like Keystone cops.

Greg Taylor and Anthony Johnson could have hit three. I’m joking about the full backs, but they had most shots on goals in the early stages of the game.

  No excuses about plastic pitches, but swampland might have been a problem in past seasons. Our team’s selection today more predicable. The return of Carter-Vickers. The inclusion of Luis Palma. The late goal on Wednesday night was a gut punch, perhaps more than Palma’s disallowed ‘goal’.

He got our second goal today in a home match that Celtic are expected to dominate and usually do with around 75% possession.  He was lucky. The ball played back from Hatate looked offside.

 McInnnes’s teams, like other Scottish teams, aim to hit our fragile backline on the break. The rise to the first team of Liam Scales has been impressive. He’s kept the jersey. With Lagerbielke as competition that’s perhaps not of epic magnitude, but it still needs him to win his headers and pass from the back. As Chris Sutton mentioned (and the rest of us already know) we lose too many goals from corners and free kicks (as in the first goal in Rotterdam and midweek shows again with perhaps too much clarity) while offering little from corners other than more short corners. Scales got on a few balls whipped into the box.

 But then Greg Taylor goes and spoils a good theory by scoring from a Maeda flick on to make the game safe ten minutes after Kilmarnock had scored on the 82nd minute.

Greg Taylor was looking for a foul on the edge of the Kilmarnock box, but the referee played on. We were short at the back. Watson scored from a cut back. Unbelievable as it seemed Kilmarnock were back in the game.

Less than five minutes after scoring, Kilmarnock should have equalised. A ball to the back post (no surprise). Three big Kilmarnock players queueing up. The ball goes sailing over Joe Hart’s bar. McInnnes’s game plan in micro.    

James Forrest missed a great chance, once and then again. Maeda had another pop. Oh, who came on for Kyogo, got excited and tried to pass to himself. Work in progress. Yeh, we know, Oh, Oh, Oh!

Vassell, the Kilmarnock striker, missed a sitter at the back post at the death, which would have made it 3—2.

Celtic denied an earlier first-half penalty by VAR. Kyogo and Hatate both wanting to take it. Neither have been great penalty takers. It’s probably time to pass penalty taking duties to Luis Palma. He’s not got much pace. Doesn’t seem to have a trick that gets him past his opponent. In other words, he’s not Jota. But he does know how to keep the ball. More importantly, he’s a goal scorer. His effort was denied midweek.  Given an offside goal by VAR today. On another day we could have hit nine or ten. On another day we could have been held to a draw with McInnes spouting the usual stuff we heard a million times before. Celtic deserved to win. We did win. Our defence isn’t very good. That’s the weakest part of our team. We proved that again today. But we’re ten points clear of Rangers. We hope St Mirren stay in touch at the top and win tomorrow.

  All the usual gung-ho things about Europe are being spouted, but realistically as fourth seeds in the group, we’ll finish fourth. Our only consolation has been Rangers’ implosion. Top of the league and we’ll stay that way coming to the break for international football. Stay that way until the end of the season. I’d like to think so. If we can get out defence sorted we’d be an impressive side in Scotland and hope to win the double. That’s all we can ask for now. Brendan Rodgers celebrates 700 games a manager. Pretty bog-standard today. He won’t be complaining.

Motherwell 1—2 Celtic

Celtic won the game, it felt like we lost it, then won it again, all in a few crazy minutes.  Substitute Luis Palma’s curler finding its way into the net, with three minutes remaining of the ninety. A sickner followed from a long throw in added time. The ball fell to Blair Spittal and he tucked it through a sea of bodies into the bottom corner after seven minutes of added time. Two points dropped. But the game wasn’t finished. There was still time for Matt O’Riley to side foot a cross into the net on the 98th minute. Celtic win in added time of added time. Another pitch invasion from delirious fans at the back of the goal  

Nothing between the teams at half-time, which compared to the finish can now be classified as ultra-boring. Motherwell fans shouting for a penalty on the half-time whistle after the ball was booted off Kyogo. Motherwell had the slightly better chances. Celtic switching off after a free-kick was called by referee Wullie Collum. Bain had to make a save. He watched another shot going over the bar from a long throw and Statterly overhead kick. Both keepers had little to do and made few genuine saves. A few half-chances for Kyogo.

Reo Hatate signs a new long-term deal. I’m a big fan. Last season, perhaps with a bit of hyperbole, I suggested he was one of the best midfielders in Europe. This season he’s been rotten. Hopefully, he’s getting back to where he was. Slatterly got booked for a high boot after 12 minutes. Hatate lying spread-eagled on the park for another two minutes as subs warmed up hoping to replace him. Hatate later went down on the edge of the box, looking for a foul (not given) when his better option looked to be to go in on goal and shoot. He wasn’t great today again. Substituted for Turnbull after around 70 minutes. The ex-Motherwell midfielder was on the pitch for the drama at the end.  

Our midfield trio and attack are all on long-term deals. Goal-scorer O’Riley the latest to sign up. It will now take an audacious bid (over £20 million) to shift them. O’Riley had a free kick easily blocked at the edge of the box. His one-two inside the box with Johnston was perhaps our only clear shot on goal in the first-half, but it was a trundler, easily saved. The Dane/English midfielder kept the best until last.

Yang gets his chance to shine.  He didn’t. But at least he was trying to take on the full back. James Forrest can feel himself unlucky to be taken off against Livingston. But he was the obvious candidate. It’s up to Yang to make himself the obvious first pick. He was subbed at half-time. No surprise. Forrest coming on, he didn’t do much, but kept it simple and kept the ball, which improved the team.

Bain in goal. He got away with one at the start of the second-half. Stephen O’Donnell (no relation) had it in the net after Bevis Mugabi caused Scott Bain to drop the ball. It had been cleared and played back into the six-yard box. VAR adjudged it offside. But Bain flapped at it, unconvincingly. Motherwell had started the better.

Our goalkeeper and defence are woeful and our weak spot. Lagerbielke retains his place in the team. He’s the weakest of the weak spots. He wasn’t called to do much in the first-half, but saw lots of the ball and misplaced a few passes. In the second half, he had a fantastic chance to score, with a free header from a corner. He didn’t expect himself to score. Neither did we. He didn’t.

Nat Philips came on for him after around 70 minutes. The Liverpool loanee at least wins his aerial duals. It gives us something to build on. I wish we could send Lagerbielke back.

We found it hard breaking the Steelmen down. They too lacked punch in the final third, and tried to play football as Celtic turned the screw. Days like today can seem monumental. But we’ll just have to wait and see. Palma thought he’d won it. O’Riley really did. Wow.