Sport
BBC; New heights in Rangers contributing to the good result for entire Team
Celtic are drawing a lot of plaudits for the way they’ve started the season, and they took ruthlessness to new heights on Saturday night with a 6-0 thumping of St Johnstone.
Five different players were on the scoresheet contributing to the result. It was an entire team performance, and the goals scored displayed their cohesiveness and collective confidence.
Every single one was aesthetically pleasing and a result of blistering in-play combinations, ripping the home defence apart almost at will throughout the 90 minutes.
It’s true that St Johnstone have problems right now. They didn’t exactly provide a stern test.
But the excitement around Celtic right now is less about the quality of opposition they’ve faced and more about the way they’re going about their business.
Celtic get rave reviews after St Johnstone demolition
TheNetsport panel covering the game couldn’t get enough of what they witnessed, even pundits who can’t exactly be described as Celtic fans.
For example, Hearts supporter Allan Preston led the chorus, and his praise couldn’t have been greater.
He said: “This is as good a football team as I’ve seen in Scotland for years. Many, many years. I don’t know the last time I’ve seen one as fluent as that, as crisp as that.”
Asked if the current iteration of Celtic is better than the outfit Ange Postecoglou assembled in Scotland, Preston continued: “Yeah, I honestly think so. I think when Brendan came in initially, it was a lot of Ange’s players, and they still wanted to play Ange’s way. That’s not Brendan’s way; they are two different styles.
“But having watched Celtic in the close season – I watched the games against Chelsea and Man City. Yes they are friendlies but the way they knocked the ball about, I thought ‘wow’ and wondered whether they could do it back in Scotland. They have, they’ve absolutely done it.”
Celtic can destroy any team in Scotland
For Preston, the fact Celtic were playing St Johnstone was almost incidental. He reckons anyone, even Rangers, could have been on the receiving end of a 6-0 result on Saturday night.
He concluded: “St Johnstone, yeah, they’re on a downer, they aren’t playing well. They’re a club in crisis but Celtic have ripped them apart. It could have been ten. Celtic will do that to virtually every side.
“I include Rangers in that. If Celtic play like they have tonight, Rangers could get one healthy doing when they meet.”
It’s heady praise but not inaccurate. The Bhoys have already beaten the Ibrox side 3-0 this season and are getting better all the time.
Much more is to come, and it’s genuinely exciting that the team will now be testing themselves at the highest level against Dortmund on Tuesday night. Let’s see where Rodgers’ side truly are with that one.
