Celtic Diary Thursday October 26: Confident Celts Assert Authority

For all the butterflies that were called into action unexpectedly to accompany a domestic fixture, Celtic rose above recent criticism to put in what was easily the most confident and assured performance of the season so far at Pittodrie.

A goal from Keiran Tierney and a second consecutive double from Moussa Dembele capped a fine all round team effort to send the Celts clear at the top with a 3-0 win that reallistically could have been six or seven.

What was the difference ?

Quite possibly just that it was different was enough.

Manager rodgers left out Leigh Griffiths for Moussa Dembele, who gave the Aberdeen defence something different to worry about. The young Frenchman was too strong and too quick for his opponents, and coupled with the lively and more direct James Forrest, who had come in for Patrick Roberts, the movement up front was quicker and led to more chances.

Tom Rogic gave Scott sinclair a rest, and along with Stuart Armstrong and Calum MacGregor showed that not all of Celtic’s creativity and energy had to come from the flanks.

Mikael Lustig upped his game at right back with what was arguably his best performance for a while, and that seemed to rub off on the rest of the defence.

It was one of those games where everyone played well, and in Scotland at least, when all the Celts are on their game, no one can live with them.

Perhaps thats why there is so much frustration when the hoops face the big European sides, as the confidence shown last night seems to evaporate at the first misplaced pass or badly timed tackle.

But, as Rodgers is oft to say, we are only at the beginning of what he is trying to do at Celtic Park.

Perhaps one day, the players will be able to turn in performances like last night on the bigger stage.

They did it in Brussels…

Although at the moment we may bemoan our luck at drawing four of the best six sides in Europe in the qualifying group, as long as we learn how to play these teams, we’ll be ready for them next time.

Rome wasn’t built in a day, and probably wouldn’t have been even if I was on that job.

Last night was Celtic’s 61st consecutive unbeaten match domestically, and if the side avoids defeat against Kilmarnock on Saturday, then they will equal the British record of 62, set  by Willie Maleys Celtic back in 1915-17.

Rodgers thinks the players deserve a lot of credit for that, and he’s right. After all, if it was easy, everyone would be doing it.

“I hear a lot of that, the ease at which Celtic do it here,”

“But you have to give credit to our players. They have the courage to go into position to accept the ball. That can drag a team about. When you play to that speed and quality it’s very hard sometimes to get there.

“If you have control and you can dominate you have chances to score.

“Tonight was about Celtic and our quality as opposed to what Aberdeen didn’t do. “There was a big focus on this game. The level of football, the idea and composure to play a top-of-the-table clash against a team that’s very good, to play to that level and tactically with that quality and understanding.

“We should have scored more but how we defended and pressed was a wonderful demonstration of football.”

Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes had to agree. And despite the flak fired at him from irate Dons fans, Aberdeen did battle, and it wasn’t that they played badly, but that they weren’t allowed to play.

“We got a lesson tonight.

“It was a tough watch. Celtic were very good from the first minute to the last. They went with that extra midfielder and in hindsight maybe I could have done something similar.

“We tried to be brave with two strikers. I can rack my brains over system and personnel but, when Celtic are in that mood, they will win the game. The gulf is huge in terms of what they can do and bring to the club. They take my best player last year [Jonny Hayes]. My best player arguably this year is a Celtic player [Ryan Christie] and I cannot play him tonight. I think we can learn from tonight. There will be a bit of soul searching.”

McInnes not only lost Hayes, but McGinn, Jack and Pawlett as well from the team who finished runner up in all three major competitions.

To have stayed neck and neck until the teams clashed this season is a tremendous improvement, and if he could spot the next Louis Moult or John McGinn, then we may have a new rival with a serious challenge.

Elsewhere, Motherwell slipped quietly into third place with a win over Dundee, which , sort of makes them the team to watch, and “rangers 2 moved closer to the appointment of Graeme Murty and Kenny miller with a farcicial draw at home to Kilmarnock.

Kilmarnock have recently acquired the vastly experienced and highly capable Stevie Clarke as head coach, and it showed as they clawed a point off “rangers ” in the ninety sixth minute, after “rangers ” missed their penalty in the ninety third.

Ryan Jack got himself sent off after the penalty was awarded, which is why the game went on so long, and you get the feeling that poor old Pedro will be giving his landlord a months notice as he looks for somewhere else to live.

Apparently he has now banned Lee Wallace and Kenny miller from Ibrox, which has annoyed Miller a lot more than perhaps he’ll let on, as he wanted to get the new carpets and curtains in his offoce before the christmas dance.

Phil MacGhiollbhan explained something I’d spotted but paid little attention to yesterday in his piece, which you’ll find on his site.

The wacky and weird statement about level playing fields didn;t appear on the official “rangers 2 website, which is why I used a copy fro twitter, but the reason appears to be …well, check it out.

Phil Mac on the statement

Meanwhile, their support continues its slide into a collective breakdown,