Plenty in Reserve

VS
0-2
Forrest (40') McGregor (88')​

19th August 2017
Rugby Park
Labrokes Premiership: Round 3​

CELTIC continue 100% start to the season with laidback win against Killie​

BRENDAN RODGERS' Celtic side are well accustomed to winning games comfortably by now, and today's lunchtime kick off at Rugby Park was no different. The Northern Irishman made a number of changes to the side which thumped Kazakh champions Astana in the midweek Champions League Play-Off 1st leg, but there was absolutely no let up in the intensity as a young Hoops side swept aside yet another domestic opponent with ease.

Both Calvin Miller and Anthony Ralston once again took their place in the starting XI at both full back positions, roles they excelled in just a week or so ago in the hammering of the same opponent in the Betfred Cup. Kristoffer Ajer was also given a chance to impress on his return to the ground where he spent last season on loan, while Kundai Benyu continued his early apprenticeship as a Celtic player on the left wing. It is a sign of the sheer confidence that Rodgers has in his squad that he was able to rest players such as Jozo Simunovic, Leigh Griffiths and Scott Sinclair without so much as a second thought, and on the evidence of this performance, why not?

As is sometimes to be expected when numerous changes are made to a side, the Hoops began the game in a relatively slow fashion. With no recognised striker on the park, it was up to James Forrest once more to operate within a false-9 role, one which he is now becoming pretty adept at. Despite not really testing the Killie goalkeeper Jamie McDonald with much regularity, the Celts were still clearly very much in the driving seat. Their passing and control of the game was crisp, and McCulloch's men struggled to get out of their own half, although this was not surprising due to the highly defensive tactics he had employed, no doubt in an effort to prevent another mauling at the hands of the invincibles. Celtic pushed and probed from side to side for much of the first half, with both Ralston and Miller providing good outlets on either flank, and Tom Rogic looking incredibly dangerous on the half turn time and time again. The longer it went at 0-0 and the more Celtic pushed, the more likely it seemed that the Aussie would be the man to provide the vital spark, and that was precisely what happened on the 40 minute mark.

After picking the ball up on the edge of the Kilmarnock box, the graceful number 10 performed one of his now trademark driving runs at the opposition backline, beating 2 or 3 defenders with ease down the right hand side of the penalty box, before having the vision and awareness to pull the ball back for stand in striker Forrest, who tidily tucked the ball past McDonald between the sticks. The goal came at precisely the right time for Rodgers' bhoys and was the very least they deserved against a passive Killie side.


Forrest slots home the opener

If anyone believed for a moment that Kilmarnock would alter their style after the break, they were wrong. Despite pushing slightly further up the pitch at times (in comparison to the 1st half), they struggled to hold onto the ball long enough to really hurt a young and inexperienced Celtic defence, marshalled by the bhoy wonder Kieran Tierney, who continues to amaze with his consistency and maturity week in week out. In truth, the 2nd half was largely uneventful, with Celtic seeming content just to control the game and bide their time for the right opportunity to surface, rather than do their usual and go for the jugular.

Any brief sniffs that Killie were afforded were purely down to slackness on the ball by Celtic, with a Kris Boyd free kick proving to be the closest they came to testing Gordon in the second 45', with even that flashing yards wide. Rodgers shuffled the pack slightly on 70 minutes, with Leigh Griffiths and Nir Bitton replacing Forrest and Tierney respectively. Bitton would later go down clutching his achilles following a corner in the Celtic box, which will be a slight concern for the Celtic backroom staff heading into Tuesday's return leg against Astana. Luckily though, it looked to only be a slight niggle. The final change for Celtic saw Mikael Lustig replace Kundai Benyu on 78 minutes, a sign that Rodgers was looking to see the game out and claim yet another 3 points.

With only one goal between the sides heading into the final 10 minutes, it was somewhat surprising that Killie did not try and throw players forward more in an effort to * something from the jaws of defeat. It wasn't to be, however, and, on 88 minutes, the game was put beyond all doubt with a second killer goal from the Champions. Tom Rogic was once again the architecht as he drove forward through the centre of the park past numerous blue and white jerseys, to slip the ball through to an onrushing Callum McGregor, who cooly waited for McDonald to make his move before passing the ball home. Game over. Although he had a relatively quiet game by his recent standards today, the goal was another sign of the resurgence of McGregor under Rodgers, who, in the past 6 months or so, has looked every inch a first choice midfielder.


McGregor races through to finish the game once and for all

Despite not being a classic, this game did provide a couple of points to chew over. Firstly, it re-iterated once again the depth of the Celtic squad. The fact they can play near enough a youth side in an away league game immediately after a huge European tie, and still win with ease, surely sends out a frightening message to those clubs below who seek to provide some sort of challenge to the invincibles. All this without the added genius of Patrick Roberts, who looks set to rejoin the Hoops next week for another year, potentially longer.

Secondly, it allowed the Celtic support to get another glimpse of the rampaging Calvin Miller down the left hand side of the pitch. The Lennoxtown graduate looks a terrific prospect at left back and despite starting out his career as a winger within the youth teams, Rodgers' genius appears to have rubbed off on yet another player, with the positional change looking seemless at this point. There is a long way to go in regards to his development, of course, however at this point he looks as though he could be an able deputy for the outright first choice in that position, Tierney.

The Hoops can now look forward to the long trip to Kazakhstan, safe in the knowledge that their 100% start to the league season is intact, as well as their incredible 52 game unbeaten domestic run.