Liam Scales

Very good today although Sturm Graz gave us the freedom of the pitch. So the issues we have had in possession, especially moving the ball out from the back efficiently didnt really manifest tonight. Scales, CCV and McGregor had little trouble moving the ball forward. Even CCV was pinging some nice cross field balls into our wide men in space.

Will we be able to do this at Tynecastle or Hampton up against teams that know our system and prepare for it is the question for me. Or will we sink back into the triangle of death at the back.

 

POTY

 

Great performance from Scales. Passing was much more positive and took his goal brilliantly.

 

A great evening for the ‘Bray Baresi’

 

So happy for him this season as I’ve been a huge critic in the past but been outstanding this year imo.

Defends properly firstly and wins all his headers. Has actually become a threat on set plays a bit too.

 

Didn't realise at the time, but that's a class finish.
Wish he'd try more long passes in games too, we could have got a couple of goals from them yesterday

 

Another stormer in Europe for Scalesy

 

Easily our best player this season. Better than CCV this season. Strongest back 2 we've had. Ofcourse you've got the strange ones who just cant get there head around scales being this good and end the post saying how good he is with "but we need better"

Id argue we dont. Hes * excellent and I wont hear a word against him anymore.

 

Took him 40mins to finally play that ball quickly up the left and then he started doing it more and that’s where we got a lot of joy. Same with CCV actually playing with pace and a few diagonals.

We heavily rely on these 2 being our pace setters now which isn’t the way it should work but is what it is. Once we got our pace up McGregor came into the game far better kept us ticking.

 

^ This.

Big Scales is a very good player in an unobvious way. He sometimes looks clumsy and cumbersome on the ball, which can detract from how good he is overall. Some of his crosses and long passes are world-class, imo. Even BR said last night that he's probably been the team's most consistent player this season.

 

Love when the Big man keeps proving the doubters wrong.

 

But people are more than valid in their criticism after games like Sunday, they aren’t “doubters”. He’s more than capable of a performance like Sunday, he’s equally as capable of a performance like last night.

Like I said last night he seems to be better under pressure, I think he will thrive with CCV out as he will have to step up. Performances like Sunday won’t be an option.

 

The thing with Scales is, there are folk who will totally ignore the good stuff he does then jump in when he has a stinker and slate him.

I see so many people say he 'canny pass a ball', commenting on his cracking forward passes last night as if it's the first time he's ever done it or just got lucky etc. Reality is he does it regularly, it's just that sometimes he has a poor game and these things don't come off.

That could be said for all our players, yet Scales gets it tight far more than anyone else. It's pathetic if you ask me, so utterly childish folk not able to see past their own agenda. Happens all the time.

I think it's high time everyone accepts that he's absolutely good enough for Celtic, is an important player and allow the boy to have his spells of poor form.

 

100%

People have narratives on players and they dig in when they are proven wrong rather than acknowledge they might have been wrong.

 

There's always a whipping boy for the fans, used to be Taylor bits he's away so it's Scales now

 

Players have never gotten away with performances like Sunday.

We have a history of being harsh critics on our CB’s. Examples like Trusty, Starfelt, Wilson, Boyata, Jullien, Simunovic were/are all good players on their day and they came under heavy scrutiny. Some were less consistent than others, but people did love to call them a donkey as soon as they made a mistake.

It’s not a Scales agenda or an Irish agenda as someone thinks, it’s just the way it is and always will be in this support. Something I’ve never liked.

He frustrates the life out of me, but I’m glad he’s a Celtic player.

 

See you're referring to only part of my point, the part about people jumping in when he has a stinker. But nothing about the fact that people ignore his good performances, or even peddle outright falsehoods like he 'canny pass the ball'.

You're also making an argument from the perspective of people of a fair mind who call things as they see them without bias. That's not everybody though, there are plenty (not talking exclusively about TC btw) who are incapable of giving credit where it's due because they have a dislike for a player.

It was the same with Taylor. Folk ended up hating him so much that they couldn't bring themselves to even acknowledge any positive contributions he made. As I said, childish.

 

I just think that’s the same with a lot of players, it’s not a Scales agenda. It’s always been a problem with this fanbase and the internet.

I agree with you btw. I just think there’s a wider problem. I have no issues with criticism when it’s due, like you say though you have to be ready to praise when it’s due too. Playing Devils Advocate, some people don’t help themselves in here claiming Irish agendas etc. There are two extremes and both are wrong.

 

His pass for the header Nygren missed just after half time was superb.

Think it's in his locker but seems to be a confidence issue with him and his passing and he doubts himself and ends up taking an extra touch or 2 and by time he goes to play it the option has gone.

If we are gonna be a team and play a style were the CBs have around 200 passes per game then the manager needs to spend more time developing their ability and belief on the ball

 

Hands down, without anyone coming close to it, since BR came back and he nailed his place he’s been the most consistent player for us in Europe.

Players have had bigger highs, like Kuhn against Leipzig etc. but over the course since Rodgers returned nobody comes close. He’s had the most reliable level of performances, the most MotM awards in Europe, been available and fit to play pretty much every game. People will want to deny it though, cos it’s Scales. But who else could you hold up against him over that time?