Celtic
Chris Sutton Thinks Sunday’s Home Support at Ibrox May Turn Hostile
Celtic travel to Ibrox this Sunday in what is arguably the biggest game of their season to date.
The Hoops know they cannot afford to lose the game but having beaten Rangers twice in two attempts this season, fans rightly have a sense of encouragement going into the game.
Their prior track record in derbies under Brendan Rodgers combined with a growing number of injury returns and squad availabilities means there is more confidence within the ranks than a few weeks ago.
Assistant manager John Kennedy admitted that the increasing numbers to choose from is providing the team with added belief and momentum at a critical point in the season.
A win on Sunday would only increase the confidence within the camp, and former Celtic hero and now pundit Chris Sutton thinks that if the league leaders start the game well, Ibrox, and the home fans, will turn hostile.
Such a mood would only be of benefit to the Celts. “It’s easy playing at Celtic and Rangers when things are going well”, he said (live on Sky Sports via Glasgow Times).
“Rangers only need a dodgy start at Ibrox on Sunday – a poor 30 minutes where Celtic can take the lead – and then they’ll all be hammering the players! Just wait and see.”
Three conceivable outcomes for Brendan Rodgers when the Celtics manager attends today’s SFA hearing
Today is the day of reckoning for Brendan Rodgers as the Celtic manager faces an SFA tribunal for his match official comments after the Hearts defeat last month.
Don Robertson awarded a dubious penalty and sent off Hyunjun Yang in the 2-0 Tynecastle defeat after intervention from John Beaton who was on VAR that afternoon.
The Celtic manager was livid with the match officials but saved his most telling comments for Beaton who instigated the moves by Robertson to make both decisions in the game.
Rodgers said at the time, “That there is absolutely shocking decision-making. I feel really disappointed, one for the players and two for our supporters.
“I thought the officials were very, very poor. You’ll have to ask John Beaton in VAR what he’s seeing.”
Rodgers went on further in a separate post-match interview and branded the match officials ‘incompetent‘ and it is those comments that have landed the Celtic boss in hot water.
So what could the Celtic manager face today as he heads to Hampden and how could the SFA suits deal with this situation?
Brendan Rodgers’ potential SFA sanctions
According to the SFA charge, Rodgers broke disciplinary rule no 72 where the Celtic manager’ is accused of’s comments ‘indicate bias or incompetence’ by the match officials. [SFA]
If found guilty, the SFA could make an example of Rodgers and he could face a minimum two-game dugout ban which means he could potentially miss this Sunday’s match against Livingston and then the following Glasgow Derby game against Rangers at Ibrox.
But that’s only if the SFA set the ban on two games. Any harsher punishment could see Rodgers miss the St Mirren game on the 13th of April.
Another route the SFA could go down is to still find Rodgers guilty but offer a two-game suspended sentence or one game served and one game suspended punishment.
According to the SFA handbook, punishments are handed out based on the offender’s previous disciplinary record, good character, remorse for actions and conduct since the offence and during the hearing.
Since Rodgers has no previous record the national association could go down this route but seeing as the Celtic manager hasn’t shown any hint of regret over his comments, that may make it difficult for the SFA to show leniency.
Another possible outcome is that Rodgers faces no punishment at all. We told yesterday how Celtic hired a lawyer, Nick De Marco, who is an expert on these disciplinary hearings.
De Marco successfully defended Scott Brown from an SFA charge in 2019 where the Celtic captain was accused of over-celebrating a Glasgow Derby win at Ibrox.
He has been involved in Leicester City’s continuous Financial Fair Play situation, Nottingham Forest’s appeal against their points deduction, and Newcastle United’s takeover.
Whatever argument or case De Marco puts forward could get Rodgers off but I would suspect that would be highly unlikely considering the comments made by the Celtic manager are in black and white.
Whatever the outcome, all eyes are on the SFA today and it will be interesting to see what their verdict will be.
‘Possibly’: Tam McManus makes bizarre claim about Celtic’s Callum McGregor after latest Scotland result
As it’s international week, it’s always good to keep a close eye on the Celtic players who are away representing their countries over this two week period.
Celtic have ten players on international duty with the likes of Adam Idah at the Republic of Ireland and Matt O’Riley away with Denmark.
Unfortunately, Callum McGregor couldn’t make Steve Clarke’s Scotland squad due to his recent injury and after the 4-0 defeat to the Netherlands last week, the Scotland boss certainly needs him back in the squad.
Not because his team played poorly but merely because having McGregor in the team may have given Clarke a better chance of pulling off a result with the Celtic captain’s experience and quality in the heart of the Scotland midfield.
If we are all honest, the national side did play well without McGregor in the team and it prompted Tam McManus to make this weird claim after the 4-0 Rotterdam result.
McManus: McGregor could struggle to get back into Scotland team
Yeah, you read that correctly. Tam McManus believes the Celtic captain will need to work hard to get his place back in the Scotland midfield.
McManus said [PLZ Soccer], “I thought Scotland for 60-70 minutes was superb. He made a lot of changes. I thought our midfield was superb against a good Netherlands team.
“And I thought that three in there with McTominay, John McGinn and particularly Billy Gilmour, who I thought was superb.
“It’s going to be a job for Callum McGregor possibly to get back into that midfield because I thought the three of them really dominated a good Netherlands team.”
With 53 caps to his name, McGregor has been an ever-present for Scotland and, in particular, Steve Clarke ever since the former Kilmarnock manager got the job in May 2019.
McGregor has missed just five games for Scotland under Clarke, two through injury and rested for the 4-1 France defeat as the Celtic midfielder helped the national side to two back-to-back Euros.
In the 47 times McGregor has been capped by Clarke he has only not finished a full 90 minutes on 17 occasions. In eight of those 17 appearances the Hoops legend was on the park for 75+ minutes. And not only has he just turned up, McGregor has been superb for Clarke in all of his appearances. [Transfermarkt]
Does McManus seriously think that the Celtic captain is about to be dropped after just one good performance without McGregor in the side?
What’s that good old Scottish phrase again? Give your ‘heid a wobble son’.
Celtic captain Callum McGregor misses out on prestigious international award
Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers will be keen to use the international break to make sure his squad are match-ready for the season run-in.
With eight games to go, the Bhoys sit one point ahead of Rangers in the Scottish Premiership title race heading into their trip to Livingston on Sunday.
Of course, Rodgers also has the chance to see his side’s name inscribed on the Scottish Cup trophy for the second year running if they can negotiate a tricky tie against Aberdeen at Hampden in the last four, followed by a victory over Rangers or Heart of Midlothian in the final.
Nevertheless, the Irishman won’t be getting too ahead of himself, with his primary focus likely to be on ensuring his key men return for our final charge towards the finish line.
Later this week, when we travel to West Lothian, club captain Callum McGregor, Japanese midfielder Reo Hatate, and Republic of Ireland defender Liam Scales could all return for the contest against David Martindale’s outfit.
The former has been left out of Steve Clarke’s Scotland squad due to his current injury status; however, as long as he is fit, McGregor is a shoo-in to be on the plane to Germany for EURO 2024.
Despite his absence, Greg Taylor and Anthony Ralston have linked up with the Tartan Army over the break, and the latter came on as a late substitute in a 4-0 defeat to the Netherlands last Friday [BBC Sport].
Celtic’s Callum McGregor misses out on international award
Earlier this month, McGregor received recognition for his performances at international level by being nominated for the William Hill Men’s International Player of the Year.
Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay, Aston Villa captain John McGinn, and Norwich City’s Angus Gunn were among the other names on a four-man shortlist for the prize, which Scottish Football Writers Association members have voted on since.
Unfortunately for McGregor, his Scotland teammate McTominay was the eventual winner. In truth, it would’ve been hard to deny the 27-year-old, given his seven-goal tally during EURO 2024 qualifying that helped Scotland to qualify for Germany [SFWA official website].
Nevertheless, our captain also played an important role in the nation’s success and will be expected to be a key man for club and country from now until the end of the season.
Hopefully, McGregor can pack his bags for Germany this summer off the back of lifting two pieces of silverware for his club!
Lawrence Shankland display hailed ‘outstanding’ by Scotland team-mate as Northern Ireland clash branded must-win
John McGinn knows Scotland must get back to winning ways against Northern Ireland on Tuesday after kick-starting their preparation for the Euros with a 4-0 defeat to the Netherlands in Amsterdam.
The loss of late goals to Wout Weghorst and Donyell Malen soured what had been an encouraging display from Scotland despite falling 2-0 behind through efforts from Tijjani Reijnders and Georginio Wijnaldum in either half.
Scotland enjoyed plenty of possession and carved open numerous chances, hitting the bar twice through Ryan Christie and Lawrence Shankland, but McGinn admitted the late collapse took the shine off the performance.
“There was so much to take from the game but the scoreline is an embarrassing one for us,” the Aston Villa captain admitted. “We’re all experienced players. We know what we’re coming up against at places like this so it’s not a surprise. Most of us are all playing European football against these sides.
“When you get good spells in the game, and get good chances, one of them has got to go in. You can say you played well and had chances but we’ve got to be more streetwise and when it goes to 2-0, shut up shop a little bit, be a bit less ambitious, be narrower. That’s the thing that hurts the most.
“We’re going into a tournament where goal difference is so important. I think over the piece we can take the positives in the sense we don’t feel the Netherlands were a million miles ahead of us, but the last half hour is not one we look at with many positives.”
Scotland now welcome Northern Ireland to Hampden on Tuesday and McGinn admits a win is required to restore some positive momentum after a run of six matches without victory, conceding 18 goals in the process.
“We need to win on Tuesday night,” he stressed. “We’re on a bad run of results at the moment. We know the country is very positive. Tonight was, up until a certain point, one of our best away performances I’ve experienced but it means nothing.
“They’ll be thinking, ‘how did we win 4-0?’, but it is up to us to make sure it doesn’t happen again. It’s happened too many times in the past. We’ve got away from that and we can’t let those bad habits slip back in.”
Hearts striker Shankland was handed only his second Scotland start and McGinn backed his team-mate to bounce back from the glaring second half miss while the match was still 1-0, clipping the crossbar when clean through on goal with just goalkeeper Mark Flekken to beat.
“I thought Shanks was outstanding,” McGinn said. “It’s not easy coming in and playing against [Virgil] Van Dyk – one of the best defenders in the world. But he was so strong, holding it up, laying it off, linking the play really well. He was a good outball for us and I think he’ll be happy. The goals will always come when you’re a player like Shanks. And we’re proud of how he played. The chances come and go and the next one will be in the back of the net.”
Celtic’s Daizen Maeda shines on international duty as Japan defeat North Korea
Celtic are able to enjoy some time off club duty as the international break takes precedence for the next couple of weeks.
Following our victory over St Johnstone last weekend, the Bhoys now sit top of the pile and will feel a renewed belief in their pursuit of the Scottish Premiership title.
Brendan Rodgers has also landed a major injury boost after Reo Hatate came through 45 minutes of a bounce match against St Mirren at Lennoxtown yesterday.
If his recovery work goes to plan, it is expected that the Japan international will have some form of involvement in our away trip to Livingston next Sunday.
Of course, his long-term injury problems prevented him from featuring in the Japan squad in their latest batch of World Cup qualifying matches.
However, his compatriot Daizen Maeda made the trip for the Samurai Blue’s double-header against North Korea, reaping the rewards of his positive Celtic form.
Without further ado, 67 Hail Hail takes a look at how Maeda got on earlier today at the Japan National Stadium.
Celtic winger Daizen Maeda stars for Japan in win vs North Korea
Earlier today, Japan made it three from three in the World Cup 2026 Asian qualifiers, narrowly edging past North Korea courtesy of an early goal from Fortuna Düsseldorf midfielder Ao Tanaka [ESPN].
Maeda played the entire 90 minutes for his national side, earning a Fotmob match rating of 7.6/10 for his industrious performance.
The 26-year-old created one goalscoring opportunity, had a solitary shot on goal and enjoyed four touches in the opposition box; however, his defensive work stood out more, which won’t surprise any Celtic supporter.
According to the statistical outlet, Maeda won ten out of his 14 contested ground duels (71%), coupled with six successful challenges and three ball recoveries, and managed all of this without giving away a single foul.
Few players exceed Maeda’s desire to work tirelessly for his national side, making him a dependable presence for club and country whenever called upon.
Japan now top their World Cup Second Round Group B table with nine points from three matches played [TNT Sports].
Hajime Moriyasu’s men travel to Pyongyang next Tuesday for their reverse fixture against North Korea. Kick-off will commence at 8 a.m. sharp.
‘That’s why’: The real reason Brendan Rodgers didn’t immediately use Gustaf Lagerbielke at Celtic this weekend
Brendan Rodgers’ decision to put Tomoki Iwata in the heart of the Celtic defence on Saturday instead of subbing on Gustaf Lagerbielke caused a real debate amongst the pundits at the weekend.
Cameron Carter-Vickers was taken off when Celtic were 3-0 up against Craig Levein’s side and cruising when Rodgers decided to put on Odin Thiago Holm and move Iwata into the back four.
It was a decision that could prove costly at the end of the season as former Celtic hero, Pat Bonner, suggested that had Lagerbielke been in the back four then St Johnstone would not have scored and therefore negatively impacted the Hoops’ goal difference.
With the title race so tight, goal difference looks like it could come into play and we all know how that has affected title races in the past.
However, Mark Wilson believes he knows why Rodgers decided to leave Laegerbielke on the bench as the former Celtic defender explains the Parkhead gaffer’s reasoning behind his decision.
Wilson said [Superscoreboard], “I think he wanted Holm to go on the pitch and he probably thought that I’m three up now, easy street, Celtic would have loads of the ball and Iwata starting moves from the back.
“That’s what you want.
“He’s clearly miles off it. He probably didn’t deserve it, on merit, to go on. Because that’s what it’s got to be. You’ve got merit playing for the club and that’s the starting eleven.
“But even if you’re not in the starting eleven, then you’ve got to be showing in training that you merit coming off the bench.
“So when you see these guys sitting on the bench and not coming on, they’re sitting on the bench for a reason.
“Now it’s different when you have made a change and you’ve only got one centre half in there against a physical St Johnstone team, you then managed the situation yourself and that’s why Lagerbielke comes in through necessity just to see out the game.”
Needless goals Celtic have conceded in the title race
The Celtic fans will be hoping that the goal conceded to St Johnstone will not come into play in the title race.
But in truth, there have been many occasions where Celtic have conceded where they really shouldn’t have this season. And it’s also cost them points.
Celtic conceded two late goals against Motherwell this season. In the game at Fir Park in September, it thankfully didn’t cost us points as Matt O’Riley’s last-minute strike won the game.
But the goal at Celtic Park in the 1-1 draw proved damaging for Celtic as Joe Hart flapped at a cross which allowed Jonathan Obika to nick one in the 90th minute.
Here are other goals that were preventable that may prove costly for Celtic:
- August 5th: Celtic 4 v 2 Ross County – Cruising at 3-0 and County score in the 60th and 90th minute.
- October 7th: Celtic 3 v 1 Kilmarnock – 2-0 up and Killie score in the 70th minute
- October 22nd: Hearts 1 v 4 Celtic – 3-0 up and Lawrence Shankland scores in 64th minute
- December 6th: Celtic 4 v 1 Hibs – 4-0 up and Christian Doig strikes on the 70th minute
- December 30th: Celtic 2 v 1 Rangers – 2-0 up and allow James Tavernier to score an 88th minute 30-yard free kick
- February 28th: Celtic 7 v Dundee 1 – 7-0 up and Michael Mellon scores on the 84th minute [Transfermarkt]
All goals were conceded late and all goals were completely preventable. Had we not conceded these when we would have been six goals to the good with a one-point lead at the top.
The Celtic fans will be keeping their fingers crossed that the league title won’t come down to goal difference again and be left looking back at these fixtures wondering, ‘What if.’
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