2010-09-25: Celtic 2-1 Hibernian, SPL

Trivia

• Fourteen league wins in a row for Neil Lennon.
• Celtic on top by 3pts but Rangers play next day (v Aberdeen)
• Much maligned duo of Loovens & Brown score.

Review

Who'd have put their money on Loovens & Brown to score? Both have been overly maligned by too many, and since the departure of McGeady they have become the new scapegoats for too many. A great start with a terrific goal by Brown saw Hibs come back into the game but a second from Loovens from a corner should have ended it all However, a wonderful goal by ex-Celt Riordan (a lob over Forester) put the Hibs back in and there were some scarey moments.

We held out and it's a long tough season ahead.

(Arsene Parselie of the KDS forum)
It was scorchio in the North Stand, bloody roasting, but it was a scruffy game which reinforced the feeling that the midfield is the key to how we perform on any given day, and that even a minor personnel or positional change can alter the whole flow of a match. We have so many options in midfield, that the balance needs to be tailored to suit the opposition.

Forster – had nothing of note to deal with, no corners or crosses. Couple of free kicks that went high and wide. Not a hope with the goal

Cha – decent engine and pace, needs to find someone to play with on the right. I hope Juarez and he manage to partner up there.

Loovens – No, I repeat, no bombscare moments, result.

Maijstorovic – dealt with most things as expected, gives the defence a bit of stability. Needs a really decent partner in the long term though.

Mulgrew – A decent enough half – if both our first choice left backs are injured, get ready for more games like this one where Ledley is wasted (or Wilson at LB)

Ledley – Held the midfield together in the 1st half, when he was there Hibs did nothing in the game. Moving him to LB basically was detrimental to our game. A player who does the simple thing very well, and proof that you don't need to be "noticed" to be a key man. His presence allows others to play their role. He did OK at LB, but Hibs targetted him, and with Maloney not at his best to help out, that position caused a wee bit of concern when Hibs had their flurry after they scored.

Juarez – worst game to date, a bit sloppy and wasteful, should have scored with the header.

Maloney – Also, his worst game this season – wasted on the wing, he tried but the mix wasn't right in midfield for him to link with.

Brown – In the main, the reason we don't play fluid football like the ICT game in midweek. He does the nitty gritty part very well, but can't contribute to quick moves because he hasn't the mental ability to do it. fine for passes when he has time to look and execute, not so fine under pressure and that is why we got the Donati-esque contirbution to the Hibs goal. IF he sticks to the game plan, he can be great against teams where we need to man mark or "fight" back, but he is a weak link when we are on the friont foot and don't need a spoiler in the team.
It was fine in the first half because Ledley allowed him to get forward and wander, but when Ledley got shifted to LB, he started chasing everything, and really didn't contribute much positively in the 2nd half. Took his goal excellently, and the fact that he controlled the through ball and shot was a surprise, as most times his first touch would have been too far in front of him to get the ball under control. He's never as bad as Donati was, but he (like most of the others) shouldn't be guaranteed a starting position, he should be selected for the games he can bring his, er, qualities too, e.g. the Huns.

Ki – I thought he was fine, has added a wee bit more workrate and application to his game. He played some nice passes into the channels for the strikers and sprayed the ball about pretty well. He should feel unlucky not to start more.

Stokes – Didn't shine and no clear cut chances so had to try the long range shots. I don't know if he dived to get booked, but it looked bad from my angle. His "passback" would have been funny if it was another team. I suppose I should applaud the fact that he was willing to track back, but he's a striker not last man in the defence. Trying too hard maybe to link with Hooper, and his attempt at the end was too strong for a pass, and too off line for a shot. Needs to settle a bit.

Hooper – not match fit, but showed enough about him that if he gets the right partner he'll cause problems but no clear cut chances either – here's hoping he gets up to speed soon.

Samaras – a classic display from him – won't make the easy pass, always tries to stroke the ball in, so never shoots early thus opportunities are wasted. Goes on mazy runs but every turn takes the ball a wee bit further away from him until the defenders just take it off him. Frustrating.

Refereeing team – didn't get anything wrong that affected the scoreline, but some strange things there. A couple of dodgy offsides and the one where Samaras "handballed" in the Hibs half and they took a quick free kick from the edge of the circle in our half was just mad.

Overall, I'm happy with the 3 points, and unlike some other panic merchants round my seat, I wasn't worried about conceding a 2nd as Hibs weren't creating concrete chances.
The 1st half was adeuate, but the 2nd was disappointing. We were sloppy but that was down to the fact that the midfield was rearranged and became largely ineffective as far as creating clear chances was concerned.

We can't play brilliantly every week, and compared to the last three or four seasons, it feels good going to games now. It's a pity the stadium isn't full, but if we beat the Huns in a month, then it should be getting back to capacity as the glory hunters return!

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Celtic leapfrogged Rangers at the top of the Scottish Premier League with a workmanlike win over Hibernian.
Former Hibs midfielder Scott Brown broke the deadlock after five minutes with a superb volley from 18 yards.
A lacklustre encounter came to life with two goals within 10 minutes after the break, with a Glenn Loovens header sneaking in to stretch Celtic's lead.
Riordan's fantastic chip minutes later gave Hibs renewed impetus, although an Efrain Juarez header struck their bar.

Story from BBC SPORT:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/sport1/hi/football/scot_prem/9028890.stm

Published: 2010/09/25 16:08:42 GMT

© BBC MMX

• Ewan Murray at Parkhead
• guardian.co.uk, Saturday 25 September 2010 17.48 BST