Celtic 3-0 Livingston – David Potter’s Parkhead Reflections

The Celtic Star

·2 February 2023

Celtic 3-0 Livingston – David Potter’s Parkhead Reflections

“Job done” sums up last night’s performance. We won 3-0, they won 3-0. No change, except that we are one step nearer. Putting it crudely, 14 League games remain. We need to win 11 of them. I saw nothing last night to make me think we can’t do that.

The first half was brilliant – a fine well taken goal from the excellent Greg Taylor, a flukey but deserved goal off Daizen Maeda’s face, then a clinical third goal from Kyogu just on the stroke of half time. Major question about that one, though, and it is “How could anyone from VAR in his wildest nightmares or his most fertile moments of delirium, ever possibly imagine that that goal could be a foul or offside?” And yet we had to delay the half time interval while the goal was checked on both these counts! Were they having us on? Or was it just to annoy us?

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Celtic v Livingston -Kyogo Furuhashi scores the third goal during the cinch Premiership match at Celtic Park, Wednesday February 1, 2023. Photo Andrew Milligan

The second half contained some fine football, but no further goals, and even became a bit tedious towards the end in weather which was not of the best. Possibly some of the subs might have been brought on a little earlier. I certainly felt that I could have done with seeing more of Oh, but no doubt that treat has only been postponed. My Man of The Match would have been Daizen with Greg Taylor a close second. what have we learned?

a. Celtic are a class act, and can produce some fine football. Those so called supporters who enjoy taking to cyberspace to say that one particular player is a “disgrace” or “not fit to wear the jersey” must be feeling rather depressed!

b. There are no major problems in Celtic’s set up, although occasionally my heart misses a beat when the other Hart either refuses to pick the ball up, or miskicks.

READ THIS…Three Points, Ticket Exchange Scheme, G4S, Taylor’s Rocket, Daizen’s finish, Kyogoal

Celtic goalkeeper Joe Hart centre with Livingston goalkeeper Shamal George left and Ayo Obileye after the final whistle in the cinch Premiership match at Celtic Park, Wednesday February 1, 2023. Photo Andrew Milligan

c. By all accounts, Hearts were feeble last night, so it looks if the gulf between the top two and everyone else is as large as the Atlantic Ocean. Unless they are drawn together in either the quarter final or the semi final, it is hard to imagine the Scottish Cup final NOT containing the same two teams as the League Cup does. Aberdeen have collapsed, Hibs have collapsed, Hearts seem on the point of blowing up as well… Is this really good for Scottish football?

d. VAR remains a major menace.

e. Celtic must keep winning, because I fear that (the)Rangers will also keep winning.

READ THIS…“We started the game really well and controlled it and we got our goals,” Ange Postecoglou

Celtic v Livingston – Callum McGregor is presented with a framed shirt by manager Ange Postecoglou after making 400 appearances for Celtic before the cinch Premiership match at Celtic Park, Wednesday February 1, 2023. Photo Andrew Milligan

And finally, a nightmare scenario involving VAR. Imagine we are losing 0-1 in the League Cup final. In the 88th minute, we score a great goal. The referee and linesman give the goal. The players celebrate. The fans celebrate our reprieve. We are about to line up to re-start. The suddenly, we see that VAR is checking something. After a prolonged wait with the atmosphere becoming more and more toxic, the referee runs to his TV monitor, comes back, makes the sign of the TV screen, and we don’t get the goal…

David Potter