Extended highlights of St Mirren v Celtic
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00:30Well, this could be Rangers' last home game at the National Stadium.
00:44Lovely finish from Cyril Dessers. There's two for Rangers.
00:48Rami Matondo, Cyril Dessers with a tap-in.
00:51Lovely ball for Lawrence, must be four and it is.
00:54What a day it's been for Rami Matondo.
00:58He's back on the score sheet, Dundee low.
01:00He finishes at half-dead, Rangers six, Ross counting hill.
01:03Dundee's scintillating start means they'll fancy a first win at Easter Road for 23 years.
01:09Scott Tiffany, side-foots in. Martin Boyle with a minimum of fuss into the top corner.
01:15And Kieran Bowie, what's the noise turned up at Easter Road?
01:19Simon Murray against his old clubs.
01:21Finished at Easter Road, Hiberne two, Dundee two.
01:25It's been nearly a decade since Dundee United beat St. John's at home.
01:29Ray makes the save, Stephenson's there. Knighted are ahead against the run of play.
01:34It's fluffed up by Josh Ray and it's in.
01:36And that is surely game, set and match.
01:41Good evening. Week three of the William Hill Premiership has delivered so far.
01:45Could Sunday be even better?
01:47Three more games on the way in the company of the former Aberdeen manager, Barry Robson, alongside Neil McCann.
01:53Celtic already looking rampant this season.
01:56They'd only lost once in their last 19 visits to St Mirren with that dominance continue.
02:01Commentary comes from Alistair Lammert.
02:07We've got very, very close to some big results. We've had big results against Celtic in the past.
02:10We play with two centre-forwards that have got real pace and energy that we hope can hurt them.
02:14But you have to stay in the game. They'll start really, really bright.
02:17And we have to match that energy in the first 15, 20 minutes.
02:20Because games are won and lost then when Celtic come out of the blocks.
02:24I'm really happy with the players that we have.
02:26We want to keep the momentum going. We want to keep the level going.
02:28Players will always come and go at Celtic.
02:30But the team and the structure of the team and the way we play will always stay the same.
02:34So hopefully over the course of this next week we can get some players in that can give us strength and depth in the squad.
02:42Because after September we have a really long season.
02:44Dundee United 0 Celtic 0
03:15All come in.
03:21Life without Matt O'Reilly begins for Celtic.
03:23He drops out of the team as does Nicholas Kuhn.
03:26In come Paulo Bernardo and it's a first start since his return for Ademida.
03:37Two managers on good terms.
03:40On a blustery afternoon.
03:42Hen Paisley.
03:45Submarine get us underway.
03:50And they must guard against what happened the last time Celtic visited on league action when they were two down after just six minutes.
04:01That's easier said than done against the champions.
04:08Johnson slides it forward.
04:10Ida.
04:11Losing out to Iacoviti.
04:15And an early free kick goes Submarine's way.
04:29Celtic stringing the passes about at the back.
04:35Bernardo.
04:37McGregor moves it on quickly to Johnston.
04:40Celtic with some slick passing early on.
04:43Forrest.
04:44McGregor.
04:45Lashes it past Eline Balkom.
04:47What a start for Celtic.
04:50And Carla McGregor.
04:52Certainly seems to have found his shooting boots at the start of this season.
05:00It's a really good strike from the skipper.
05:04In front of what is now his former Scotland manager.
05:08And this is what Scotland will be missing in the upcoming Nations League campaign.
05:14Wonderful finish.
05:18As McGregor gets his second of the season.
05:23And Balkom got down and got a hand to it.
05:27But the ferocity of the shot meant he couldn't keep it out.
05:32And it is the ideal start for Celtic.
05:38And it is the ideal start for Celtic.
05:46Celtic's passing has been a joy to behold in these early stages.
05:51The conditions not great but they've made the most of them.
05:55As Ida makes a run in the channel and gets it back to Forrest.
05:59And now it's Hattati.
06:00Good stop from Balkom.
06:02And then Ida and Balkom again up to the test.
06:07To keep Celtic's lead at just one.
06:09But here they come again.
06:12Forrest looking lively.
06:16Johnston now.
06:18He sends it in.
06:21It'll come to Taylor.
06:24And Forrest and Johnston getting each other's way in the end.
06:28But Ellery Balkom called into action here to deny Hattati.
06:34Ida who got the rebound.
06:37Might well have been deemed offside had that ended up in the back of the net.
06:41But Celtic looking menacing.
06:44On the hunt for further goals.
06:59Not Celtic's best play has come down this right hand side as Johnston sees his pass cut out.
07:05Sitmirin have had very little impact in the final third.
07:10And here's Ida.
07:12With a chance to make it two.
07:14Balkom denies him again.
07:19And it will be a Sitmirin throw ultimately.
07:22But Adem Ida with another sight of goal.
07:25Hattati's ball is absolutely brilliant.
07:29He's never quite set there Adem Ida.
07:34As he tried to beat Balkom.
07:41Bernardo for Maida.
07:43Hits the deck.
07:46Looked to be just a tangle of legs with Alex Gogic.
07:51It's been looked at though.
07:56Not sure there's anything in that.
07:58And indeed Chris Graham gets the word from Stephen McLean in the VAR room that no further action is required.
08:12Here's Hattati.
08:14Out to Maida.
08:18Up against Rooney goes back the way to Taylor.
08:21Johnston in plenty of space here.
08:27He measures the cross as Maida makes the run.
08:30Nods it down. Hattati!
08:32Wonderful strike from Hattati.
08:36He caught that beautifully.
08:40And Celtic have a second.
08:43And it's no more than their play deserves.
08:49Johnston spotting the run of Maida which is timed to perfection.
08:54And right into the path of Hattati who couldn't have caught it any sweeter.
09:00In off Balkom's upright.
09:03And Celtic have a deserved two goal advantage.
09:09It's the second of the season also for Real Hattati.
09:15And you get the feeling he enjoyed it.
09:16Brendan Rodgers must be delighted by the way his side have acquitted themselves in dreadful conditions.
09:28They haven't had a look in.
09:30And they're on the back foot once again as Taylor comes forward.
09:35And Balkom got a glove to that and might well have needed to.
09:41I think it's meant as a cross from Taylor.
09:43But it might well have ended up in the top corner.
09:46But for Balkom's fingertips.
09:49That looks like an important touch.
09:56McGregor.
09:58Slides up forward for Hattati.
10:00Forres outside of him.
10:02Still it's Hattati.
10:04Now it's Forres with the opportunity.
10:06But that's not the first really important challenge Richard Taylor's made this afternoon.
10:10And but for him and Hilary Balkom, Celtic's lead could be a lot greater.
10:17Really important block that one.
10:20Bernardo's corner.
10:23Scheel's got his head to it.
10:25Comes out to Hattati.
10:27That's blocked again by Taylor.
10:31And Simeone will try to counter.
10:33Olasanya.
10:35Makes the break of the ball there.
10:36Olasanya just couldn't take it in his stride in the end.
10:40Still he has it though.
10:45Andron held up.
10:48Jayden Brown will try his luck.
10:51Well that's the first time Kasper Schmeichel's been called into action.
10:59It's always going to have to be something a bit special.
11:03It's always going to have to be something a bit special to beat Kasper Schmeichel from that distance.
11:11But a bit better from Steven Robinson's side.
11:15Lovely feet from Hattati.
11:17Out to Taylor.
11:19Gets his head up.
11:21Here's Maida now.
11:24Hattati.
11:26For Johnston.
11:27Lovely intricate stuff from Celtic.
11:29Johnston.
11:31Cross goal.
11:33Balcombe deals with it.
11:35Celtic pick up once more.
11:37McGregor gets the better of Olasanya.
11:39And he hits the deck.
11:41Was there a...
11:43Coming together there was a...
11:45A block there from Jayden Brown.
11:47Referee...
11:49Allows play to continue as Forrest has it.
11:52And now Johnston.
11:54Bernardo.
11:55Celtic looking for that little gap to allow them to get the shot away.
11:59It's Taylor.
12:01Back onto the left foot.
12:03And then ultimately it's hammered over the crossbar by Alistair Johnston.
12:07Celtic piling on the pressure.
12:11And that was the...
12:13Incident that caused Callum McGregor to go down.
12:17No penalty.
12:18I'm sure they'll be looking for further goals, Brendan Rodgers, to...
12:24Really give a measure of Celtic's dominance in this game.
12:28Here's Keogh.
12:30That's a good save from Balcombe.
12:32Keogh looking sharp.
12:34Having come on.
12:37Hasn't scored away from home in a league in his last 15 league games.
12:41Would you believe?
12:43And Balcombe denying him there.
12:51Atati looking for options.
12:59Johnston.
13:02Now it's Kuhn.
13:05Terrific start to the season.
13:07He plays it back to Alistair Johnston.
13:09And the finishing touch.
13:13Well, if it wasn't already, that is game over.
13:17A beaming smile from the Canadian full-back.
13:22Mirrored by the fans behind the goal.
13:25And Alistair Johnston has just a third goal in Celtic colours.
13:29And it's his second that's come against St Mirren.
13:34Just continues his run.
13:36Picks up with the ball.
13:37Just continues his run.
13:39Picks up with the return pass from Kuhn.
13:42And then slams it past Ellery Balcombe.
13:46A really good finish.
13:53And Celtic very much cruising to victory now.
14:04Here's Holm.
14:08Kuhn.
14:12Pushed away from goal, but gets it back to Ralston.
14:15And tries to wrap the foot around it.
14:17But he's just leaning back as he struck that one.
14:20And as a result, it flies over the crossbar.
14:30It's all over.
14:32A very comfortable victory for Celtic, who are highly impressive again.
14:37Full successive defeat.
14:40It's St Mirren 0, Celtic 3.
14:45Yeah, I think in terms of performance and result,
14:48in really difficult conditions, it was always going to be a challenge.
14:52But I thought the players were very, very good right from the off.
14:55I think we played St Mirren's system really, really well.
14:58Obviously the 5-3-2.
15:00So when you play against that idea, then it's a switching game.
15:04So you've got to switch the play.
15:05Obviously goals came from that.
15:07So yeah, very pleasing.
15:10I think firstly credit to Celtic.
15:12It was a horrible day in Paisley.
15:14They've done the simple things much better than us.
15:16They started, of course, with a goal.
15:18A very good goal.
15:20Ellery was terrific today, but he couldn't keep it out.
15:22Gives us an uphill battle straight away.
15:24But you can hear the Celtic players shouting.
15:26This is what people forget about really good sides.
15:28They pick up the second balls.
15:30They do the hard stuff.
15:32They defend when they need to.
15:33And then they play really good football.
15:35So that's a lesson for all of us.
15:37We didn't do that today.
15:39We didn't do the free stuff, which is to give us a foothold in the game
15:42or even to stay in the game.
15:44So we got what we deserved.
15:46Were we the best version of ourselves?
15:48No. And if you're not, you don't beat Celtic.
15:50Matt, brilliant player.
15:52Wonderful player for this club.
15:54I really had a great pleasure
15:56and privilege to work with him over this last season or so
15:58and seeing that development.
16:00He's moved on. Fantastic for him.
16:01There's opportunity now for other players to come in
16:03and play for this great club.
16:05Supercharged Celtic.
16:07St Maren's second best by some distance.
16:10Former Celtic midfielder Barry Robson with us tonight.
16:13Barry, 76% possession for Celtic.
16:16Apart from having very good players,
16:18how were they able to be so dominant?
16:21And was there anything else St Maren could have done, do you feel?
16:24Well, it's never easy.
16:26Obviously, we are talking about the 5-3-2 system Celtic had.
16:29You watch it here.
16:31The Celtic players try to get out.
16:33There's their front two and their midfield three.
16:35The three's got a lot of work to do in there
16:37to get to Celtic's full-backs.
16:39It's never easy in that system to get there.
16:42I understand where Stephen's coming from
16:44because it's what system is right to play against them.
16:47But if you watch here again,
16:49they're coming building out.
16:51Look where the full-back is and look where MacGregor is again.
16:53So in that system, it's hard to get contact on MacGregor
16:56and you'll see in a later clip.
16:58But here, the midfielder's asked to come all the way out
16:59and just go back again, which is never easy.
17:01But it keeps you structurally good
17:03in your 5 and your 3 in front.
17:06And Stephen's trying to just delay them there.
17:08But what happens now is your two number 10s open up
17:10and that makes it really difficult to get a hold of them.
17:13They try to drag you out of position.
17:15They try to move you about and that's what they do.
17:17And then once they have done,
17:19then they put you into that space
17:21and drag the centre back out there as well.
17:23So it's really difficult.
17:25Whatever system you go against them,
17:26if you go a 3-4-1-2 to stop MacGregor,
17:28whatever it is, it's really difficult.
17:30And Stephen obviously opted for this today.
17:32And the goal comes from it and it's just great play.
17:34The number six, MacGregor,
17:36front two can't get close to him.
17:38Full-backs are causing problems in that area.
17:41Wide players keeping him high and wide.
17:43Midfield player can't get out to the full-back again.
17:45And that's the difficulty.
17:47And then once they do this,
17:49then they've got the under-lapping full-backs
17:51where Johnston goes in and scores a goal.
17:53And it's difficult for some midfielders
17:54and there's loads of different systems
17:56you can try and play against it.
17:58St Mirren do really well normally.
18:00They're a really organised, good side.
18:02But you just see the quality there
18:04and it's really difficult to stop.
18:06Yeah, it's scintillating football, isn't it?
18:08Callum MacGregor should retire from international football
18:10more often, Neil.
18:12You think he's been absolutely fantastic
18:14at the start of this season for Celtic.
18:16In terms of the midfield,
18:18I suppose the narrator very much Matt O'Reilly
18:20on the verge of a big money move
18:22to Brighton and Hove Albion.
18:24He's retired from MK Dons, of course.
18:26But a wealth of talent in that Celtic midfield.
18:29Even without O'Reilly.
18:31We wish Matt well because I've really enjoyed
18:33watching him here.
18:35He's been a super player to have in Scotland.
18:37But life after him has to go on
18:39and it will go on at Celtic.
18:41Whether Brendan gets the full 30 to spend
18:43on replacing him, I'm not so sure.
18:45But I think he'll go for one.
18:47But this midfield dynamism of Bernardo
18:49has been a really good sign
18:51and now permanent, of course,
18:52will still function the same.
18:54They get high, they break the box,
18:56just like O'Reilly did,
18:58and it encourages Carlin McGregor
19:00to follow the game.
19:02He gets up high, but without them
19:04breaking the box, Jonathan,
19:06it doesn't create the space
19:08that Carlin McGregor can then walk into.
19:10And it's a wonderful start to the game.
19:12But even when he's deep here,
19:14look at Hattati.
19:16The relationship of the three,
19:18they're never really that far away
19:20from each other.
19:22Carlin McGregor just picks up
19:24the base of the triangle there.
19:26But Bernardo hitting the box again.
19:29Now, if he doesn't hit the box,
19:31then the Hattati goal doesn't happen
19:34because the midfield, as Barry's
19:36pointing out there, it's a three.
19:38They can stay structurally,
19:40they can pass on, but he's dragging people.
19:42So you watch Mark O'Hara getting dragged
19:44with Bernardo into areas of the box.
19:46Then Alistair Johnson steps into
19:48a midfield area.
19:50It's a great little pick back
19:52but the pressure won't change.
19:54Of course he's going to be a big miss.
19:56Was it 19 goals in all competitions?
19:58But I believe in Carlin McGregor
20:00they've got the currency there
20:02that whoever comes in to replace Mark
20:04will learn from him massively
20:06and he'll be encouraged to get into attacking areas.
20:08The game won't change.
20:10They've got something really good
20:12there at Celtic.
20:14How they deploy it.
20:16There was a lot said about how
20:18Brendan Rodgers played.
20:20It's really quite similar
20:22to what Barry pointed out there.
20:24The holder width, the full backs
20:26come in to make up an extra midfielder.
20:28That shunts the two midfielders on
20:30and makes it really difficult to play against.
20:32It's wonderful to watch but we wish
20:34Matt O'Reilly all the best
20:36when he goes down to the Premiership.
20:38We certainly do.
20:40He's been a fantastic player for Celtic.
20:42In terms of the Old Firm derby,
20:44obviously that now becomes
20:46a very prominent thing, Barry.
20:48Rangers 6-0 winners over Ross County yesterday.
20:50Celtic have been in fantastic form
20:52and they're all pivotal
20:54in terms of how the season goes.
20:56Just how pivotal is this first one
20:58do you feel a week today at Celtic Park?
21:00It's hard to judge what our Rangers
21:02like this season.
21:04I know they got off to a flying start there.
21:06Anything can happen in an Old Firm game.
21:08Anything.
21:10I've been lucky enough to be involved in a few.
21:12For me, I always said in an Old Firm game
21:14who's the calmest?
21:16It's a game of madness.
21:18Who's the most calmest in the game?
21:20Who's the player that's going to put
21:22in the tackles?
21:24And also be able to control that.
21:26How would I say it?
21:28Putting in tackles.
21:30Getting too emotional in the game
21:32and you might get someone sent off.
21:34For me, I can see past Celtic at the minute.
21:36They look like they're really getting
21:38a groove under Brendan Rodgers.
21:40I still think they've probably got
21:42the strongest teams out of the two.
21:44Would you see it the same way, Neil?
21:46It's an interesting one because we've got
21:48the closure of the transfer window on Friday
21:50so a lot can actually change
21:52I think both will make additions to the group.
21:54But Celtic are in a real position of strength.
21:57I think Rangers are absolutely behind them
22:00in a number of levels.
22:02I think Celtic are clicked into top gear
22:04whereas Rangers are still trying to find
22:06probably, for equal amounts,
22:08trying to find these best 11.
22:10He's chopped and changed a lot.
22:12I think there's still question marks
22:14over the new signings, fitness of others.
22:16Going to Celtic Park is going to be difficult.
22:18They absolutely cruised Saturday
22:20against Ross County.
22:22But they were brilliant.
22:24Everything worked perfectly.
22:26Going to Celtic is a different animal.
22:28This is the acid test of not winning
22:30a meaningful game against Celtic.
22:32It's time they did that.
22:34Then they can consider themselves real challengers.
22:36But I do make Celtic strong favourites.
22:38But they've got a chance.
22:40Rangers have definitely got a chance in the game.
22:42They've got an opportunity to do well in the game as well.