Van Dijk is the best player in Scotland right now
On Saturady afternoon, Celtic defender Virgil Van Dijk told the press that he needs to work on his shooting, and his attacking headers. This would sound arrogant but for the fact that, after a slightly rocky start to his career in Scotland, the defensive side of his game is coming on fine. His ambition of becoming a set piece threat was realised in some style in Dingwall, as he came up with two of his side's four goals. Remember how classy Jean-Alain Boumsong and Carlos Cuellar looked during their brief spells at Rangers? Van Dijk is their Celtic Park equivalent. He won't be playing in this diddy league for too much longer, one suspects.
Dundee United - phwoar!
Jackie McNamara must feel awfully good when he turns to his subs bench and sees that the likes of Morgaro Gomis and David Goodwillie are available as a Plan B if needed. He must feel even better when his first choice side play like they did at Fir Park. His three teenagers - John Souttar, Andrew Robertson and Ryan Gauld - were simply delightful, with Gauld scoring twice and full-back Robertson on target too. The board at Tannadice can stop worrying about any debts - these trio will make them millions in transfer fees.
Extra heading practice for Ross County this week
Last year's solid Ross County rearguard had one glaring weakness - a problem dealing with big strikers. For example, Michael Ngoo, on loan at Hearts from Liverpool last season, was unstoppable on both occasions that he played The Staggies. Unfortunately for Derek Adams, things have now regressed to the point where you don't fancy any of their defenders to win a high ball against anybody. All four of Celtic's goals were headers from crosses into the box; conceding twice to Virgil Van Dijk can be considered a disappointment, but letting Joe Ledley score twice with his noggin is unforgivable. County have conceded 23 goals in just 11 league games this season. Apparently Greek left back Evangelos Oikonomou, who left the club at the end of last season, is a free agent again; I wouldn't be surprised if Adams is on the phone to him, pronto.
Partick Thistle aren't designed to come from behind
The Harry Wraggs have come from behind to pick up points only once this season, against St. Mirren; lightning didn't strike twice when they met the Buddies this time around. Alan Archibald's philosophy has always been about grinding out results and being difficult to break down. But now their well-documented lack of firepower has been complemented by a defensive ineptitude that the Firhill support hadn't seen since Alan Archibald took the helm in the Spring. Is it any coincidence that, in the last four games that Mexican defender Gabriel Piccolo has started, Partick have shipped 14 goals? They have now won just one of nine matches since the end of August, and that came courtesy of a goalkeeping blunder at Inverness. Worrying times.
It only takes a couple of injuries
Squad depth in the Premiership, other than at Celtic Park, is so frail that losing even two or three first-choice players can cause a top-three side to play like a bottom-three side. Motherwell were always going to find it hard enough against Dundee United's talented attack; without three first choice defenders - Steven Hammell, Shaun Hutchinson and Simon Ramsden - they had no chance. Stuart McCall's side is probably entitled to a Mulligan on this occasion.
Barry Robson could cost Aberdeen more than one game
The veteran midfielder's sending off was unquestionably the turning point in the Dons' surprise defeat at home to Hearts. Robson was a bit of a hot head in his younger days, but he should know better by now than to pick up yellow cards as cheap as the two he received from Iain Brines - one for encroachment at a free kick and the other for a cynical yet unnecessary foul on Jason Holt. Robson had come on as a sub for Willo Flood, who will miss six weeks with a hamstring injury; the Aberdeen midfield will now have to do without their two best passers of the ball for a time, and will be a whole lot weaker as a result.
Weren't Inverness supposed to be unsettled?
Caley Thistle's players responded to all the rigmarole surrounding their management team in a way even their own fans didn't predict...by producing one of their most dominant performances of the season to breeze to victory at Easter Road, with their manager Terry Butcher sitting in the stand as a 'private citizen' (as the Scotsman curiously put it) ahead of his imminent switch to Hibs. The away side's particular stars were two youth team products who were given their debuts by Butcher back in 2009 - Graeme Shinnie, who has taken to playing as an emergency right back like a duck to water and followed up his goal last week with an assist and by winning a penalty, and Nick Ross, who converted said penalty and had his best game in a long time. The man who takes charge of this talented, professional, and hard-working squad will be one lucky bugger, I say.
Hibernian will not be easily fixed
Hibs couldn't have been any worse if Jimmy Nicholl's teamtalk had consisted of "Ach, I can't be arsed what happens today. To hell with the lot of you". The malaise is so deep that it's hard to know which players lack confidence, which ones can't be bothered, and which ones just aren't good enough. I suspect Terry Butcher didn't quite realise the task he was taking on until Saturday afternoon; rumour has it that he was still sitting in the same seat at Easter Road on Monday morning, with his head in his hands.
Refereewatch
Let me remind you - Willie Collum refereed a Champions' League quarter final last year. This is a man who cannot tell the difference between stumbling whilst losing your balance, as Kilmarnock's Jackson Irvine did, and simulation, which is what Collum booked him for. Irvine went on to receive a second yellow for a sliding challenge which, on replay, looked like it won the ball. Mind you, by this point St Johnstone were already coasting to victory, with Stevie May at the forefront yet again. May may be the only player who can stop the Young Player of the Year award heading for Tannadice.
Meanwhile, Iain Brines, from a distance of around 5 yards and with a perfect view, somehow awarded a penalty against Hearts for handball, even though the ball in fact struck Jordan McGhee square in the back. He should be sent for anatomy lessons along with Aberdeen boss Derek McInnes, who raged against Brines for not giving Aberdeen another penalty for handball, even though on that occasion Dylan McGowan was struck in the face.
Minute's silence or no minute's silence?
I tend towards the feeling that minute's silences, (and the more modern minute of applause), happen too often at football matches; however, it does tend to be the norm that there is a moment of reflection prior to kickoff on the Saturday before Rememberance Sunday. Whether the fact it only occurred at two matches is worthy of controversy is debatable, but given the protests by Celtic fans during previous seasons (if someone could explain the reasoning behind these protests, that would be smashing) it may be a blessing that Ross County 'forgot' to hold one. Meanwhile, Hibs fans should be commended, as they made up for the lack of a minute's silence before kickoff by holding multiple, extended periods of silence during the match themselves. Good for them.
L.
No comments:
Post a Comment