View From The Wing- Killie 1 Celtic 2

So I wonder what “mitigating circumstances” enforced the inclusion of Jiri Jarosik? Squad rotation? Evander Sno being so low on confidence he has turned to Regi Blinker for advice or Massimo Donati beginning the long road to Damascus that Jiri took last season and now is reaping the rewards?

Jiri on the left wing, while not being your typical winger or even your typical wide player has been used to great effect for the hoops in that role recently. In fact I will maybe go as far to say that maybe, just maybe he could be the reason Lee Naylor resembles a full back again and not a rabbit who has ate a dodgy curry that stumbles out onto the road to spew and just when he finishes looks up to see a lorry heading right towards him.

Another player who has wandered in from the Damascus end is Paul Hartley. Towards the end of last season, the best beard grower in Scotland was looking like the fresh faced Hartley that toiled on the slope of Easter Road. He was not the annoying wee nark that wore a maroon jersey; in fact I will go as far to say I thought he was a waste of money.

Today he was the hub of all things good that developed from the Celtic midfield. He sat in the “regista” role, a role that Mo Donati was meant to fill wie a Pirlo like Italian moodiness, and he created but broke up play when needed. He is also a perfect foil for the blue smartiness energy that injects Scott Browns play wie rashness and unpredictability but also produces a strange urge to welcome his style as an asset to Celtic.

On the wing the ever-improving Aiden, who like Naylor, seems to have benefited recently from tactical switches by oor manager. The fact that Aiden is now on his natural side means that I have seen defenders being tormented by him in the last few games. His ability to drive the team up the park is the weapon of choice used all over Europe. Nearly every team in Europe, well decent team, has a player that can do this.

Again, he has to find his final ball, he should score more goals- his miss at the end today should have stopped the fried nerves- but make no mistake he plays the Celtic way, a way I'll gladly pay to watch.

Today was a game we should have won comfortably. We were in total control and we lost a poor poor goal. Unsure what Arfur was doing- oor manager thinks he was waving at the crowd, well we did do the new favorite Artur Boruc song constantly for 10mins- and this caused us a spell when Killie really should have equalized, only the inability of “lets lead wie ma elbow” Colin Nish saved us.

In this spell we were exposed repeatedly and were a bit ragged. It was a pleasure then to watch Hartley, Jiri, Aiden and Brown take responsibility to slow the game down and put their foot on the ball.

It’s fine doing it against a team that hasn’t beaten you in the last 10 visits to their home patch. It’s fine doing it against players you feel you have the measure off. As in the last few games we really need the team to do it when the pressure is on and things are maybe not going for us. We need to do it constantly starting wie Tuesday night.

All in a good day. The abuse the smartarse Killie fan, ball went out for a shy and he refused to give it to Lee Naylor and when big Mick charged over he threw it over Mick back onto the pitch, got after his moment of fame was worth the £24 quid alone. I mean if your going to do that then make sure you don’t resemble a Tellytubbie in a Killie away shirt.

So for him a wee chorus of “fatty fatty what’s the score”

Also, even though poor in numbers, the backing the away support gave the team was excellent. Maybe we are beginning to realize that we can sing without fear of being reported though the heavy handed stewarding and some “fans” asking you to sit down are still a problem.

The goals are here on 101 Great Goals and listen for the support singing “Can you hear the fatty sing” just as the build up to the second goal is happening. I really hope the guy didnae have a complex……

Forza