Celtic 5-1 Hamilton - Match Ratings.

It was always going to be too easy and the scoreline speaks for itself.

I predicted 5-0, but does a deflected strike off two players really count as a goal ? In the world of TJDS it doesn’t, but in the real world the rules are unfortunately more black and white, and we’ll have to just put it down as a 5-1 win and me being.......wrong about something. Sad!

The highlights are here:

Anyway, here’s the player ratings from yesterday.

Scott Bain : 6

Whoever was in goal yesterday, it was never going to be a fair indictment of their talent or ability in between the sticks. Scott Bain got the nod, and he couldn’t do much about that goal but you can’t help but feel he’ll be ditched in favour of Barkas as soon as he makes one notable error.

Jeremie Frimpong: 8

Will this guy ever have a bad run of form ? Quick, direct and a constant threat all afternoon, Frimpong capped a brilliant performance with a goal, and will be a menace to opposition for the rest of the season.

Chris Jullien : 6

A strange performance by the Frenchman. A constant threat to Hamilton in their box, but a constant threat to us whenever the ball was in ours. I’ll put it down to not being fully matchfit, but nevertheless, I’d like to see us bring someone else in at the back, because when it comes to a physical battle, the big man is found wanting on a regular basis.

Kris Ajer : 6

Less suspect than Jullien, Ajer didn’t have much to do, and fair play to him for managing to stay on the deck for pretty much all of the game. He’ll have far tougher tests this season, but Hamilton at home won’t ever be one of them.

Gregory Taylor : 8

Reminded me of myself at left back in 2005, with the marauding runs and excellent assists to kill the game off in the first half. ‘Much maligned Killie man’ is a phrase you’d usually hear about one Russell Abercrombie, but Taylor has came in for some abuse from the Twitter CSC in recent weeks, and again, although Hamilton are always going to be a team we can patronise at home, the quality of his crosses for Edouard and Frimpong were first class, and I hope he can build on that showing, and take his performances up a level against sides who will pose more of a threat.

Scott Brown : 5

Better aff with Jock Brown ! I’m sure I’ll come in for eyerolls and disdain for giving THE CAPTAIN a 5, but I thought Brown was poor yesterday, and gave the ball away on countless occasions. It’s fair to say he ‘grew into the game’ as soon we we made it 3-1, and the game was officially over, but we’ll have far sterner challenges ahead, and he must sharpen up for that. I suppose we need the annual ‘Brown is done’ headline to be printed, and he’ll turn into a superstar as per.

Callum McGregor : 8

Not to patronise people and make out I know more about football than anyone else (I do obv), many would have seen that game yesterday and come away from it thinking McGregor was ‘quiet but ok’, but the tempo of our play was quick and direct due to him, and he constantly ensured we were on the front foot from the off. He’s just a marvellous footballer.

Ryan Christie: 7

Tony Christie once sang ‘is this the way to Amarillo’, and we were left hanging on that actual issue but his nephew Ryan would smash every family member in his path to get an answer from his uncle on that subject. A quietly effective hardman in the middle of the park, Hamilton’s jobbers bounced off him all game, allowing McGregor to dictate the play freely without getting scythed down by their hammer throwers all afternoon.

James Forrest: 7

After a very quiet first half, Forrest exploded into life after the restart, with a great assist for Edouard, and a delightful pass which put Frimpong through on goal, but the goalie denied him. I also have to say, I like his new hairstyle. He has shown that a skinfade is not always the way forward (And I do enjoy a skinfade myself) and if your hairline is strong, then just embrace it and see what happens. Chelsea’s Marcus Alonso has a similar hairdo and it doesn’t effect his performances. Let’s get behind his life choices and accept that he is simply getting older, like the rest of us. It’s time to grow up.

Mo Elyounoussi : 6

When this guy is matchfit, he’ll destroy teams on his own. Unfortunately that’s a few weeks away but it’s key that he’s allowed to have a few stinkers until then, and get to that level.

Odsonne Edouard : 9

Francis McAvennie was right. He just doesn’t care or seem interested.

SUBS:

Ntcham, Elhamed and Dembele had no time to do anything, however, Patryk ‘Patrick’ Klimala took his goal very well and deserves a 7 for doing that in such a short space of time. Leigh Griffiths should be very concerned for his Celtic future right now.

Have a good one!