Celtic’s opening day win over Kilmarnock was just what the fans wanted heading into the new season.
Brendan Rodgers’ team looks like they have picked up where they have left off last season after a scorching performance saw Celtic put four goals past a Kilmarnock side that they found tricky to deal with last season.
Brendan Rodgers was over the moon with the Celtic win as he praised Reo Hatate for his performance and after watching his team chase shadows for much of the 90 minutes at Parkhead, Kilmarnock manager, Derek McInnes, delivered his verdict on his teams performance at Celtic Park.
McInnes blown away by Celtic press
Speaking post-match, McInnes praised his side for their gutsy performance but also shared what he thought was ‘bizarre’ about Celtic’s 4-0 win.
McInnes said [Sky Sports], “It’s quite a gutsy performance. I spoke to the players about showing a lot of character and the difficulties that we face today coming back from from Europe, which was a really demanding game on Thursday.
“So I’m also looking ahead to Thursday night’s European game and I’m not saying we’re giving this game up but ultimately, we knew we had to compete and do a lot of things right in the game.
“And I thought to an extent, we did that. Robbie [McCrory] has not had too much to do. Obviously, they’ve scored four goals, which sounds a bit bizarre, but the first goal comes from a really good counter press from Celtic.
“They win it at edge of the box after they lose it, we make the wrong decision. The second goal was a set play which is really disappointing. Any time you lose a set play, it doesn’t matter if it’s Celtic Park or anywhere else, you’ve got to be strong in that situation.
“The third goal, it’s a goal that Celtic have been doing a lot of through preseason. That straight pass into front players and that lateral pass in behind people.”
Derek McInnes has ‘learned a lot’ from defeat to Celtic
And whilst the defeat was a sore one to take for McInnes, the Kilmarnock manager said that he has learned a lot from the defeat and also shared what he noticed about how Matt O’Riley was deployed by Celtic boss, Brendan Rodgers.
McInnes continued, “We would never have turned up here to shook hands on a 2-0. We still believed we can come and have a performance in us.
“I thought 4-0 was tough on us, but you have to say Celtic had some good moments. Their movement’s good. I think O’Reilly, playing a bit higher, more like a 10 than an eight. It’s hard to keep good players down and stop having that influence.
“But I learned a lot about my team today, because it could have been easy just to think it was going to be just too much of a stretch and not compete the way we did. I thought we competed. And for me, that’s all I can ask for.”
The Celtic fans will just be delighted to have despatched Kilmarnock after last season where they found them a tough nut to crack.
That’s now nine goals scored against Derek McInnes’ side in two games after the 5-1 title clincher and Flag Day wins and it seems now that Celtic have put the mini Kilmarnock hoodoo to bed.
Next up for Celtic is a tricky trip to Edinburgh where Hibs await next Sunday as Rodgers faces his next tough test in the defence of the Scottish Premiership title.
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