Celtic remain top of the table in the Scottish Premiership after picking up their second victory of the season away to Hibernian at Easter Road.
Nicolas Kuhn got the scoring underway after a fine breakaway that involved a Kyogo Furuhashi shot and a low James Forrest cross for the German winger to tap home.
Then, captain Callum McGregor unleashed a ferocious top-corner drive from distance to put the Bhoys well on the way to victory.
That 2-0 advantage held until full-time with Hibs offering little in response. In truth, the scoreline could have been greater but Brendan Rodgers’ side couldn’t convert several chances that subsequently came their way.
As Celtic continue to build into the new season there’s plenty to talk about and these are the three issues that popped up for us over the 90 minutes.
Early Celtic storm punishes Hibs
It was pleasing to see Celtic start the match so strongly this afternoon. In the opening half an hour they were electric at Easter Road, with plenty of one-touch passing, slick combinations and exploitation of the Hibs defence.
Surging to a comfortable two-goal lead, the foot did come off the accelerator, especially in spells of the second half, but the early work was impressive enough to ensure the three points.
There is truly an identity to Celtic right now. This is a proper Rodgers outfit and you can still see improvement in full 90-minute performances to come which will make the champions even more difficult to stop.
The Adam Idah saga has gone on long enough
Kyogo Furuhashi battled hard today but you know that he needs viable forward-line help to support him. More importantly, Celtic need that badly.
There were moments in Edinburgh that were cause for concern. The Japanese star noticeably hurt his shoulder – a reminder that he has a long-term issue that can’t ignored with lack of back-up – and picked up a foot knock in the second half. Only Mikey Johnston was available to replace him.
Kyogo likely hasn’t suffered an injury that will keep him out, but why take that risk?
It’s frankly not good enough with tougher challenges ahead. Celtic are taking unnecessary risks not having someone like Adam Idah in the door. If the club can’t complete business with Norwich City early this week then it’s time to move on and find someone else. Celtic need a striker.
As the second half deteriorated into a bit of a slugfest with Hibs, the game was crying out for a different attacking option in the mould of the Irishman. It’s a situation that has gone on far too long now with competitive matches well underway.
The Liam Scales situation
Two things can be true at the same time when it comes to Liam Scales. You can appreciate what he offers Celtic and consider him a strong squad option while also recognising that we could do with an upgrade in the position.
He was far from a disaster today – and it’s another clean sheet for the defensive line – but a quality partner for Cameron Carter-Vickers would be ideal. Nobody touches the ball more in a Celtic match than Scales and we need a more composed defender on the ball in those positions.
Often his passing is too safe and not expansive enough. He does regularly find his teammates with a high success rate but undoubtedly Celtic can further thrive with a better player in his position. The club have the resources to deliver this and it should be a priority in the final weeks of the window.
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