Celtic will win many plaudits for the attacking side of their game today.
That stands to reason, we won 3-0. Soro, Turnbull and Edouard’s goals were each exquisite, and going forward, Celtic were beyond comfortable. The passing was crisp, the movement was ideal and in truth, the Bhoys could’ve scored more than they did.
For the tactical anoraks amongst us, though, it’s the clean sheet that will provide comfort. Barkas didn’t have a great deal to do, and he’ll face tougher tests. More widely, though, it’s Celtic’s defensive shape that was impressive here.
Lenny seems settled on his back 4 of Laxalt, Jullien, Ajer and Frimpong. Granted, Jullien is likely to miss a few matches given the injury he picked up today.
Soro’s importance to Celtic
Soro will get the plaudits today for his sumptuous strike, but it was another excellent defensive performance from the Ivorian today.
His relentless coverage of Ajer and Jullien mean that the two centre-backs play with so much more confidence. The pair know that their attempted clearances will be mopped up, and the ball moved on. That was most definitely the case for Ajer, who made 3 clearances. More than that, Soro can drop back and allow Ajer to rove forward, as is so often his wont.
The Norwegian loves to start attacks, and can do so with aplomb. Soro’s stamina and positioning allow him to do that.
From a statistical point of view, Soro made 2 tackles (WhoScored?) and one interception as Dundee United tried their best to make headway.
His constant running mean that usually, in a defensive scenario, there is at least one player pressing the man in possession, and another standing off to block the passing lanes.
Shankland and McNulty were stymied endlessly today, and Soro’s work-rate is a large reason for that.
Ajer and Frimpong step up for the Bhoys
From a defensive perspective, Frimpong had one of his best games in a Celtic shirt today.
Yes, Frimpong’s main threat is in attacking scenarios; his final ball is getting better, and his ability to take a man on is exciting to watch.
However, with 4 tackles today, he was our best defensive player from a statistical point of view. Be honest: do you remember anything coming down his side today?
He’s clearly been working on his positioning and staying upright in the tackle. His one interception was also part of a solid defensive display overall
He doesn’t need to slide about carelessly. Over the last few games, his reading of the game has improved so much and you have to wonder who’s responsible for that.
It’ll be fascinating to see if he gets the nod to start on Saturday. It certainly isn’t assured, with Ajer impressing there in recent weeks. Lenny might feel the temptation to rotate his defence to some degree, but over the last two games, Frimpong has shown maturity, willingness to do the ugly part of the game, and as ever, a sense of attacking enterprise.
Now, Lenny has big decisions to make.
Fans were quick to react to Soro’s performance; he has to be in our Best XI
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