Celtic are drawing a lot of praise for their performances right now and it’s not just from supporters or former players.
After dismantling Slovan Bratislava 5-1 in the Champions League on Wednesday night, everyone knows that Celtic mean business this season.
That result has been complemented by six wins from six domestically with only two goals conceded in all competitions – it’s outstanding stuff.
Facing Celtic in this form is a serious problem for rival managers and nobody knows that better than Falkirk boss John McGlynn.
McGlynn is a former opposition analyst at Celtic, working under Rodgers, so knows exactly what goes into the Bhoys boss’ preparations for upcoming matches.
It’s fair to say he sees Sunday’s visit to Celtic Park in the League Cup as a stern test for his Championship side, despite their own incredible form over the last 12 months.
John McGlynn’s Celtic verdict is glowing
He said when asked for his thoughts on Celtic’s Champions League win [Sunday Post, 22/09 print edition]: “A stunning performance – on and off the pitch. It really does remind me strongly of how Celtic were back when I was working under Brendan. The belief, the hunger and the tempo they are playing at.
“They are very, very similar. If there is a small positive, it is that they had to get the Bratislava tie out of the way before they could start thinking about us.
“But, of course, it is not about identifying what they do well that counts – all the Premiership teams could help you there – it is how you find a way to stop them.
“Brendan just has so many different options available to him now, so much quality in the group with the new signings complementing all the talents they already had.
“To give just one example, I cannot speak highly enough about Callum McGregor. I think Callum is such a good player, such an influence over Celtic over the years. He just produces and produces.”
Brendan Rodgers described as a ‘genius’
McGlynn’s praise extends to Rodgers, who he says taught him a lot about being a football manager.
The Falkirk boss continued: “I started under Ronnie Deila but, when Brendan came in, I switched to become the opposition analyst. Both domestically and in the European games and it was a huge education.
“Scouting opposition, you are watching every single detail in the game and feeding that back and getting an understanding of what the manager is looking for. I learned a lot about recruitment, but I learned even more under the guidance of Brendan – working under him definitely made me a better manager.
“Brendan is a genius, as far as I am concerned, so I just tried to be like a sponge and just soak it all up. I have loads to thank him for.”
Falkirk out to be David to Celtic’s Goliath
Falkirk won’t be rolling over to Celtic despite this admiration. Backed by a large 2,500-strong away support, they have plenty of belief they can cause an upset.
Rodgers’ side must be as professional and ruthless today as they were against Slovan Bratislava. McGlynn is a talented manager and knows all about what makes the Bhoys tick.
He concluded: “As much as it is a David versus Goliath scenario, we must believe in ourselves and go to Celtic Park looking to put in a performance that does the club proud.
“I competed against Brendan before, back in 2012 when he was at Liverpool and I was at Hearts. We met in the Europa League. They beat us 1-0 up here in the first leg but, after that, we went to Anfield and got a 1-1 draw. Hearts against Liverpool was almost a Falkirk vs Celtic scenario. Almost, almost.”
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