Celtic Fan View: Three talking points as Hoops let two points slip at Hibernian

Hibs and Celtic served up an engrossing encounter as the Edinburgh outfit fought back from two goals down to salvage a draw at Easter Road. The result was a frustrating one for the Hoops given they were comfortable for large parts of the second half and looked like they would see the game through. After a thrilling comeback from the Hibees we look at three talking points from the match.

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Sinclair finally steps up

The Englishman has received some criticism of late – including on this platform – for his many below par performances this term. He didn’t exactly silence the doubters in midweek as he produced another poor display against Anderlecht. Brendan Rodgers was also far from impressed as he hooked the former Manchester City man at half-time in the defeat to the Belgians.

Sinclair was having another forgetful game in the capital during the first half as he gave the ball away a number of times and appeared to be sulking. But he responded brilliantly in the second 45 minutes. The forward looked like his old self again – sharp, pacy, direct and clinical in front of goal.

He was Celtic’s most dangerous player in the second half by a distance and easily the best player on the pitch by full-time. He was involved in all of the Hoops’ attacks and with more luck he could have completed his hat-trick to win the match for his side. This is the player Celtic have been missing and fans will be hoping to see this version of Sinclair until the end of the campaign.

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Sloppy defending proves costly
At 0-2 the Bhoys were extremely comfortable and it seems they let complacency creep in to their game. Rodgers’ charges provided the Hibees with some encouragement and to the hosts’ credit they took full advantage. The Bhoys gave the ball away far too often in the final 15 minutes, particularly in their own half, which invited pressure and set off a nervousness that was easily avoidable.

There were far too many mistakes among the backline which was characterised by the scrappy goals that were conceded. The centre-backs were just not strong enough physically and mentally to handle the Hibs onslaught while Craig Gordon almost threw the 68-match unbeaten streak away with a terrible individual error. After some suspect defending in midweek it only raises further questions about the need to upgrade a shaky defence.

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McGinn impresses again

John McGinn left his mark on the last league meeting between the sides with a superb brace at Parkhead. He wasn’t quite as involved this time but he still showed his quality. The Scotland international got in the face of Scott Brown and stopped the Celtic skipper from pulling the strings. He also showed great energy throughout the 90 minutes and assisted the first Hibs goal.

Both managers had some fun at full-time by commenting on the comparisons with McGinn and Brown. Rodgers said: “There is no contest. Scott Brown is the outstanding midfielder in Scotland.I like McGinn… but he’s got a way to go before reaching that level.”

Neil Lennon, meanwhile, said: “I totally disagree… I thought McGinn was outstanding.” The speculation surrounding Celtic making a move for McGinn is hotting up once again just like it did this summer. The 23-year-old has certainly made a positive impression in the matches against the Bhoys.