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Startling Kilmarnock stat bomb shows Celtic were REALLY tested as McGregor names the heroes who stood up to be counted
Celtic were flying against Aberdeen while Red Bull gave them wings.
But Callum McGregor reckons the Hoops got another feather in their caps after refusing to get ruffled at Ruby Park. It was the perfect week for the Parkhead men as they soared in three different competitions in three different ways. There was the swashbuckling dismantling of the Dons at Hampden to set up a Premier Sports Cup Final showdown with Rangers.
Celtic backed it up by producing a vintage European display to lash RB Leipzig in some style in Glasgow’s east end last Tuesday. A trip to Ayrshire was a different kind of test – and required a totally different type of display. Celts were not at their free-flowing best on Kilmarnock’s plastic pitch. McGregor – who notched a slightly fortunate opener in the 2-0 win – admitted himself the side didn’t turn on the silky stuff like they did at the National Stadium or against the Germans.
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But it was the kind of performance and result that wins titles. Killie tested the Hoops like no other side has this season outside Borussia Dortmund. Talk of xG – expected goals – might have some of us old timers scratching our heads but the brass tacks are only the Bundesliga outfit had higher numbers this term than Killie.
Dortmund’s xG was 2.6. Killie managed 2.4 – and that’s even higher than Atalanta managed and that was seen as a backs-to-the-wall job. No wonder Kilmarnock were kicking themselves but McGregor believes it only proved the Hoops have more than one side to their game.
He said: “Yeah, well that's it, every game's a challenge, especially at Celtic, everybody's desperate to beat you. You go from Champions League on a Tuesday night, and obviously everyone's buzzing, the intensity of the football is there, and then you're going to go there and be asked to play on a tough pitch, the game's going to be sticky.
“You’ve got to stand up and be counted, and I thought the players did that really, really well. So, another feather in the cap, and showing that we can be resilient defensively.
“There were some big performances from the back guys, Kasper Schmeichel and the two centre-backs especially. We showed another side to ourselves on Sunday, and that's always positive as well, because you'll have difficult moments throughout the season. I think so anyway.
“Obviously we build up a team based on the football aspect, and trying to control the game, but we know the league's a physical league, and there'll be times where you've got to do that.
“There's certain venues you go throughout the season and you've got to be defensively resilient, so we've managed to show that again, and that’s another positive for the group.”
Rugby Park might be the worst possible fixture on the back of a tough European game. But getting out with the points to take into the international break was another big statement.
McGregor said: “Yeah, absolutely. We spoke about that before the game, that everybody's going to be watching the game, is it a hangover, what are they going to be like? So we tried to set the tone in the game early, and ultimately we want to win the game, and that's the only way to show that.
“So, a pleasing aspect is we won the game, the performance was a little bit sticky in terms of the football, but it's never going to be pretty when you go there, you've got to do the other side of the game, and for the group to show that then, that’s really pleasing as well.”
Everyone knows Celtic like to knock the ball about but there’s a resilience about this team now though. They showed it against Atalanta and again at the weekend. Brendan Rodgers admitted on Sunday his side might have buckled 12 months ago but now they can cope when they are under siege.
McGregor said: “We're trying to minimise the amount of chances that we face, and obviously when that doesn't quite go that way, then sometimes you have to have that emergency defending about you, and bodies have just got to be thrown in the way of the ball. So, the game is the ultimate test of that, and can you stand up and be counted, and the team have done that really well again.”
It’s one thing handling flak, it’s another having the weapons to cause damage at the other end. And McGregor is grateful to have the likes of Nicolas Kuhn in such devastating form.
The German notched his 10th goal of the season to seal it and with another 11 assists up his juke, the wide man has emerged as the best player in Scotland this term by some distance. The Killie winner summed him up. Alistair Johnston knew he could clip a ball over the top and his pal would do the rest.
Kuhn turned on the afterburners and left defenders for dead before having the composure to tuck away his finish. Wingers are notoriously flaky but the 24-year-old is producing the goods every week.
McGregor said: “Unbelievable. His form has been incredible, especially for a young wide player, sometimes it can fluctuate a little bit, but since the start of the season, probably since that Man City game in pre-season, he's been unplayable.
“His numbers obviously back that up as well, so he's in brilliant form, and when you've got someone like that at the top of the pitch, he can relieve pressure for you, and get big goals, which he got another one on Sunday.”
