To Ange Postecoglou’s great relief, Celtic are up and running. With four of his new signings in the team last night, one waiting in the wings, and more to come, could it be that the wheels are finally turning? It was far from a flawless performance in the Czech Republic last night, but it felt like some kind of progress.
This was Celtic’s first victory under their new manager. Having failed to beat Midtjylland (twice) and Hearts on the Premiership’s opening day, here was the psychological breakthrough that Postecoglou craved, even if it was only against Jablonec in the first leg of a Europa League third qualifying round tie.
Postecoglou admitted that his team lost control in a ragged second half, but he will be encouraged that two of his recent purchases were on the scoresheet. In a side that also included Joe Hart and Carl Starfelt, an early two-goal lead was established by Liel Abada and Kyogo Furuhashi. Vaclav Pilar immediately pulled one back for Jablonec, but James Forrest restored Celtic’s advantage and Ryan Christie’s late header cancelled out a second for the home side.
These were limited opponents, third in the Czech league last season. And Postecoglou will be alarmed by some of Celtic’s defending, which threatened to undo so much of their good work. Hart, given his debut, was stranded for the second Jablonec goal and might be accused of hesitating for their first, although his centre-halves left him exposed.
But in the end, Celtic took care of what might have been an awkward tie, effectively rendering redundant next week’s second leg in Glasgow. In the playoff round, AZ Alkmaar await this Celtic team whose manager is trying to introduce new players as quickly and as often as he can.
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As far as Postecoglou is concerned, this is no time to be breaking them in gently. He wants them on the pitch, even if they are not quite ready. Not only does it accelerate the bedding-in process, it leaves less room for players who do not want to be there or are associated with the failures of last season.
To that end, Odsonne Édouard was left on the bench, replaced at centre-forward by Furuhashi, who was given his first start. Hart, Starfelt and Abada joined him in a team that would probably also have included James McCarthy had the midfielder, signed from Crystal Palace, not stayed behind in Scotland.
Postecoglou wanted his recent acquisitions to make an impact, and they certainly did that. Within 15 minutes of the kick-off, Celtic were two up, and each of the goals had been scored by one of his new signings. The first started with Forrest, playing wide on the left. He fed Greg Taylor, whose low ball set up Abada 12 yards out. His first shot came back off an opponent but, with the goalkeeper down, the Israeli winger curled his second effort into the net.
The second was a product of Nir Bitton’s decision to step out of defence. His pass to Furuhashi was accurate, but the striker’s positive first touch was even better, immediately taking out his marker. From there, he had the confidence and composure to lift it gently beyond the goalkeeper.
In a modest, 6,000- capacity stadium with a running track and trees behind the goal, it was a clinical, professional start by Celtic, who would have been even further in front had David Turnbull not passed up an easy chance when Tony Ralston set him up in the box.
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The disappointment was that they were not so diligent at the other end. Just when Celtic should have been consolidating what felt like a decisive lead, along came some of the old failings that just refuse to go away. When Bitton and Starfelt were flat-footed under a simple lob from midfield, Pilar planted it beyond Hart.
Neither side would win any awards for their defending. Jablonec, in particular, were slow and slack and fortunate not to be further behind at half-time. Bitton, Callum McGregor and David Turnbull all missed the target from long range, while Abada nearly scored a replica of his first. This time, when he came in off the right, his left-footed shot was saved.
There was no mistaking who was the better team. Jablonec remained in the game only because Celtic had neglected to take their chances, another of which came when Abada’s deflected cross came back off the far post. Four yards out, Furuhashi leaned back and blasted over the bar.
Encouraged to find that they were still only a goal behind, Jablonec showed willing in the early part of the second half, but a timely third for Celtic seemed to nip all that in the bud. Turnbull’s simple ball through the middle set up Abada, who stepped away from an opponent and released his shot. When the goalkeeper could only parry, Forrest slammed the loose ball high into the net.
That appeared to have settled the outcome of the tie, but this Celtic team do not know how to see a game out. With five minutes left, the substitute, Tomas Malinsky, broke clear on the left, stepped inside and lifted the ball over Hart, with Bitton’s attempted clearance ending up in the net.
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Still, at least there was Christie, whose late arrival restored his team’s two-goal advantage. With two minutes left, Forrest delivered a powerful cross from the right and Celtic’s substitute flung himself at the ball and sent it crashing into the net.
