Celtic

The 2-2 draw that Celtic were held to by Rangers at Ibrox on Monday was by no means damaging to their Scottish title aspirations – they remained nine clear ...

He forced an excellent save from Walker with a powerful header and then struck the crossbar with a shot from just outside the Kilmarnock penalty box. His chip to Jota before a Kyogo Furuhashi own goal that was ruled offside was exquisite. Still, the Dane can have no complaints about his omission. Sure, Celtic goalkeeper Joe Hart may not have had a save of note to make during the 90 minutes. It is fair to say that Matt O’Riley did not perform to his usual high standards in Govan earlier this week. It was his 16th goal of the 2022/23 campaign for goodness sake.

A strike from Jota and an Ash Taylor own goal earned Celtic a 2-0 win against Kilmarnock, as the league leaders extended the gap between them and Rangers.

The shot appeared to take a deflection off Taylor before finding its way into the back of the net. The Japan international cut the ball back and Jota knocked it home from close range after Furuhashi had slid in front of Walker. However, Jota netted from close range in the final minute of the first half before Celtic added a second shortly after the interval. Reo Hatate overlapped Mooy and received a pass before sending in a low cross that was diverted towards goal by Furuhashi. The visitors lined up with five at the back and defended from the front to deny the Celtic midfield time on the ball. The referee, Nick Walsh, played on after a VAR check.

The 28-year-old has a deal until 2026 but swirling speculation remains for a player in search of a new contract.

“We have to make sure we always honour those kinds of people because they are part of the Celtic family. “Hopefully in a pretty difficult time we gave them a little bit of joy today. Kevin Bridges, who is also a massive Celtic fan, lost his father in the last couple of days as well. But in the second half we were really good. Frank was a guy who sat in that dressing room, wore that shirt over 200 times, and scored over 100 goals for this club. I don’t think about these things, about who I want to keep or who wants to leave. “Giako worked his socks off today as he has all the time. It’s fair to say he’d love to score a goal because he’s a goalscorer. So he’s having to come on and make a contribution - and he hasn’t flinched from that. His manager wouldn't be drawn on Giakoumakis’ Celtic future but says he’s delighted with the Greek’s application and commitment. Giakoumakis recently changed agent and has already been linked with a £5 million move to Danish outfit FC Midtjylland. Record Sport revealed talks with the Greek striker over a new contract have broken down sparking a potential exit.

Ange Postecoglou insists he's not thinking about a Celtic exit for Giorgos Giakoumakis as he refused to comment on transfer speculation.

"I don’t think about those things," said Postecoglou when asked if he's keen to keep Giakoumakis at Celtic. If they think opportunity is better for them elsewhere then we will go through that process." If anything changes I deal with it.

Ange Postecoglou has been keen to add to his attacking options this month for the Premiership title fight.

They already have South Korean international Lee Jae-sung in their squad and Mainz are hoping that can be a factor in a deal. Gue-sung was billed as the man to come in for the Greek goalscorer, and after a superb time in Qatar which saw him become the first Asian player in history to score a brace at a World Cup finals with his double against Ghana. [Ange Postecoglou](https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/all-about/ange-postecoglou)'s side have been in touch over a January switch, with talks over move gathering pace with contract rebel [Giorgos Giakoumakis](https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/all-about/giorgos-giakoumakis) bring linked with a move away from the club after failing to agree terms with [Celtic](https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/all-about/celtic-fc) on a new-and-improved deal.

South Korea striker Cho Gue-sung will choose a move to Mainz over Celtic in the January transfer window.

Cho wants to complete the move as soon as possible to join Mainz before they restart their season on January 21, with German football having a prolonged break after the World Cup. [outh Korea](/topic/south-korea) striker Cho Gue-sung will choose a move to [Mainz](/topic/mainz) over [Celtic](/topic/celtic) in the January transfer window. Mainz are now expected to win the race for the striker who they made their number one target, beating Celtic and other clubs in the United States.

Joe Hart starts in goal with a back four of Alistair Johnston, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Carl Starfelt and Alexandro Bernabei. Callum McGregor is joined by Reo ...

Not only will you receive this article from Sean Martin, Tony Haggerty or Aidan Macdonald (or, sometimes, from all three) but you will also get easy access to our best content from the last 24 hours too. You can already find us on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, TikTok and Instagram but we will also send bespoke opinion pieces and special features directly to your email inbox every evening. "When you come up as a team, it is obviously hard.

Meet 2023, same as 2022 for Scottish teams pitching up to Celtic Park. They come, they defend, they suffer defeat, usually with Ange Postecoglou's men ...

Giorgos Giakoumakis had a header and thumping drive that rattled the crossbar, while James Forrest and Matt O’Riley efforts rebound from either post in the space of seconds. Doing the right thing in pressurising Kyogo Furuhashi as he sought to get on the end of a diagonal from deep by Reo Hatate, the big defender’s final touch only succeeded in diverting the ball beyond keeper Sam Walker. We dominated and played in the areas we wanted.”

The Celtic boss insists winning every domestic trophy is a responsibility - not just his desire.

Not only will you receive this article from Sean Martin, Tony Haggerty or Aidan Macdonald (or, sometimes, from all three) but you will also get easy access to our best content from the last 24 hours too. You can already find us on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, TikTok and Instagram but we will also send bespoke opinion pieces and special features directly to your email inbox every evening. We know that there are still 17 games to go.

Celtic continued their march towards a second successive Premiership title with a win over Kilmarnock, which extended their lead at the top of the table to ...

As a result, do not be surprised to see Celtic add another striker to their ranks in January. The club have received quite a bit of criticism this season for their finishing. For Celtic, one of the biggest needs at the moment is another striker.

Ange Postecoglou insists he's not thinking about a Celtic exit for Giorgos Giakoumakis as he refused to comment on transfer speculation.

"I don’t think about those things," said Postecoglou when asked if he's keen to keep Giakoumakis at Celtic. If they think opportunity is better for them elsewhere then we will go through that process." If anything changes I deal with it.

One goal per game will be more than enough, Kyogu, so keep doing it! Kyogo Furuhashi of Celtic scores his team's second goal during the Cinch Scottish ...

The weather was fine for January after all that rain in the morning, and although VAR tried to muscle in (as early as the first minute!) now and again, I thought Mr Walsh had a good game. It was a game that we never really looked like losing, but it has to be said that feelings of anxiety were beginning to sweep Celtic Park in the first half at the fecklessness of our forwards. The tribute to the late Frank McGarvey was impressive, and it was nice to meet our latest Japanese recruit whose grasp of English allows him say “Hail!

“Basketball isn't just a sport, it's an art. One that must be mastered to succeed.” – Stephen Curry. Conor Goldson. ROXIE – 6 ...

SON OF JACKIE – 6/10 – The big guy can’t buy a goal currently, and we await to see if anyone wants to buy him. It was exactly the 45 minutes we required to get the Bhoys back in the title groove and looking towards the finish line with relish. NOTEBOOK – 6.5/10 – Appears to be coming out of flu/cold/covid/ebola recovery and seeking to get back to his flurrying best. A guy remembered as an admirable player and an amiable bloke; colourful, controversial, and lived out the dream of many, many thousands with a grin on his face. STAR LORD – 6/10 – I don’t like to see Star Lord on the ball. MOOEY – 6.5/10 – Cross of the day award. Then you get the likes of Daizen, mentally removed from the grind as he seems to operate in a world of his own, some cartoon Mangaland where physical limitations are secondary to whizzing superheroes and quirky memes. But quality tells, and as the game wore on he wore off the pest and started to get some influence. Depressed by the turgid stoical resistance of the Ayrshire Bears, the collective struggled to find enthusiasm and creativity. WAYNE GRETZKY – 7/10 – Home debut, no change here – repeated his solid efficient outing of last week, threw in some deft touches and displayed the physical attributes he spoke of in his initial presser. He found it in Daizen, sliding a perfect ball in to set up the crucial opener. Sure, Joe’s had problems with the ball at his feet, and therein lies the crux – ‘at his feet’, not teased a few inches out with his reach.

The 2-2 draw that Celtic were held to by Rangers at Ibrox on Monday was by no means damaging to their Scottish title aspirations – they remained nine clear ...

He forced an excellent save from Walker with a powerful header and then struck the crossbar with a shot from just outside the Kilmarnock penalty box. His chip to Jota before a Kyogo Furuhashi own goal that was ruled offside was exquisite. Still, the Dane can have no complaints about his omission. Sure, Celtic goalkeeper Joe Hart may not have had a save of note to make during the 90 minutes. It is fair to say that Matt O’Riley did not perform to his usual high standards in Govan earlier this week. It was his 16th goal of the 2022/23 campaign for goodness sake.

The former Rugby Park boss has opened up on how his team beat the odds to lift the League Cup in 2012.

But we did it six months after the final when we won 2-0 at Celtic Park. My son Dean should have scored a couple of goals and we had good chances in the match. For the goal, we had both full-backs high up the pitch and filled the box. And we did have a go at them. Earlier in the 2011/12 season, Kilmarnock had led Celtic 3-0 at half-time in a league game at Rugby Park. “I felt we could surprise them and we did. Suddenly, the centre-backs didn’t have the slippers and cigars out. So I went about it in a different way – actually expecting to win.” But I thought to myself,‘That’s not the right message.’ “It was about trying to get an edge in every little corner post we met. Even now, he’s still in charge of the Northern Irish women’s team after leading them to the Euros last summer. One of the greatest days in the Ayrshire club’s history.

Celtic remain on course to move clear at the top of the Scottish Lowland Football League table after a 3-0 away win against Si Ferry's Open Goal Broomhill.

“The game started in a pattern where they tried to frustrate us. Crucially, however, the youths have two games in hand and it’s in their grasp to push towards a title win. They’ve won five of their last six league matches, including a rousing 5-2 victory over rivals Rangers at Celtic Park.

The Greek earned praise from manager Ange Postecoglou this weekend for his attitude despite losing his place in the Hoops squad.

[Celtic](https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/all-about/celtic-fc) striker earned praise from manager [Ange Postecoglou](https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/all-about/ange-postecoglou) this weekend for his attitude despite losing his place in the Hoops squad. The former Legia Warsaw and Lech Poznan boss knows all about Giakoumakis, who had a spell in Polish football two years ago on loan at Gornik Zabrze. Reports in Japan claim a bid has been made and accepted and he is close to agreeing on lucrative terms with the Saitama club, who are owned and financially backed by huge Japanese company Mitsubishi. But there remains serious doubt about his future in [Glasgow](https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/all-about/glasgow) after a stalemate on any new deal. [Rangers](https://twitter.com/DR_Rangers) and [Celtic](https://twitter.com/DR_Celtic) podcast pages and sign up to our [newsletters](https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/newsletter-preference-centre/) to make sure you never miss a beat throughout the season. Urawa Red Diamonds finished in a disappointing ninth place last season in the J League and new Polish manager Maciej Skorza is desperate to mount a league challenge this season and will be financially backed.

Celtic's 2-0 home win over a Kilmarnock that they will meet again in next week's Viaplay League Cup semi-final produced some unexpected musings.

"I know his kids were here today and I did speak to the boys about it before the game,” the Celtic manager said of the McGarvey family’s presence. Those who have no feeling for football have zero concept of the power of the game in dark times … The Australian’s emotional intelligence was further reflected in how it did not seem out of place, or tacked on, for him also to offer thoughts for one of the club’s celebrity supporters, comedian Kevin Bridges, following the death of his father Andy on Thursday. Jota, then, is patently a smart cookie in doing so as he sought to explain how playing on the right – as the Portuguese wide man did on Saturday – can require re-orientatation a when, from his youth, his brain has become accustomed to computing options on the pitch from the left. The good thing about him was second half he finished really strong, he was still getting forward, so he has the physical capacity to play in that position which is really important – it's not just tactically in those full-back positions, there is a fair physical demand on the players. The tough old life of the Celtic full-back in the Ange Postecoglou era was evidenced as the Scottish champions struggled to click into gear on Saturday.

Graham Cummins can't see the Old Firm joining the English League but believes they'd breathe new life into a 'dying' competition.

It might also help to some degree help settle the debate of whether or not Celtic and Rangers would be good enough for English football." Rangers reached a semi final and Partick Thistle reached the fifth round. Not just for the benefit of the Scottish clubs, but also to help a dying competition. However, could it be possible to allow access to the FA Cup for the Old Firm? The FA Cup is in desperate need of being revamped. But former Irish striker Cummings - who played for Preston North End before moving to [St Johnstone](https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/all-about/st-johnstone-fc) for a two-year spell - reckons he knows exactly what would help the ailing tournament...inviting the Old Firm to play in the FA Cup.

Celtic striker Giorgos Giakoumakis is a transfer target for J1 League side Urawa Red Diamonds, according to reports in Japan. The 28-year-old Greek has been ...

I just work on the basis of the group I have in front of me. Not only will you receive this article from Sean Martin, Tony Haggerty or Aidan Macdonald (or, sometimes, all three) but you will also get easy access to our best content from the last 24 hours too. “I don’t think about who I want to keep or who wants to leave. It they think the opportunity is better for them elsewhere, then we will go through that process. “People have their own ambitions in their football career. He worked his socks off and he has all the time.”

The Ibrox boss was keen to highlight the cash available to his rival so Record Sport has compared the two clubs' spend since Ange arrived.

The signs were promising before he was robbed of months and a place at the World Cup with Wales due to injury. Was on fire prior to being injured and led the league scoring charts after a sensational start to the season. Signed with little prospect of replacing James Tavernier in the side, he’s now even behind left footed Adam Devine in the pecking order and is almost a cert to be shipped out this month. A man for the big occasion (specifically, at the back post), he’s developed a habit of scoring against Rangers. The Dane is yet to even start a game since arriving on loan from Rubin Kazan. A loan to Queen’s Park afforded valuable first team experience and he’ss now back in Ireland gaining more with Shamrock Rovers. Still has time on his side to further improve, which makes an initial investment of £1.4million seem like a very smart move on the Hoops’ part. The wide man has often produced moments of magic when most needed, and a healthy profit could be coming Celtic’s way should he be sold on further down the line. [Rangers](https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/all-about/rangers-fc) fans will lap it up, insisting that [Beale](https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/all-about/michael-beale) is right and that Postecoglou enjoys a significant financial advantage and therefore should really be winning trophies. A likely candidate to depart in the summer. A host of clubs are sniffing around and the £2.5million Celtic paid Legia Warsaw for him will be dwarfed by the next transfer fee he commands. A modest £200k won't have broken the bank and was relatively low risk, which didn’t pay off as the defender failed to make an impact, playing just once in the first team.

Japan international Daizen Maeda scored against Croatia in the last 16 of the World Cup in Qatar and has returned to Celtic in fine form - scoring the ...

You can also catch up with the ins, outs and analysis on Sky Sports News. Who will be on the move this winter? Newcastle are also keen on the forward.

Interest in the South Korean striker has peaked after his performances at the World Cup.

Not only will you receive this article from Sean Martin, Tony Haggerty or Aidan Macdonald (or, sometimes, from all three) but you will also get easy access to our best content from the last 24 hours too. You can already find us on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, TikTok and Instagram but we will also send bespoke opinion pieces and special features directly to your email inbox every evening. Our Celtic Digest newsletter brings exclusive content directly to you rather than solely through the website. [Urawa Red Diamonds in Giorgos Giakoumakis Celtic transfer move](https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/sport/23236022.urawa-red-diamonds-giorgos-giakoumakis-celtic-transfer-move/) [Celtic](/sport/celtic/) have reportedly 'outbid' Mainz in the race to sign Cho Gue-sung. [Footabll Scotland](https://www.footballscotland.co.uk/spfl/scottish-premiership/chu-gue-sung-celtic-transfer-25923874) claims that Celtic have officially entered the bidding war.