Celtic

Celtic have handed a debut to Yuki Kobayashi but key man Cameron Carter Vickers is absent. Giorgos Giakoumakis also doesn't make the squad amid swirling ...

A goal down inside 15 minutes is the nightmare scenario for teams coming to Parkhead, yet Saints came straight back at Celtic as Joe Hart had to divert a long ranger from Jonah Ayunga. Celtic had the game faces on against a team who is about as close to a bogey side the champions get these days. The flag went up and VAR rubber stamped the call but it was an early warning from a side that can cause any rival grief. St Mirren are still the only domestic side to earn a win bonus against Postecoglou’s men, when they did a number on them back in September. Jota was jinking, Abada driving and O’Rielly passing and probing. The Saints striker is usually a bull in search of a china shop and he left a few cracks on the Hearts backline last Friday, when the Jambos sneaked a win with a little help from a brutally harsh VAR non penalty call. Celtic kept on it and David Turnbull made it 4-0 with a pearler from long range. Boss Steven Robinson lost Mark O’Hara but it was a major boost having Dunne out of the bad books and in the side. It's the time of year when a team sheet can turn into a game of Cluedo, with fans left guessing about the fates of certain players. There are easier introductions than a run out against Curtis Main mind you. Liel Abada was on hand to slot home after Trevor Carson denied debutant Yuki Kobayashi and Carl Starfelt. It turned out it was the treatment table instead – at least for now.

Celtic welcome St Mirren to Parkhead tonight in the Scottish Premiership. Ange Postecoglou's men sit nine points clear at the top of the league table ahead ...

[St Mirren ](https://www.footballscotland.co.uk/all-about/st-mirren-fc)have named a strong starting line-up and highly-rated Keanu Baccus starts in midfield. But Stephen Robinson has improved the Buddies considerably and they will prove a difficult test for Postecoglou's side. Rangers face a tough trip to Kilmarnock and the Hoops will be motivated to avoid a slip-up in front of their home support.

The Swiss frontman struggled for form during his two year spell in the Scottish Premiership.

And while he didn't fit into the Angeball philosophy last season, the frontman appears to have adopted some of the tactics into his game this term. The club have tapped into the South Korea scouting network but appear to have missed out on Cho Gue-sung, while Suwon striker Oh Hyeon-gyu is reportedly the subject of an "improved" bid from Celtic. Impressed sporting director Andreas Schicker said: "He needed a bit more time to get started and is a different type of character than Rasmus (Højlund, who joined Serie A side Atalanta in the summer). With the Bundesliga set to restart next week following their winter break, the club sit six points behind top of the table RB Leipzig. [Neil Lennon](https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/all-about/neil-lennon) plotted to claim a 10th consecutive Scottish Premiership title with the club planning for life without Odsonne Edouard, who would eventually make his big move to Crystal Palace. After failing to make his mark, the 25-year-old was shipped out on loan to the Austrian Bundesliga.

The Saints remain the only domestic side to inflict defeat on the champions this season.

They are a very good side, they play with energy and pace, that’s the biggest thing. He said: “The biggest key is you have to keep the ball. It is a big pitch and the energy of the crowd drives you on as well.

Manager Ange Postecoglou has named his Celtic team vs St Mirren in the Scottish Premiership this evening.

There’s also a place on the bench for new signing Tomoki Iwata, another potential debutant this evening. Get the job done Celtic! Manager Ange Postecoglou has named his Celtic team vs St Mirren in the Scottish Premiership this evening.

The USA international defender - as well as striker Giorgos Giakoumakis - was not included in the Hoops contingent for the Wednesday night visit of the Buddies ...

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. You can already find us on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, TikTok and Instagram but we will also send bespoke opinion pieces and special features every day directly to your email inbox every evening. Taylor, Kiltie, Olusanya, Grieve, Brophy. Taylor, Kenny, Flynn, F. "Neither is serious," he said. “Our plans are in place, and the plan is to bring in at least one more, so we’re still working on that and if anything else is needing to be done then we are in a good position to do it.”

Bamba has also tipped Lee Johnson to thrive with a director of football working with him at Easter Road.

“I think it’s good for him and the club to bring in a director of football,” said Bamba. He likes to coach his players so it would be good for him if he gets someone upstairs looking at bringing players in and moving them out. “He’ll be a big miss when he eventually leaves the club. “I think it would be a good move for him,” he told Sky Sports. “The club will have a conversation with him and ask what he wants to do. Blackburn and Udinese are keen to land him and Bamba highly recommends his former club as a good move for the 23-year-old Scotland international.

Celtic star Josip Juranovic has been strongly linked with a move away from the Scottish champions in the January transfer window.

[Celtic](/topic/celtic) boss Ange Postecoglou addressed further movement in the window on Tuesday, noting the club are in a position where they are not “forced into doing anything”. [Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio reports](https://gianlucadimarzio.com/it/calciomercato-monza-lirola-marsiglia-news-18-gennaio-2023) an agreement is in place to sign Pol Lirola on loan from Marseille with an option to buy. It led to reported interest from clubs in England, Spain and Italy.

Kyogo Furuhashi hit a double as Celtic consolidated top spot in the cinch Premiership with a 4-0 victory over St Mirren.

Any hope of bail pretty much ended when he allowed Kyogo to drift in behind and lob the ball perfectly over Carson for a fine goal. After a VAR review the decision was proven to be incorrect. It’s to the credit of this team that they usually find a way. Despite their lead Celtic had a shaky start to the game. With clear daylight on Rangers and a superior goal difference it’s hard to see where Celtic slip up now. The ball bounced up for debutant Yuki Kobayashi to strike against the upright. Despite a testing night against the aerial prowess of Main, the new bhoy did fine. Jonah Ayunga forced Joe Hart to push a thumping, inswinging long range shot round the post. Narrowly denied the opening goal for Curtis Main by an offside flag and VAR review, there was no real prospect of a repeat here. In another indication of the in depth strength available to Postecoglou Japanese central defender Yuki Kobayashi made his debut in central defence beside Carl Starfelt. [Celtic](/sport/teampages/celtic.html) supporters can be a suspicious bunch at the best of times. If or when he goes there is growing evidence to suggest the champions will cope.

Greek striker Giakoumakis has been linked with a transfer exit from Glasgow with Atalanta United and Uwara Red Diamonds keen.

[BBC Sportsound](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/live/football/64214642): "The game took a fair bit out of us at the weekend. [Ange Postecoglou](https://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/all-about/ange-postecoglou) claiming he had no knowledge of any offers for the 28-year-old or other Parkhead stars. He's [Giakoumakis] not playing tonight because he was injured. "Neither are serious we expect them at the weekend or the following weekend against Dundee United. [Giakoumakis](https://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/all-about/georgios-giakoumakis) netted a crucial goal in the Viaplay Cup semi-final against Kilmarnock and followed up with a cryptic social media post in the aftermath. [Celtic's](https://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/all-about/celtic-fc) match day squad to face St Mirren as transfer links continue to swirl around the striker.

Match report as Celtic cruise to a 4-0 victory thanks to Kyogo Furuhashis double; Liel Abada opens the scoring and David Turnbull ends it with a stunning ...

As a collective, we didn't have enough players at the top of their game. We didn't have that against a very good Celtic side and we got punished. We had a a grip of the game for the most part and scored some really nice goals. We started the game well, at a good tempo. Kyogo made sure any hopes of a St Mirren comeback were dashed within eight minutes of the second half. Carl Starfelt saw his shot at a corner kept out by Trevor Carson with the rebound falling to Yuki Kobayashi, whose follow-up hit the left post before Abada volleyed the third attempt into the top corner.

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou has provided a fresh transfer update on striker Giorgos Giakoumakis. The Australian was speaking after his side defeated St ...

I think he showed his qualities on the ball and he'll get better from that. 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. He would have been involved tonight if he was not injured." But I thought he handled himself well. "He was here tonight, mate, so you could have asked him yourself.

Joe Hart: The Celtic number one breathed a sigh of relief when VAR intervened after Curtis Main thought he had put St Mirren ahead early on.

Jota: Another who looked like he was on it from the kick-off and easily had the beating of his marker down the left flank. He then made it 18 for the campaign with a trademark clinical run and low finish from Jota's set-up. The attacker produced a sublime finish to make it 2-0 when he brilliantly lobbed Trevor Carson on 36 minutes to claim number 17 for the season. He faded a bit after the restart. He ghosted into space and probed away in the engine room and always tried to make things happen in the final third. He really is a class act in the making and he put on a show. The man who makes his team tick and he is the fulcrum of the side. Josip Juranovic: The Croatian gave the ball away and then crucially won the ball back in the lead-up to the third goal. He was in a gripping contest with the likes of Main and Ayunga all evening, especially aerially and as a small sample size enjoyed a comfortable first 90 minutes in a Hoops jersey. He was a real handful to deal with in the opposition box as he proved to be a nuisance at set pieces. He really understands the role of inverted full-back and the Canadian internationalist loves the art of defending. He was a virtual spectator after the break but saved excellently from Alex Gogic to preserve the clean sheet.

Liel Abada got the ball rolling with a volleyed finish after some pinball in the St Mirren box, before a Kyogo brace and a late David Turnbull long-ranger put ...

Celtic will have to fill that void before the end of the window, or keep their fingers crossed that their star striker remains fit and well. His second again came from a brilliantly timed run in behind, the striker jinking in front of Joe Shaughnessy to sidefoot home a delicious first-time cross from Jota at the near post. No pitch is going to be perfect at this time of year of course, particularly with the volume of rain that has fallen over the past week or so, but while it was nowhere near as bad as the swampy surface of the national stadium the Celtic Park pitch was threadbare in places and hardly suited to the home side’s preferred passing style. The first impressions were favourable. He might even have had a goal to show for his admirable efforts as he crashed the shot off the post that rebounded to Abada to hammer home the opener, but all in all, he can be very pleased with his first outing in the hoops. The physicality of the St Mirren front pairing of Curtis Main and Jonah Ayunga was too much for the Celtic backline to handle when the Saints beat Celtic in Paisley back in September, but Kobayashi showed he could mix it here when required too, handling that side of the game well.

The experienced Parkhead boss says his striker is going nowhere at the minute amid swirling rumours.

He will get better from that, but as an introduction, a first game, I thought he was good.” I just thought our attacking play was really fluent and dangerous the whole night.” So we had to deal with some balls in the box, which I thought we handled well. I thought Jota was really good as well. He said: “I thought we were good, really strong in all aspects of our game. He is still adjusting to the football here, the life here. We are really strong on set-pieces this year - corners for, free kicks for - we are a real threat. Kyogo maintained his red hot form since coming back from the World Cup break. Alexandro Bernabei, I just thought I’d rest him tonight because he’s had two big games. He would have been involved if he wasn’t injured. The Hoops boss insisted the Greek hitman sat out the 4-0 St Mirren stroll due to injury – and he’s not playing ‘ducks and drakes’ games with the support. He said: “I see no reason why not.

Celtic's 4-0 home thumping of St Mirren prompted some fascinating facts when goal digging into the Scottish champions' league campaign.

That not only makes them the top scorers in both measures and the solitary top flight side with more goals away from their own backyard, it also means they are spectacularly consistent in dishing out punishment to opponents. As well as the alacrity with which Celtic pounce in their opponents’ penalty area. [Celtic](/topic/celtic) had a shout for a penalty when Liel Abada tumbled in the box in the opening minutes last night.

Exclusive: Gordon Woods claimed there are more survivors overseas whose lawyers are 'sitting and waiting for the result of the class action'

Celtic FC has previously said on the subject: "Given the ongoing legal proceedings, it is not appropriate for us to provide any comment. The solicitors are mounting a US-style "class action" lawsuit under new Scottish laws. "This is the first class action to take place, if Thompsons are successful, and I have every confidence they will be, I'm quite sure other solicitors will fall in place and launch their own actions. Sign up to our daily newsletter The survivor said: "It's not just Thompsons that has clients, there are other solicitors like Digby Brown. Digby Brown will launch their own class action.

The Celtic fan couldn't resist a dig at Sky Sports regular Walker while riffing with his great Rangers pal Ally McCoist.

He wants to pop down to Specsavers, he does." But after he received a likely knock back, the former Ipswich hero was on the hunt for a potential replacement for McCoist. Brazil revealed he is in line for hospitality tickets for the Hampden showdown between Celtic and Rangers on February 26 and wanted to see if McCoist was keen to join him.

The Buddies had a goal ruled offside, hit the bar and drew two superb saves from Joe Hart despite their heavy defeat in Glasgow.

“We feel as a management group and a group of players that we’re better than what we showed. “We need a better collective performance, for sure. “What summed us up was Jonah [Ayunga] getting one on one with [Yuki] Kobayashi and he wasn’t as positive as we know he can be. We can’t do that against a team of that quality. “You’re in control of set situations for the first and fourth goals. “If you have seven or eight players not at the very top of their game you’re going to struggle.

A cold night in Paradise but a good performance from the team, and another step towards the Scottish Premiership title. A long way to go, but another 13 ...

Little wrong with the midfield, and little wrong with the team in general. And what a lovely, casual goal from a man who just turned away as if to say “That’s the sort of thing I do!” A cold night in Paradise but a good performance from the team, and another step towards the Scottish Premiership title.

CZECH club Banik Ostrava have broken their silence on reported Celtic interest in top striker prospect Ladislav Almasi and insisted he won't leave this ...

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