With the way results went elsewhere before Celtic’s kick-off at Tynecastle, the focus on the capital clash intensified. There are classic examples of teams shooting themselves in the foot when such windows of opportunity arise – not this Celtic team, though. Shooting ahead at the top of the league was the only target for this Brendan Rodgers side and, after a bit of tactical tweaking at half time, that’s exactly what they did. The manager said: “I’m very pleased. To come to Tynecastle and win 4-1, with only 500+ supporters in the stadium, it was a great victory for us. “I thought we were very good in the second half. Once we figured out their press and structure, because in the first half they surprised us a little bit with how they pressed the game, so we didn’t quite get out as quickly as we wanted to. “But once we took the team through that at half-time, and looked at their positioning, of course, we were much better in the second half.” He added: “We’ve seen it in this team now for a period of time, they have that consistency now to soak up pressure when we need to defend well, but, our positioning with the ball just allowed them to press us just a little bit too easy, so we didn’t quite get that right. “We had some really good moments in the first half, but gave up the ball just a fraction too cheaply. ‘But it’s also the nature of this group, they want to learn, they want to be better.’ “And also tonight coming on the back of such a long, long trip for some of the players – when you think about Ali Johnston, two games away, coming back, travel time in different time zones, having to adjust and train with the team on Friday’ “Auston Trusty likewise, the Japanese boys, travelling halfway around the world – it’s absolutely incredible what they gave the game tonight.”It was, of course, a Japanese Bhoy that hammered the first nail into the coffin of Hearts’ hopes when he scored his 80th goal in his 150th game for Celtic. The manager said: “It’s not just the goals, it’s his all-round game, his intensity, his pressing, and the work that he puts in for the team is obviously very, very impressive. “He can score more, his conversion rate can be better, but what’s important is that he gets the opportunities. “But he’s so much more than goals for me, his pressing, his movement, creating space for other players and him, from the start pressing up there at the top of the team, then it allows the collective to come in behind him. “So, tonight was really all about the collective, the impact of the subs coming in and it was a real team performance.”FixturesHeart of Midlothian Vs. Celtic – Sat, Nov 23rd 2024, 19:45
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