Celtic

Amy Canavan
BBC Sport Scotland

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Full-back Alistair Johnston said last week the defeat in Perth was a well-needed wake-up call for Celtic. Well, they were alive and kicking here.

When in such a frightening mood, no one can lay a glove on them domestically.

The speed they hit, the ferocity they pounced with and the intent they showed were all of the highest of level. It really was a matter of how many they wanted.

Daizen Maeda and James Forrest ran riot down the flanks and there was a scarcely believable amount of space for the midfielders to work their magic.

To be able to bring on Nicolas Kuhn, Jota, Luke McCowan and Paulo Bernardo with the game long done and dusted, is a luxury every team in the land must envy.

Brendan Rodgers' remarkable record at Hampden was never in doubt of being spoiled, and should his side turn up in similar fashion next month against Aberdeen, you'd expect it would remain intact then, too.

Yet another domestic treble appears only a matter of 90 minutes or so away. Doing so at such apparent ease is quite the indication of their superiority.

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Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers tells BBC Scotland: "Very impressed.

"You'd expect them to have confidence and start the game aggressively, but we kept that mentality and once we got the opening goal, we could go on and produce a brilliant performance.

"[Callum McGregor] is such a unique player, tempo setter for the team. He's tactically so good, he really is a coach on the pitch. He sees all the pictures we want and he knows when to release himself to shoot or create goals. A wonderful player who is the glue for this team. A really special player.

"Today was about getting into the final and the players did that with a great performance. Our concentration level was very high, scored five and could have had one or two others.

"Five league games [left] and we want to finish as well as we can. It's been a long season, the players have put in so much work - it's been phenomenal. We go into a five-game situation now and we want to finish top of that mini league."

Dundee United will strongly argue their case after Celtic contacted the SPFL regarding an alleged pricing discrepancy for their visit to Tannadice next weekend. (The Courier), external

Read the rest of Sunday's Scottish gossip.

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The PFA Scotland Premiership Team of the Year has been revealed and seven Celtic players have been included.

Goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel has been picked between the sticks by fellow players.

Right-back Alistair Johnston and centre-half Cameron Carter-Vickers have been included in the back line while midfielders Callum McGregor and Reo Hatate have also been chosen.

Forwards Nicolas Kuhn and Daizen Maeda make up the front three.

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Goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo says he sees himself becoming number one at Celtic.

The Finn joined the Hoops from Aston Villa last summer and has been in the starting line-up for their previous three fixtures while Kasper Schmeichel recovers from a shoulder injury.

With Schmeichel still out, Sinisalo will get a chance to showcase himself on the Hampden stage in Sunday's Scottish Cup semi-final and the 23-year-old is hoping he is on a journey towards becoming Celtic's first-choice keeper.

"Yes, that's always been the aim," he said. "That's the whole plan of me coming here.

"I want to play for this football club. I want to be the number one here. That's been the aim since the first day I walked into this football club.

"I'm trying to do my best. Hopefully the performances can show that and the way I train every day can show that I can be that.

"Kasper's been brilliant. Me and him have a great working relationship and we're great friends with each other. He's a brilliant goalkeeper. He's done really well for the football club.

"With the career he's had, I'm there to learn from him. Hopefully one day I can be a number one here, but that's ultimately the plan."

As they prepare to go head to head at Hampden on Sunday, watch Celtic's previous Scottish Cup semi-final meeting with St Johnstone as a Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink double earns a 2-1 win in 2007.

(Available to UK users only)

Celtic have raised concerns with the SPFL over ticket arrangements for their potential title-sealing trip to Dundee United next weekend. Upper tier seats for away fans in the Jerry Kerr Stand have been priced at £42, while home season-ticket holders can bring a friend for £10. (Daily Record), external

Read the rest of Saturday's Scottish gossip.

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Brendan Rodgers has not given up hope of persuading Greg Taylor to stay at Celtic beyond the summer.

The 27-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season and with the impending return of Kieran Tierney on a free transfer, Rodgers last month admitted Taylor was likely to leave.

Reports have suggested, external Celtic have improved their contract offer to Taylor, but while manager Rodgers says there is "nothing concrete" to update, he is not ruling out the left-back extending his six-year stay.

"Someone sent me a headline yesterday and I was hoping it was true but I don't know of anything that's happening," he said.

"I've said all along he's a player I want to keep here but that's out of my hands now.

"You see from Greg's performance last week he was so good in the game. In terms of that role, that inverted position, that's as good as I've seen him play.

"He's such a fantastic player but he's more than that. He's very instrumental off the field, he's got a big personality in the changing room.

"His character fits this club, he's up for every single game. He's in tune with what being a Celtic player is about. You look at James [Forrest], Callum [McGregor], they live with the expectation, the feeling and what the demands are of this club and Greg lives that feeling as well.

"There's so much more time and his game but his game is perfect for how we work that's why I want to keep him so much."

With fellow left-back Tierney returning, Taylor would no longer be first choice but Rodgers insisted he'd like to have both players to choose from.

"Greg knows how we all feel about him here," he added.

"It's a big decision at 27, if you commit you're committing for four or five years so you're saying this is your big contract here.

"I think he knows what he gets from a football perspective, he has every right to take his time and try and get his value met.

"I think the big thing for Greg is playing. We've obviously got Kieran coming back in but it's still a squad, it's still a season. Especially now where it has felt like such a long season with no breaks so I think even more so you need a really good squad."

Charlotte Cohen
BBC Sport Scotland

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Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has been speaking to the media as his side prepare to face St Johnstone in Sunday's Scottish Cup semi-final.

Here are the main points:

• After a video surfaced on social media of Adam Idah appearing to be sick in a taxi, Rodgers insists he "got the full story" from the striker and has "no doubts" he is a great young professional.

• He adds: "The sad thing for me is that a 24-year-old football player, who in his spare time, can't let his hair down without someone trying to film him."

• Rodgers feels having played St Johnstone so recently is "a very good thing" and stresses his players can't give the Perth side "any more gifts" after the shock defeat this month.

• He was delighted with how his side bounced back from that 1-0 loss and have shown they're "very difficult to play against".

• The Celtic boss knows it's "never plain sailing" in cup competition, having been taken to penalties by Aberdeen in last year's semi-final, but insists there's a feeling around the club that "we will win" - his players just have to deliver.

• No movement on Greg Taylor's future but Rodgers reiterates his desire to secure the defender on a new deal - "his game is perfect for how we work that's why I want to keep him so much".

• Rodgers is keen to have Taylor and the returning Kieran Tierney "dovetailing" at left-back next season and is hoping the current Arsenal player can help Celtic "achieve a lot more".

• The Northern Irishman wouldn't be drawn on the prospect of Rangers giving Celtic a guard of honour at Ibrox next month, insisting Sunday's game is "the big focus".

• Kasper Schmeichel is back on the training pitch but isn't ready to return from a shoulder injury. Dane Murray, who Rodgers was keen to play against Rangers, has a knee issue that needs to be looked at but the rest of the squad is in good shape.

Fourth round: Celtic 2-1 Kilmarnock (18 Jan)

Celtic began their Scottish Cup defence with a narrow home win over Killie.

Captain Callum McGregor opened the scoring after 12 minutes for the holders but the visitors drew level thanks to Bobby Wales' goal on the cusp of half-time.

However, Daizen Maeda converted a Nicolas Kuhn cross to send Celtic through and extend Brendan Rodgers' unbeaten run in the Scottish Cup.

Fifth round: Celtic 5-0 Raith Rovers (8 Feb)

Maeda shone for Celtic again in the fifth round as his hat-trick inspired the rout of Championship outfit Raith.

The Japan international opened the scoring after just six minutes and netted his second in first half added time.

Luke McCowan and Yang Hyun-Jun got in on the act before Maeda bagged his third late on to take his Celtic tally to 50 goals.

The victory at Parkhead also extended Celtic's unbeaten home run to 32 matches.

Quarter-finals: Celtic 2-0 Hibs (9 March)

Maeda continued his incredible season by netting his 13th goal in 13 games as he got the holders up and running at Parkhead.

Despite chances to extend their lead, it wasn't until Adam Idah's injury-time goal that Celtic doubled their advantage and booked their spot in the semi-final.

The victory made it 20 out of 20 Scottish Cup victories for Rodgers as Celtic manager.

Celtic have offered Greg Taylor, 27, a new improved, three-year deal to try to keep the left-back from leaving as a free agent at the end of this season. (Daily Record), external

Former Celtic striker Chris Sutton reckons his old club should be "chaining Greg Taylor to the front door until he signed a contract extension" but insists summer arrival Kieran Tierney is a necessary upgrade at Champions League level. (Daily Record), external

Read the rest of Friday's Scottish gossip.

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Reo Hatate is no stranger to Hampden success. The Celtic midfielder has played at the national stadium nine times, winning eight, and hoisted four trophies there.

But there's one personal ambition the 27-year-old still craves as Sunday's Scottish Cup semi-final meeting with St Johnstone looms.

"I've never scored a goal in Hampden Park, so I want to try to score a goal in the next game," he told Celtic TV.

"I've got good memories at Hampden Park, so I want to win the next game."

Hatate has enjoyed victory in eight straight Hampden visits since his first appearance there in April 2022 ended in a 2-1 extra-time defeat by Rangers in the Scottish Cup semi-final.

Asked for his favourite memory at the national stadium, the Japan international pinpointed his most recent visit in December as Celtic completed the first leg of this season's potential treble.

"I think the League Cup final from this season," he said.

"We played against Rangers and it was 3-3. We went to penalties and it was a hard game. I played the full game, it was a tough game but we won the League Cup and it made me most happy."

Celtic are 15 points clear at the top of the while Saints are five points adrift at the bottom.

But Hatate knows that gulf counted for little when the Perth side pulled off a shock 1-0 win over the champions-elect at McDiarmid Park earlier this month.

"I want to win the Scottish Cup, but we played against St Johnstone and lost to them in the last game in the league, so we have to work hard for the next game," he said.

• Celtic beat Rangers 1-0 in last season's Scottish Cup final to lift the trophy for the second season in a row and 42nd time overall.

• This is St Johnstone's first semi-final since lifting the trophy for a second time in 2021, when they defeated St Mirren 2-1 to reach the final.

• Celtic last lost in the semi-finals in 2022, when they were beaten by Rangers.

• Celtic have won seven of their eight Scottish Cup meetings with St Johnstone.

• St Johnstone's only Scottish Cup victory over Celtic was a 2-1 victory in February 1936, Jimmy Beattie scoring either side of a Willie Buchan equaliser in the second-round tie at Celtic Park.

• Ryan Christie scored the only goal - for Celtic - in the latest Scottish Cup meeting between the sides, in a March 2020 quarter-final at McDiarmid Park.

• Celtic won the only previous Scottish Cup semi-final between the sides, 2-1 in April 2007, when Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink scored either side of a Martin Hardie equaliser.

• Celtic won their latest semi-final meeting with Saints, in the League Cup in November 2021, with James Forrest scoring the only goal at Hampden.

• St Johnstone have only won one of their past four outings, but that came two weeks ago at home to Celtic, Daniels Balodis scoring the only goal.

• Scottish Premiership leaders and reigning champions Celtic have won two and lost two of their latest four outings, the other defeat coming at home to Rangers.

Kheredine Idessane
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

Recent Scottish Premiership defeats to Rangers, Hibernian and St Johnstone can all be explained away by the "comfort" zone the manager felt his players had retreated into due to their huge lead at the top of the table.

When your race is run, it's hard to keep the same focus and intensity. Fair enough, up to a point, and it's one I've made on this page before.

What if the drop off in form, however, is so stark it leads to an unprecedented dip in results?

Until recently, Brendan Rodgers had never lost to Scottish opposition four times in the space of three months. I had a peek back through the archives just to make sure.

Upon arrival in Scottish football, he famously didn't lose a single domestic match in the 2016-17 season. The 'invincible treble' and all that.

He's still to lose a match at Hampden across his two spells in charge, a record that's likely to survive the Saints' attempts to shred it at the national stadium on Sunday.

But what do the four defeats in 2025 tell us? That Celtic aren't as good as we thought?

That could be true but could also be a little harsh, given they went from early August until the turn of the year without losing to anyone except last season's Champions League runners-up Borussia Dortmund.

In that time, they won the League Cup, effectively wrapped up the Premiership title and made progress into the knockout phase of the Champions League.

With all their boxes ticked, cue the inevitable drop-off.

There is one valid question that requires addressing: are Celtic significantly better than they were last season? If not, do the big-money arrivals of Arne Engels, Auston Trusty and Adam Idah require further scrutiny?

Those three cost about £26m. For Celtic, that's pushing the boat out. Has the requisite amount of progress been made? Perhaps.

While European results were good, you could also argue the luck of the draw favoured Rodgers' men. They had wins over RB Leipzig, Slovan Bratislava and Young Boys, who finished 32nd, 35th and 36th respectively in the new 36-team format.

Having spent big last summer, will Celtic have the budget to do the same again in a few months' time? Kieran Tierney is coming home and Jota is already in the building.

A striker is required to help Daizen Maeda and Idah, given no replacement arrived for the departed Kyogo Furuhashi. If Greg Taylor moves on, a new left-back will be needed.

Given Trusty's failure to nail down the vacant centre-half berth beside Cameron Carter-Vickers, would the manager want another central defender to compete with Trusty and Liam Scales?

If the midfield is over-reliant on captain Calum McGregor, Engels will have to show significant improvement in his second season to justify his transfer fee. If any of Luke McCowan, Reo Hatate or Paulo Bernardo head for pastures new, the midfield is another area Rodgers might feel needs reinforced.

Unless Yang Hyun-Jun can string a series of consistent performances together, he might find he's competing with yet another winger come the start of next term.

Whatever positions he decides to strengthen, Rodgers is likely to want a bigger bang for his buck - or certainly a more prolonged one - than his summer purchases produced last time around.

Before watching his side thrash Kilmarnock, Rodgers confirmed he will, at the very least, be Celtic's manager next term.

The club will want to talk about extending his contract beyond next season. His decision on whether or not to do so may come down to the level of the club's ambition.

They may very well be making these big decisions on the back of yet another domestic treble. That, though, is no longer the only stage Rodgers is content impressing on.

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Alistair Johnston says Brendan Rodgers is "a manager you love to play for" and the defender hopes the Celtic boss remains at the club "for the long term".

Before the league leaders thrashed Kilmarnock at the weekend, Rodgers quashed any doubts about his future by saying he was "150%" sure he will still be Celtic boss next season.

Celtic face St Johnstone in the Scottish Cup semi-finals this weekend and they can clinch a 13th title in 14 years if they avoid defeat when they take on Dundee United at Tannadice in the first round of post-split fixtures.

"The gaffer's been great since he walked in the door," Johnston said. "I think his resume speaks for itself in terms of not only his time here, but his time outside Scotland.

"I mean, he's a winner. It's as simple as that, he's a manager that you love to play for.

"He's proven time and time again what a top manager he is, how much he loves this club and how much he loves being here for the fans.

"Hopefully there's something that can keep him here for the long term."

Despite signing under previous boss Ange Postecoglou, Johnston credits Rodgers with freeing up the defender.

The 26-year-old added: "Obviously, I came in under Ange. I was brought in to invert and I kind of hit the ground running a little bit.

"But I was still kind of starry-eyed a little bit, just trying to find my place and when [Rodgers] came in, he kind of really unlocked me in terms of wanting me to be that full-back that bombs up and down.

"He saw I had the ability to do that. Between him and [assistant coach] John Kennedy, they've really kind of fine-tuned my game and brought me into probably my finest form.

"He's been great for me, there's no doubt about that, and I've really enjoyed playing under him and hopefully that'll continue for a long, long time."

Olympiakos will not exercise their option to purchase on-loan Celtic 25-year-old Luis Palma at the end of the season after the Honduras winger failed to fully establish himself with the club crowned Greek league champions on Sunday. (EDN TV), external

Celtic and Rangers have joined the race to sign 17-year-old England youth winger Jesse Derry, who is out-of-contract this summer after rejecting a professional deal with Crystal Palace and could leave for a compensation fee. (Scottish Sun), external

Former Celtic defender Adam Virgo says he felt let down by then manager Gordon Strachan, who had promised he would be first-choice right-back when persuading him to sign from Brighton & Hove Albion but then rarely playing him. (Under The Cosh podcast), external

Former Celtic defender Charlie Mulgrew, who resigned after less than three months as Kelty Hearts head coach, is embarrassed by his spell with the Scottish League 1 club, admitting he did not enjoy his first foray into management. (Open Goal), external

Scottish FA president Mike Mulraney has initiated discussions on a shared stadium of between 3,000 to 5,000 spectators for Celtic, Rangers and Glasgow City's women's teams in a push to accelerate the growth of the game ahead of Scotland co-hosting the 2035 Women's World Cup. (The Herald), external

Football fans heading to this weekend's Scottish Cup semi-finals at Hampden Park have been handed a timely travel boost, with ScotRail confirming additional trains and extra seats to help supporters get to and from the national stadium. (The Herald), external

Read Wednesday's Scottish Gossip in full.

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Celtic's league defeat to St Johnstone was a much-needed "wake-up call" according to right-back Alistair Johnston.

Brendan Rodgers' side bounced back from defeat in Perth by hammering Kilmarnock at Celtic Park, and they now have the chance to exact revenge against the Saints in Sunday's Scottish Cup semi-final.

Their defeat to the Scottish Premiership's bottom side led to Rodgers calling out his players for being "too comfortable" and adding that their mindset brought "concerns" to the manager.

Reflecting on the narrow loss, the Canada international said: "It's a reminder of why you play football. It's not played on paper, it's played on the football pitch for a reason, and at the end of the day, anyone can win on any given day.

"So, yeah, it was a wake-up that if we don't perform the way that we know we can and we should perform, that we can lose any football match domestically or on the continent, wherever you play.

"So that was definitely something that I think kind of was needed, an awakening, especially when you come into this final part of the season where there's trophies on the line.

"It was good for the whole group just to refocus and kind of light a fire under some guys as well.

"There's now a chance to get to a cup final and everyone's going to be looking at that and circling this is an opportunity.

"So we're ready for that. It was a bit of a wake-up call for us, and I think we will be better for it."

Tino
Fan writer

Following a seven day post-mortem after the defeat to St Johnstone, it took Celtic just 24 minutes to remind everyone why they're champions, as they blew away a shell-shocked Kilmarnock at Celtic Park.

By that stage, Brendan Rodgers' men were already four goals to the good thanks to goals from Reo Hatate, Daizen Maeda and Cameron Carter-Vickers. When the latter smashed his shot into the top corner from 25 yards, a good day's entertainment was guaranteed.

The response was as emphatic as it was reassuring.

However, it wasn't just about winning the next game; it was about the players reminding everyone exactly who they are and when they're in that kind of mood, there's no one in the country that can live with them.

It was also the perfect time of the campaign to put in such a display.

With just a point now needed to secure a fourth successive Scottish Premiership title, the possibility of a historic ninth domestic treble nudges ever closer.

Hatate, Carter-Vickers and Alistair Johnston – among others – have all been in the firing line after their failings in Perth but all stepped up to show why they've been such key players for Rodgers in recent times.

Special praise however must be given to forgotten man Greg Taylor, who marked his first Celtic start in seven weeks with a 'player of the match' performance as his family looked on from the stands.

It's been widely thought that the Scotland international's time at the club is up – especially with confirmation that returning hero Kieran Tierney will be back in the fold next season – but he didn't let any of that affect him as he stepped up to show us what we might be missing, should he head for pastures new in summer.

That debate will rumble on for a few weeks yet, but what's never been in doubt is Taylor's commitment every time he pulls on a Celtic shirt, and for that he deserves everyone's respect.

Next up it's a visit to Hampden, and a quick-fire opportunity to exact revenge on Simo Valakari's St Johnstone for that recent reversal.

It could be a dangerous time for the McDiarmid Park side to be facing us once again and with Brendan Rodgers' incredible Hampden record still intact, it'll take a gargantuan effort to stop us taking our place in next month's Scottish Cup final.

With 14 wins from 14 at the national stadium, the manager won't be looking to change that pattern any time soon and the smart money will be on him taking his place in the Hampden technical area once again come 24 May.

Tino can be found at The Celtic Exchange, external

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Arne Engels believes he's "coped really well" with settling into life at Celtic and insists he doesn't pay much attention to any online scrutiny.

Since joining in the summer for a reported club-record fee of £11 million from Bundesliga side Augsburg, the midfielder has 10 goals and 11 assists, but hasn't always received universal praise from the stands.

However, the 21-year-old says he "doesn't read bad things on the internet," which helps his focus on his qualities.

"I don't read a lot so that's a good point that I'm not really watching those things on the internet," the Belgian told the club's official podcast.

"I know what I'm doing, I'm still a young player and it's my first season here. I still need to work on things and also settle in.

"Now I'm really settled in and I know everything and everything is going well off the pitch. But I think I coped really well with it and I wasn't really stressing because I was believing in my own qualities.

"That's also a good point of me, that I'm not really thinking about the bad things every time, but also knowing my qualities and abilities, that I'm capable of trying to do something and trying to get an assist or a goal.

"I hope that I can help the team a little bit more with those things and I'm sure I will."

With five post-split fixtures, a Scottish Cup semi-final and potential final to come, he is intent on ending the season on a high and with the treble.

"I love it, actually," he said. "The winning mentality is something that suits me really well and I was looking forward to.

"There are still two more things to win and everybody is really focused on that. It's about winning and that's what we love to do.

"But about the season, everything has gone really smoothly and good. Of course, it was my first season so there were a lot of ups and downs, but I think there were a lot of up and we just need to think about those and not only about one or two months that it was a bit less.

"That's how it is, especially at a big club like this when you need to perform every week and every game.

"I'm just looking forward to ending this season really well and in a really good way and hopefully win some more."

Kieran Tierney rejected offers from Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen, Everton, Juventus and Sevilla as the 27-year-old Scotland defender sealed a summer return to boyhood club Celtic from Arsenal six-and-a-half years after leaving in a £25m deal. (The Herald), external

Veteran goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel's form for Celtic this season will rule them out of making an approach to sign Martin Dubravka from Newcastle United in the summer. (Football Insider), external

Winger Luis Palma, the 25-year-old who has made just 10 appearances and scored once since joining Olympiakos from Celtic on loan in January, was an unused substitute as they sealed the Greek Super League title with a 1-0 win over AEK Athens. (Scottish Sun), external

Read Tuesday's Scottish Gossip in full.

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