Celtic enjoy home comfort but arduous journey awaits

Celtic are about to set off to Kazakhstan on the most important trip of their season.

They do so on the back of three goals, three points and a decent-enough display, from a much-changed team against Livingston, which keeps up the Scottish champions’ perfect domestic start.

Amid all that at Celtic Park on Saturday, there was some of the stodginess that characterised the drab goalless first leg against the Kazakhs and more grumbling from the fans.

And there were more gentle reminders from Brendan Rodgers afterwards that he is not entirely thrilled by the club’s recruitment work this summer.

The Celtic manager knows his side will have to be near-flawless after a nine-hour flight across several time zones to the heat of Almaty, where they’ll go head-to-head with Kairat on Tuesday in a £40m, winner-takes-all Champions League shoot-out.

Livingston adopted a similar approach to the one Kairat used to frustrate Celtic, who were far from their fluent best in an unconvincing first half but were much improved after the break.

Given that the defensive line, midfield trio and front three had either rarely or never played in those combinations before, it’s perhaps unsurprising there was a little unfamiliarity and lack of tempo to much of the first half.

In that period, Celtic were pretty predictable, with their wide players coming inside to an already congested area of the final third while Livingston watched them huff and puff in front of them.

The strength of the Celtic bench speaks to the gamble Rodgers took with Tuesday in mind. Callum McGregor, Kieran Tierney, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Daizen Maeda, Reo Hatate and James Forrest all sat on the bench, with Hayato Inamura given a debut at left-back and Shin Yamada his first Celtic start up front.

It was provided in spades by Benjamin Nygren thereafter. The Sweden international glided past a couple of flailing challenges to set up, and score, the opener and settle down an increasingly restless Celtic Park.

In the chaos of a crowded box, he then coolly found the only available spot of Livingston’s goal in which to curl the decisive second. The relieved fans roared their appreciation.

Three goals in his first five games is a dream start. Supporters screaming for big money to be spent might reflect that it’s often the reasonably-priced options that provide the best value, given Nygren cost a reported £2m from Nordsjaelland.

At 1-0, the cavalry arrived. McGregor, Maeda, Forrest were introduced. It continued the general upward trend in quality being shown by Celtic, without overly tiring them out before they board Sunday’s 10:00 BST flight to Almaty.

Celtic will feel they have several gears yet to go up.

Rodgers paid tribute to the supporters, acknowledging their support. Patience was the watchword, given it took a fair while for the goals to start flowing.

Significantly, with the half-time scoreline goalless at Celtic Park for the third time this season, there was no audible dissent.

Just mild applause, perhaps because Jerome Prior had just pulled off an incredible save to keep out Hyun-jun Yang’s flying, point-blank header.

The applause and encouragement was amplified after the interval, no doubt inspired by Nygren’s contribution.

By mid-way through the second period, with Celtic three up and coasting, the supporters were loving life. Game done, opposition despatched, box ticked.

Not that everything was a complete bed of roses for the directors sitting in the main stand. Hand-written banners were held up in the standing section of Celtic Park, reading ‘zero ambition’, ‘neglect team’, ‘rinse fans’ and ‘basic board’.

There were also some first-half chants of ‘sack the board’, leaving the hierarchy perfectly clear about the strength of feeling among some of their own.

The Celtic manager was mostly complimentary, and little wonder.

An entirely new back four didn’t concede. The striker getting his first start – Shin Yamada – looked lively, if a little rusty. The left-back not named in the European squad – Hayato Inamura – didn’t look too out of place either.

“I’m really pleased. I thought it was a very good performance,” Rodgers said.

“We created opportunities and should have been ahead at half-time, but I think our patience was important and the crowd were terrific today.”

All of that pales into insignificance alongside what is to come in the next week or so.

Not only the matter of the Almaty trip, but potentially a Champions League draw on Thursday and a trip to Ibrox to face Rangers on Sunday. Then, the following day, the transfer window shuts.

“We want to be in the Champions League and we have a great chance to go over there and qualify,” Rodgers said.

“Apart from that first half on Wednesday when we were a bit passive in the game – which happens – we’re in a great place going over there.

“There’s no doubt everyone can see where the gaps are in our squad, but the players here are more than capable of going and getting the result we want.

“We want to be at the highest level of European football and Champions League is that. It gives a real feelgood factor to everyone.