2021-01-16: Celtic 0-0 Livingston, League

Match Pictures | Matches: 20202021


Trivia

  • 3pm; Saturday match
  • Gavin Strachan in charge due to covid isolation of 13 players, Lennon & Kennedy after the Dubai trip when Julien got the Covid virus. Although Lennon etc in charge via the phone!
  • League challenge has already truly well gone, all accepting that challenge is over and Sevco uncatchable now.
  • First of two league matches v Livingston in 4 days.
  • Scott Robertson in the squad. The 19-year-old midfielder has been recalled from his loan stint at League One outfit Gillingham in the wake of the coronavirus fall-out
  • Celtic release youtube vid of Peter Lawell apology on Dubai trip.
  • Reports increase on Lennon to step down and Eddie Howe to take over, as early as this week.
  • Voices rising amongst the support against the board due to perceived inaction over the collapse this season.

Prior to this match: Celtic have lead but didn’t win; – 2020/2021 … 7 times so far – 2019/2020 … twice  – 2018/2019 … 4 times  – 2017/2018 … 4 times  – 2016/2017 … 6 times; Lead by 2 & not won; – 20/21 … 3 times so far – 17/18 … once  – 19/20, 18/19 & 16/17 … Nil

  • Reports: Bolingoli to return with his loan being cut short by his Turkish side.
  • AC Milan have once again been linked with a move for Kristoffer Ajer. The Celtic centre-back has interested the Italian giants for a while now. The Serie A leaders were hoping to sign Strasbourg’s Mohamed Simakan but an injury has made them rethink their plans. Diego Laxalt could be used as a makeweight in the deal. (Corriere dello Sport)
  • Atletico Madrid have completed the signing of Moussa Dembele. However, Celtic are not set for a windfall yet. The Frenchman has moved from Lyon on a loan with option to buy deal. The Parkhead club are due 10 per cent of any profit Lyon make on their £20million investment.
  • Dembele was announced by the official Athletico Madrid twitter feed as “The Hunskelper”!
  • Snooker: John Higgins makes Snooker Masters final but sadly lost in the final to China’s rising star Yan Bingtao. Some see as the transition to a new era.
  • Covid:
    • Celtic have put their under-18 academy players on the government furlough scheme.  Another bad PR move by Celtic.
    • Further covid restrictions brought in Scotland.

Summary

‘No flair, no panache, no football. The season from Hell continues,’

David Potter

“Here’s a litle shout out to popcorn teeth, Broony and the lads”

(Evening/Glasgow Times newspaper on twitter, later pulled)

(culzane of KDS)
if we had played the youngsters and drew nil nil, folk would be disappointed, but at least happy to let the young team get a chance.  no wonder all the younger players are leaving. if they cant get a game in circumstances like this then what chance do they have. remember in Euro games we need a lot of home reared players. we wont have many left at this stage. there is no thought to the future. this is creating a scorched earth policy and could take years to fix. 

but getting to nearly 80 minutes before bringing on a second sub, and not using 3 subs is criminal. fresh legs could have helped.  Strachan would have been better cutting the bluetooth signal and doing it on his own. giving some of the younger players even 15 minutes might have been great for them in the long run. 

at times it seems all lennon wants to do is avoid a defeat, or at least stop it being too heavy a defeat, rather than trying to win the games. its self preservation above success.  

we need better, 

we deserve better

we are likely to get told to sit back down and shut up as Peter knows better and driveways are expensive to heat. 

come wednesday, all Lennon’s favourites who want to leave will be straight back in. at least we might get a forward playing. 

(HT of KDS)
I’m not sure people realise how bad things are at youth level, not just at our club but across the piece. I saw quite a lot of Dembele at youth level. He’s an extraordinary talent in theory, but you see in his decision making (in the rare times you see him) that he’s miles off being ready. They are just not prepared to step up and it’s probably no surprise that we buy in so many young players from elsewhere.

Mikey Johnstone is nearly 22. He’s had injury issues of course but he’s had less than 20 starts 4 years into a pro career. Whether that’s because he’s not ready, not good enough or has not been given enough time to develop, it’s no matter. The age he is, if he’s not a regular, chances are he won’t be.

Youth development strategy is just one of the myriad of issues at our club. Transfers have become almost comically bad. We have three hugely expensive loan players. Mo is just another version of something we already have. Duffy being recruited to a team that has the bulk of the ball suggests he was signed by someone who had never seen us play. Laxalt is neither a good defender (no positional sense) or wing back (Lee Naylor crossed better). We keep signing players who are not match fit. We have guys like Rogic who can’t play beyond 60 minutes. We have a £50m payroll and have issues in almost every position.

I don’t really care about the 10. I care more about people controlling our club who have not seen this rapid decline playing out when Rab from Royston could see it. Livi today was just another rerun of the same movie. A hard working and organised team is even money to beat our overpaid bunch of sideways passers. That was as much true in July as it is in January. And no one who could have changed that seems too bothered about it.


Teams

Celtic

Formation 4-2-3-1

65Hazard

56Ralston6Bitton4Duffy93Laxalt

42McGregor12Soro

30Frimpong14Turnbull19Johnston

18Rogic

  • 65Hazard
  • 56RalstonBooked at 29mins
  • 6Bitton
  • 4Duffy
  • 93Laxalt
  • 42McGregor
  • 12Soro
  • 30Frimpong
  • 14Turnbull
  • 19Johnston Substituted forHendersonat 66’minutes
  • 18Rogic Substituted forOkoflexat 80’minutes

Substitutes

  • 3Taylor
  • 28Connell
  • 41Robertson
  • 45Doohan
  • 48Okoflex
  • 52Henderson
  • 53Harper
  • 57Welsh
  • 77Dembele

Livingston

Formation 4-2-3-1

32Stryjek

2Devlin25Ambrose27Guthrie3Brown

33Lawson6Bartley

14Mullin8Pittman10Sibbald

17Robinson

  • 32Stryjek
  • 2Devlin
  • 25Ambrose
  • 27Guthrie
  • 3Brown
  • 33LawsonBooked at 84mins
  • 6BartleyBooked at 67mins
  • 14Mullin
  • 8Pittman
  • 10Sibbald
  • Substituted forForrestat 62’minutes
  • 17Robinson
    • Substituted forHamiltonat 75’minutes

Substitutes

  • 1McCrorie
  • 5Fitzwater
  • 9Emmanuel-Thomas
  • 11Forrest
  • 12Serrano
  • 21McMillan
  • 22Tiffoney
  • 29Taylor-Sinclair
  • 38Hamilton

Referee:

John Beaton

Att: none


Articles

  • Match Report (see below)

Pictures


Match Links


Stats

Home TeamCelticAway TeamLivingston

Possession

    Home61%

    Away39%

Shots

    Home7

    Away15

Shots on Target

    Home1

    Away1

Corners

    Home2

    Away9

Fouls

    Home12

    Away10


Articles

BBC

By Martin WattBBC Scotland

Last updated on

17 January 202117 January 2021.From the section Scottish Premiership

Highlights: Celtic 0-0 Livingston

Celtic allowed Livingston to “impose their style on us”, admitted coach Gavin Strachan after his makeshift side were held to a Premiership draw.

The hosts struggled in their second game without 13 players and manager Neil Lennon self-isolating, and remain winless after three outings in 2021.

Josh Mullin hit the crossbar for Livingston as their eight-game winning streak ended.

“They made it really difficult for us,” said Strachan.

“Obviously the situation isn’t ideal but we still had more than enough that we could display a better performance than we did.”

    Reaction & as it happened

Celtic are 20 points behind leaders Rangers, while Livingston stay fifth after their first dropped points in seven league games.

Celtic retain two games in hand on the Ibrox side, but are now three without victory and this latest blow to their already paper-thin hopes of a 10th successive title was no real surprise.

With Christopher Jullien’s positive Covid-19 test following the club’s Dubai training trip having decimated Celtic’s squad as close contacts self-isolate, the absence of a recognised striker prompted Strachan to deploy midfielder Tom Rogic up front. That lack of cohesion was evident throughout the side.

Nir Bitton’s return from suspension to partner Shane Duffy at least gave Celtic an experienced international centre-back pairing. But the defence – so often Celtic’s Achilles heel this season – was creaking from the start as Livingston swarmed all over them with a high-intensity, pressing gameplan.

Duffy in particular was suspect, sending passes astray and needlessly inviting pressure.

For all Livingston’s impressive play, though, their wayward finishing was the key factor in the end to David Martindale’s winning start as head coach.

Defender Jon Guthrie wasn’t far away from finding the top corner with a volley from the edge of the area, and Scott Robinson flashed a header wide moments later in Livingston’s strong opening.

But it was Celtic who came closest to a first-half breakthrough as Callum McGregor fired inches over the bar and Jeremie Frimpong wriggled free inside the box to force a solid near-post save from Max Stryjek.

Celtic’s defensive flaws were again evident after the break as they carelessly gave away possession and Robinson pounced to curl narrowly wide.

Livingston defender Efe Ambrose should have marked his return to his former club with the opener, only to screw a free header horribly off target, and Scott Pittman couldn’t convert at the back post.

Livingston looked the likelier in a pulsating finale, yet either side could have nicked it. Mullin thought he’d scored with a close-range strike that Conor Hazard somehow tipped on to the bar.

And young Celtic substitute Armstrong Okoflex was then inches away from connecting with Anthony Ralston’s inviting ball across the six-yard box as the game finished goalless.

Man of the match – Josh Mullin

The Livingston midfielder was full of industry, energy and unlucky not to score

The Livingston midfielder was full of industry, energy, and unlucky not to score

What did we learn?

None of the Celtic fringe players given a chance to impress amid the club’s Covid troubles this week have made a compelling case.

This was a largely insipid performance from a team containing more than enough individual talent to secure a much-needed win.

Livingston, meanwhile, will be kicking themselves at failing to achieve the milestone of a first-ever away victory over Celtic. After 13 previous fruitless visits, this was their chance to make history.

They nullified the hosts and had a verve about their play that Celtic couldn’t match, but a lack of composure in front of goal was Livingston’s downfall.

What did they say?

Strachan ‘expects more’ from Celtic

Celtic coach Gavin Strachan: “Tough afternoon. We expect a bit more from the players and were disappointed with the first-half performance. We had a bit more control in the second half, but wanted more shots at goal.

“With events that have gone on, the players’ confidence has probably been affected.”

Livingston head coach David Martindale: “I thought we could have got more out of the game but Celtic had chances as well.

“Some of the players are disappointed, so it shows how far we have come as a club.”

‘I think Lennon’s been texting big Efe…’

What’s next?

A rematch. Celtic will have their players, and manager Lennon, back from quarantine when the sides meet again in the Premiership, this time at Livingston’s Tony Macaroni Stadium, on Wednesday (20:15).

Celtic then have a free weekend while Livingston face St Mirren in the Scottish League Cup final at Hampden on Sunday, January 24 (16:00).

Post update

Match ends, Celtic 0, Livingston 0.

90’+3′

Full Time

Second Half ends, Celtic 0, Livingston 0.

88′

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Shane Duffy (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

88′

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Foul by Jack Hamilton (Livingston).

88′

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Diego Laxalt (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

88′

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Foul by Jack Hamilton (Livingston).

87′

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Attempt missed. Steve Lawson (Livingston) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left following a set piece situation.

86′

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Foul by David Turnbull (Celtic).

86′

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Alan Forrest (Livingston) wins a free kick on the left wing.

86′

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Attempt missed. Nicky Devlin (Livingston) right footed shot from the right side of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Steve Lawson.

84′

Booking

Steve Lawson (Livingston) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

84′

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Ismaila Soro (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

84′

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Foul by Steve Lawson (Livingston).

83′

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Foul by Ewan Henderson (Celtic).

83′

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Nicky Devlin (Livingston) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

81′

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Corner, Livingston. Conceded by Conor Hazard.

81′

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Attempt saved. Josh Mullin (Livingston) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the top left corner. Assisted by Scott Pittman with a cross.

80′

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Attempt missed. Nicky Devlin (Livingston) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right.

80′

Substitution

Substitution, Celtic. Armstrong Okoflex replaces Tomas Rogic.

77′

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Attempt missed. Efe Ambrose (Livingston) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Josh Mullin with a cross following a set piece situation.

7

6′

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Foul by Ismaila Soro (Celtic).

76′

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Jack Hamilton (Livingston) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

75′

Substitution

Substitution, Livingston. Jack Hamilton replaces Scott Robinson.

70′

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Foul by Diego Laxalt (Celtic).

70′

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Marvin Bartley (Livingston) wins a free kick on the right wing.

70′

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Hand ball by Marvin Bartley (Livingston).

69′

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Attempt missed. Ewan Henderson (Celtic) right footed shot from the left side of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Anthony Ralston with a cross.

67′

Booking

Marvin Bartley (Livingston) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

67′

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Jeremie Frimpong (Celtic) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

67′

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Foul by Marvin Bartley (Livingston).

67′

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Attempt missed. Efe Ambrose (Livingston) header from the centre of the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Josh Mullin with a cross following a corner.

66′

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Corner, Livingston. Conceded by Ewan Henderson.

66′

Substitution

Substitution, Celtic. Ewan Henderson replaces Michael Johnston.

62′

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Foul by Shane Duffy (Celtic).

62′

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Scott Robinson (Livingston) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

62′

Substitution

Substitution, Livingston. Alan Forrest replaces Craig Sibbald.

60′

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Attempt blocked. Diego Laxalt (Celtic) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.

57′

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Attempt blocked. Michael Johnston (Celtic) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Jeremie Frimpong.

56′

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Attempt missed. Scott Robinson (Livingston) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Steve Lawson.

52′

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Attempt missed. Scott Robinson (Livingston) header from very close range misses to the right. Assisted by Ciaron Brown.

50′

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Offside, Celtic. Shane Duffy tries a through ball, but Jeremie Frimpong is caught offside.

46′

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Foul by Diego Laxalt (Celtic).

46′

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Nicky Devlin (Livingston) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Second Half

Second Half begins Celtic 0, Livingston 0.

45’+1′

Half Time

First Half ends, Celtic 0, Livingston 0.

45′

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Foul by Scott Pittman (Livingston).

45′

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Ismaila Soro (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

42′

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Attempt missed. Craig Sibbald (Livingston) left footed shot from the left side of the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Josh Mullin with a cross following a corner.

41′

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Corner, Livingston. Conceded by Diego Laxalt.

39′

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Foul by Scott Robinson (Livingston).

39′

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Callum McGregor (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

38′

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Scott Pittman (Livingston) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

38′

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Foul by Callum McGregor (Celtic).

36′

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Corner, Livingston. Conceded by Anthony Ralston.

35′

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Foul by Scott Pittman (Livingston).

35′

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Anthony Ralston (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

32′

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Corner, Livingston. Conceded by Diego Laxalt.

31′

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Foul by Shane Duffy (Celtic).

31′

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Josh Mullin (Livingston) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

30′

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Attempt missed. Josh Mullin (Livingston) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left from a direct free kick.

29′

Booking

Anthony Ralston (Celtic) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

29′

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Foul by Anthony Ralston (Celtic).

29′

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Craig Sibbald (Livingston) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

28′

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Foul by Diego Laxalt (Celtic).

28′

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Scott Robinson (Livingston) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

28′

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Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Scott Pittman.

27′

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Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Jon Guthrie.

25′

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Attempt blocked. Michael Johnston (Celtic) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Callum McGregor.

21′

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Attempt missed. Jeremie Frimpong (Celtic) left footed shot from a difficult angle on the right is too high.

21′

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Attempt saved. Jeremie Frimpong (Celtic) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom right corner.

19′

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Foul by Tomas Rogic (Celtic).

19′

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Craig Sibbald (Livingston) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

18′

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Attempt missed. Nicky Devlin (Livingston) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left.

16′

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Attempt missed. Callum McGregor (Celtic) left footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Jeremie Frimpong.

11′

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Corner, Livingston. Conceded by Callum McGregor.

11′

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Corner, Livingston. Conceded by Tomas Rogic.

10′

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Corner, Livingston. Conceded by Shane Duffy.

10′

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Attempt blocked. Josh Mullin (Livingston) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Scott Pittman.

7′

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Scott Pittman (Livingston) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

7′

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Foul by Tomas Rogic (Celtic).

6′

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Corner, Livingston. Conceded by Diego Laxalt.

5′

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Attempt missed. Scott Pittman (Livingston) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Steve Lawson with a cross.

4′

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Attempt missed. Jon Guthrie (Livingston) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right.

2′

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Attempt blocked. Josh Mullin (Livingston) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Steve Lawson.

2′

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Tomas Rogic (Celtic) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

2′

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Foul by Marvin Bartley (Livingston).

1′

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Diego Laxalt (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

1′

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Foul by Scott Pittman (Livingston).

Kick Off

First Half begins.

Posted at 15:22 16 Jan15:22 16 Jan

Post update

Lineups are announced and players are warming up.

Celtic 0 Livingston 0 – ‘No flair, no panache, no football. The season from Hell continues,’ David Potter

By David Potter        16 January, 2021 No Comments

Photo: Andrew Milligan

Well, it doesn’t get any better, does it? Today was just an excellent example of what football is like if there is no meaningful Celtic presence. No flair, no panache, no football. The season from Hell continues. It was as simple as that.

(Photo by Mark Runnacles/Getty Images)

Celtic simply did not work the goalkeeper at all hardly, and there were only two meaningful chances. One was when Jeremie Frimpong, once again flattering to deceive, was through and tried to score from a tight angle when there were other options available, and the other was when Armstrong Oko-flex probably signed his own Celtic death warrant when he fluffed what looked like an easy chance from the excellent Anthony Ralston.

I hope I am wrong, incidentally, about Oko-Flex, as the boy has hardly had a chance…but it would have won us the game.

Positives today were Anthony Ralston and Callum McGregor whose post-match interview was devastatingly candid. Ismaila Soro and David Turnbull had their moments, but not enough of them, and Mikey Johnston once again failed to take the chance when given to him.

His defenders will say that this was not his best position, and that is true, but a good player can play anywhere. Tom Rogic’s decline sadly seems to be terminal, and oh, how we needed Leigh Griffiths in the centre!

(Photo by Mark Runnacles/Getty Images)

Diego Laxalt? I shall be tactful and say that I look forward to seeing Greg Taylor back again, and someone really has to tell Nir Bitton to stop laying his hands on players! It probably cost us the game at Ibrox, and he was lucky to get off with it several times today.

The truth is that this game did not, in the grand scheme of things, matter all that much because the League has now gone anyway, and in any case, apparently, we will get more players back for Wednesday. But today there was simply not enough talent on the field to make any difference, and one would have to say that Livingston were well worth a draw, and look a good bet for the Scottish League Cup.

(Photo by Mark Runnacles/Getty Images)

So where do we go from here? The short answer is Livingston on Wednesday night. It is difficult to look any further ahead, but I retain at least some degree of confidence that we can still win the Scottish Cup in May. That might be a light at the end of this nightmarish season. How we are needing a good Celtic team to cheer us up! Sadly, we did not find that today!

David Potter

Celtic produced the football equivalent of waterboarding against Livingston

For their living-room watching supporters, there is only one way to sum up Celtic’s performance in the scoreless draw at home to Livingston.

By Andrew Smith

Saturday, 16th January 2021, 6:01 pm

Updated

Saturday, 16th January 2021, 6:50 pm

https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/celtic/celtic-produced-football-equivalent-waterboarding-against-livingston-3103172

It was torturous, it was the football equivalent of waterboarding. For the Parkhead men, this season has had more nadirs than Donald Trump’s presidency. Even so, aspects of the display at home to, admittedly, an opponent boasting the longest domestic winning run in the Scottish game were as impoverished as anything they have served up in the past six months. It hardly matters they are now 20 points behind Rangers with two games in hand, and that the Ibrox men will further stretch the yawning chasm between them and their supposed title rivals should they register a 16th league straight win in their Sunday Motherwell assignment.

A third straight Premiership encounter without a victory – supplying them only two points from a possible nine – means even restricting Steven Gerrard’s men to a single-digit title success now seems an unattainable outcome from this atrocious league campaign for Celtic. It is one from which they only 10-in-a-row could yet be 10 straight desperate displays.

Celtic: Get the latest team news, match previews and reports

Of course, Celtic will put their bereft nature, which against David Martindale’s team resulted in them having only one effort on target, down to them being bereft of attacking options because of their Dubai disaster … as really ought to be the shorthand for their warm-weather training camp. A jaunt that forced into isolation manager Neil Lennon, John Kennedy and 13 players – most damagingly for Celtic their entire frontline possibles in strikers Odsonne Edouard, Leigh Griifths, Albian Ajeti and Patryk Klimala, and goalscorers Ryan Christie and Mohamed Elyounoussi. Yet, against a vibrant, pressing visiting side, Lennon could still select eight regulars, and six full internationals – the Irishman picking the team from home as coach Gavin Strachsn again was his physical stand-in on the sidelines.

The midfield, indeed, in featuring Callum McGregor, David Tunrbull, Ismaila Soro, was almost at full strength. Yet, they could exert no real control and fashion precious few chances for Tom Rogic, deployed as a central striker in a 4-2-3-1. The logic of utilising the Australian in such fashion was understandable, even if it meant the Lennon bashers blowing gaskets online. It is surprising they have any gaskets left to blow, it must be said. Yet, they certainly do in also blowing them over Stephen Welsh giving way to the Nir Bitton in central defence, the Israeli’s costly and needles red card in the Ibrox derby not being a moment that will be forgiven readily by the club’s followers. Rogic’s role in this latest debacle will be picked over but it should be said that in the draw with Hibs, 19-year-old Camerson Harper was lightweight and ineffectual. The experienced playmaker, with his sublime technical ability, might have been expected to be able to hold the ball up and bring midfielders into play. He singularly failed to do so, though, and the close control and ability to weave past markers seem to have deserted a player that now appears alarmingly lumbering.

All of which doesn’t explain why it should have been Livingston that claimed the victory. Celtic were fortunate Efe Ambrose late on thundered a header wide when it seemed easier to score. As they were when Josh Mullin had a stinging effort that was deflected on to the bar, and the excellent Scott Robinson failed to make the most of a glaring opening.

It would be wrong to be one-eyed about the opportunities across the afternoon, mind you. In the closing minutes Armstrong Oxo-Flex – introduced for Rogic – came within a whisker of turning in a flashing cross from Anthony Ralston. The right-back one player who could be satisfied with his endeavours, despite a wild yellow card, in his first Celtic outing for a year-and-a-half. Moreover, Mikey Johnston as guilty of squandering a huge chance in the 58th minute. He painfully dallied when he should have put his foot through the ball after Jeremie Frimpong picked him out in acres of space outside the six-yard box courtesy of a superb surging run and cutback. Johnston’s overcooked and undercooked flicks and lay-offs also contributed to some woeful passing from Celtic in the first period.

Livingston were able to dictate as Celtic duffed around in excruciating fashion, and forced a series of corners in that opening period that, in the smallest of mercies for them, the home side were actually able to defend, for a change. Mind you, that might have had as much to do with Mullin seeming to hit the first man from many of those six set-pieces across the opening 45 minutes.

Scarily for Celtic, Livingston will relish the opportunity to face Celtic again on Wednesday on their own artificial source – even if Celtic will be restored to full strength for that meeting with all the isolating players returning in the next couple of days. When the Parkhead club have been untouchable champions, they have managed to struggle in Almondvale. The state they are in now, as – effectively – deposed champions and a devoid footballing force, a third draw in as many games would be a good outcome from midweek. The mighty Celtic haven’t just fallen, they have been hurled off a cliff edge with the ground not yet in sight.

Celtic 4-2-3-1: Hazard; Ralston, Duffy, Bitton; Frimpong, McGregor, Soro,Turnbull, Laxalt; Johnston (Henderson 66); Rogic (Oxo-Flex 80). Subs: Doohan, Taylor, Connell, Robertson, Harper, Welsh, Karamoko.

Livingston: Stryjek; Brown, Ambrose, Guthrie, Devlin, Bartley, Sibbald (Forrest 62), Lawson, Pittman, Mullin, Robinson (Hamilton 75). Subs: McCrorie, Fitzwater, Emmanuel-Thomas, Serrano, McMillan, Tiffoney, Taylor-Sinclair.