Austrian second tier side BW Linz kicked off Celtic’s pre-season tour with a spirited performance that almost held the hoops to a stalemate.
Brendan Rodgers’ invincibles just about scraped by the Austrians with a 1-0 win courtesy of a James Forrest goal seven minutes from time. The game was everything you would expect a pre-season friendly to be, by which I mean I wouldn’t be rushing to watch the ninety minutes if you missed it live.
Rodgers experimented with the side playing two completely different lineups in either half. Every name on the team sheet looked familiar to hoops fans apart from two. New signing Johnny Hayes and Anton Rodgers. Otherwise known as the bosses son.
Rodgers Jnr was a surprise inclusion in the hoops squad but the manager explained that it was due to injuries to midfielders Kris Ajer and Eboue Kouassi. The game was used to gain fitness more than anything else so it wasn’t exactly one for the ages. Here are three things I took away from the affair.
Anton Rodgers can play!
The manager was quick to come out at the end of the game to explain that his son was not a potential transfer target for the Bhoys, although based on how he played you could be forgiven for thinking that young Rodgers was not yet aware of this. He slotted in at central midfield alongside Nir Bitton and did not look out of place. Spreading the ball nicely and reading the game well the 24 year old seemed to really impress hoops fans who took to Twitter to voice their delight with several calling for his dad to sign him up.
Who knows the young man could have a future here yet.
Hoops youngsters impressed
It may have been a low key affair to shake off the dust of last season but some of the development squad saw this as a genuine chance to show the boss what they can do. Calvin Miller and Jamie McCart both looked like seasoned pros as the took to the field in the Austrian countryside. Keeping things simple and looking extremely composed on the ball they hope they can give the manager something to think about by the time the Champions League campaign kicks off in two weeks time.
He may not be a youngster but new bhoy Johnny Hayes also seemed eager to impress in his first 45 minutes in hoops. He created some decent chances and was perhaps unlucky to rattle the post with a rebound from a Callum McGregor effort which struck the bar.
Hidajet Hankić is better than Joe Hart
Hidajet Hankić is a 22 year old Austrian goalkeeper for BW Linz. Celtic certainly didn’t provide his toughest day at the office that is for sure. He was however called into action on the 36th minute and managed to do what Joe Hart could not several weeks ago at Hampden. He saved a Leigh Griffiths free-kick. Celtic’s hitman scored two worldies against England and almost done it again with a lovely strike from 25 yards. The ball seemed destined for the far corner before the Austrian reacted quickly to parry the ball away.
Celtic sealed the game late on with a nicely taken goal from James Forrest with the assist coming from captain for the day Kieran Tierney. Its on to Rapid Vienna now on 1st July as the Celts march toward another Champions League campaign against Linfield or La Fiorita, (Linfield lead 1-0 from the first leg)