3 takeaways from Celtics win over Killie

Young hoops dispose of Kilmarnock for the second time in 11 days.

After an emphatic victory in the Champions League qualifiers midweek, Brendan Rodgers rested a number of key players for the hoops trip to Rugby Park.

Leigh Griffiths, Scott Sinclair and Jozo Simunovic were among the high profile absentees for the short trip to East Ayrshire. This provided an opportunity for the youth members of the squad to once again show the manager what they can do.

The Celts ended up running out convincing 2-0 winners thanks to goals from James Forrest and Callum McGregor. It may have not been the 5-0 drubbing that we witnessed on the 8th August against Killie, but the Celts were just as dominant during the ninety minutes.

Although they were never on top, Kilmarnock put on a much better display than they did at Parkhead. This was particularly noticeable defensively. Their stubborn back four limited Celtic to few clear cut opportunities and were only undone when a piece of individual magic from Tom Rogic carved them open.

Here are three things we can take away from the victory.

Celtic have depth

With Lustig, Sinclair, Ntcham, Bitton and Griffiths dropping to the bench and Simunovic being left out all together, Brendan Rodgers experimented with his side bringing in Ralston, Ajer, Miller, Armstrong and Benyu.

Ralston and Ajer looked assured in the back line while Calvin Miller may be the quickest player at the club (and that is saying something). Benyu also took his opportunity, displaying a really solid performance.

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Armstrong has committed

The news began filtering through on Friday that Stuart Armstrong had penned a new two year deal with Celtic. The former Dundee Utd man explained how he was delighted to sign the deal which will keep him in Glasgow until 2019.

Armstrong was rewarded for his loyalty with a starting place today at Rugby Park and put in a display of which we have become accustomed to. The news of the Scot’s contract extension is a major boost to Brendan Rodgers and to Celtic who have also added Patrick Roberts to the ranks for the upcoming European campaign should the hoops qualify. Celtic have one foot in the group stages and should finish the job provided a cataclysmic disaster does not take place in Kazakhstan this week which is highly unlikely.

Morale is very high around the club

Celtic FC as a whole are going through a great time at the moment which has subsequently boosted morale levels around the club to a new high. The signing of Roberts and Armstrong coupled with the amazing 52 game domestic winning streak has brought a new wave of confidence and spirit that flows right from the team through the fan base.

This link was evident today when a bus filled with happy hoops fans was returning to Glasgow with all three points and happened to drive alongside the car of skipper Scott Brown. Brown’s car was packed with players who shared a moment with the fans who in turn sung captain Brown’s name. The video can be seen below.

The video in my opinion perfectly encapsulates the good feeling around the club at this moment in time.