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As grim as the portents have often been this season at Celtic Park, you shudder to think how much grimmer the outlook might have been had Martin O’Neill not been waiting in the wings.
Notwithstanding a woeful display away to Midtjylland in midweek, the interim manager has done quite a job of lifting the club across the past fortnight to ensure that everything remains possible in the domestic campaign.
Whether the 73-year-old is still in charge for the League Cup final next month remains to be seen. The pair of impressive four-goal wins he’s presided over in the Premiership either side of a Hampden victory over Rangers have guaranteed that his eventual successor will still be hunting down the main prize come May.
Sharper than Kilmarnock in every conceivable way, Celtic were richly deserving of such a handsome victory. On days like these, the reason for their many struggles in the early weeks of the campaign are a mystery.
No matter the number of personal issues which beset Brendan Rodgers and the dark clouds which have hovered overhead, Celtic still have a core of highly talented players. This was a day when they issued a timely reminder of that fact.
O’Neill’s side started and finished strongly. The three points were never going anywhere else. With Hearts failing to round off the first round of fixtures win a win earlier in the day, O’Neill’s men go into the international break just seven points adrift and with their confidence replenished.
Kieran Tierney is congratulated by team-mates after scoring his first Celtic goal in seven years
Johnny Kenny wheels away after opening the scoring against Kilmarnock at Celtic Park
Midfielder Arne Engels converts a stoppage-time penalty to round off Celtic's 4-0 victory
Johnny Kenny can’t stop scoring at the moment. Another early strike made it four goals in four games for the man from Sligo. He’s fast becoming an unlikely hero. If he can keep up that strike rate, Celtic’s season may well have a silver lining.
Kieran Tierney’s first Celtic goal in seven years had the team coasting towards victory early in the second half, with a fine finish by Daizen Maeda and a late Arne Engels penalty ensuring the scoreline was more reflective of the contest.
It was a fine day’s work for O’Neill’s side. There was no evidence of them being given the runaround in Denmark three days previously. They cut the gap to the leaders in some style.
After a promising start to the season, Kilmarnock are sinking fast. That’s five straight losses for Stuart Kettlewell’s side. They’ve lost 15 goals and scored just twice in that run.
They never looked like they truly believed they could cause an upset despite there being an uneasy atmosphere around Celtic Park these days.
Three months after joining on loan from Manchester City, this was the day when Jahmai Simpson-Pusey was finally given the chance to show what he was made of in a Celtic shirt.
Without a single appearance under Rodgers, he was given the nod by O’Neill at right-back. After a shaky start, he warmed to the task. You suspect his first appearance in green and white won’t be his last.
For all the positivity stemming from O’Neill’s return, Thursday’s bruising night in Denmark was a reminder of this side’s limitations. To give them their dues, though, they were right on point as they returned to league business.
What’s beyond dispute is that neither Rodgers or O’Neill has had much luck with injuries. Already without Alistair Johnston, Jota, Kelechi Iheanacho and Cameron Carter-Vickers, the loss of Callum Osmand to a hamstring injury against Midtjylland was typical of the way it’s gone.
Marcelo Saracchi would soon join the list of the walking wounded, with Tierney thrown on midway through the first half after the Uruguayan hobbled off holding his hamstring.
By that point, though, O’Neill’s side were already in the groove and a goal to the good.
Maeda’s wayward strike from six yards came just before Kenny struck the upright.
With Celtic first to every ball and zipping around the turf with purpose, there was no evidence of a European hangover. Kilmarnock just couldn’t get up for air.
Kettlewell must have had many a sleepless night wondering if his side had eradicated the unfortunate recent habit of losing poor goals. Ten minutes in, he had his answer.
A loose ball in the box invited Robbie Deas to send it beyond Parkhead Cross. His hesitation allowed Reo Hatate to nip in and gather.
The quick feet of the Japanese was matched by his speed of thought. He rolled the ball back across goal. Before anyone in the visiting ranks had time to react, Kenny pounced and drilled the ball into the rear corner.
It was just the start that Celtic needed — and Kilmarnock had dreaded.
Tierney’s introduction didn’t disrupt the home side’s rhythm. His determination to win a ball that should never have been his sparked more panic in the visiting defence. Eddie Beach pawed the ball away to safety.
You sensed a second goal for Celtic would kill the game stone dead. After Maeda swiped at fresh air, Luke McCowan saw an ambitious volley narrowly deflected over.
Killie gathered themselves and began asking a couple of questions of their own. With O’Neill’s men looking uncertain of themselves defensively for the first time, Tom Lowery struck the bar.
David Watson, a January target for Celtic, then carried the ball 30 yards and threaded it to Scott Tiffoney. The forward’s deflected shot asked a lot of Kasper Schmeichel. The Dane did well to back-peddle and touch it onto the bar. It would have been harsh on O’Neill’s side.
Kenny might well have doubled their lead on the stroke of half-time but couldn’t steer Tierney’s cross on target.
Within six minutes of the second half starting, Celtic were closing in on the three points.
Tierney didn’t score too many in his first spell in Glasgow. But when he did, they tended to be spectacular. His first goal second time around fell squarely into that category.
Liam Scales nudged the ball on, Tierney gathered on the left of the box and initially seemed to set himself for a trademark in-swinger. Afforded too much space, he loaded the cannon of a left foot and lit the fuse. The ball shot across the turf, beating Beach at his far post.
It was quite the way to notch his first goal for his boyhood heroes since netting in the win against RB Leipzig seven years ago.
Celtic didn’t let up. They thoroughly deserved the third goal which came when Maeda controlled Engels’ ball with a velvet touch before drilling the ball under Beach.
The Belgian would claim the fourth from the penalty spot deep into injury time after James Brown felled Hyun-jun Yang.
Celtic (4-3-3): Schmeichel 7; Simpson-Pusey 7 (Ralston 64), Trusty 7, Scales 7, Saracchi 6 (Tierney 22); McGregor 7, McCowan 6.5 (Nygren 64), Hatate 7.5; Maeda 7, Kenny 7.5 (Engels 78) Tounekti 6.5 (Yang 78). Booked: McGregor, Hatate. Manager: Martin O’Neill 7.
Kilmarnock (3-1-4-2): Beach 5; Stanger 5, Deas 4, Williams 5; Lyons 5 (Polworth 78); J Brown 4, Watson 6 (Watkins 78), Lowery 5 (John-Jules 65), Thompson 6; Anderson 6 (Dackers 65) Tiffoney 5 (Kiltie 65). Booked: Lyons, Kiltie. Manager: Stuart Kettlewell 4.
Referee: Don Robertson 7.
Attendance: N/A.
