Celtic 4 Falkirk 1: Instant reaction to the burning issues

The Herald Scotland

2 days ago

A brilliant strike by Keelan Adams gave the large Falkirk travelling support something to cheer, but it was scant consolation on a night when their team was largely outclassed.
Here are the talking points from Celtic Park…
Maeda up for the cup again and back on the goal trail
It is fair to say that the perpetually-in-motion winger hasn't quite hit the brilliant heights of last season so far in this, but there were signs here that he is starting to crank back into top gear, as he bagged his first goal of the campaign.
And the cup specialist was always likely to get a goal in this one. He has now scored in eight of the last nine domestic cup games that Celtic have played, racking up 14 goals along the way.
It was a well worked move by Celtic too, who had been chapping on the door from the off. Callum McGregor's dink to the back post was met by Kieran Tierney, who bagged another assist by guiding the ball expertly across the six-yarder for Maeda to nod past former teammate Scott Bain.
When Tierney returned to the club in the summer, he stated that one of the things he was looking forward to most was building up a formidable partnership down the Celtic left with 'machine' Maeda.
Barring a comical fresh air kick from Tierney that drew laughter from his own fans once they were sure he hadn't done himself an injury, the pair are already looking to be finding an ominous understanding.
Rodgers rings the changes, did Engels stake a claim?
With Champions League qualifiers on the horizon and the small matter of a shlep to the vicinity of the Chinese border to contend with in the not-too-distant future, Celtic manager Rodgers understandably looked to rotate and get some game time into the legs of those who have been on the outside looking in so far this season.
He made six changes in all to the side who won at Pittodrie on Sunday, but perhaps the most intriguing of those was the inclusion of Arne Engels, with the £11m man seeing his place in the starting XI seized by summer arrival Benjamin Nygren, a mere snip at around a tenth of the price.
And he showed flashes of his undoubted class. There was a brilliant free kick that clattered off the inside of the far post, with the Belgian desperately unlucky to see it bounce out to safety. He should have definitely scored when he failed to anticipate that a delightful Johnston clipped cross would reach him, with the ball instead bouncing off his face and clear from about a yard.
Overall, did he make it impossible for Rodgers to leave him out when the bigger occasions roll around? While showing up well, he probably didn't quite do enough, which has rather been the story of his Celtic career to date.
Murray minted and on the scoresheet
What better way for the 22-year-old to celebrate his bumper new contract extension, keeping him at Celtic until the summer of 2028, than with a goal? And he got it as he glanced home a corner, showing his strength and aerial ability to get on the end of a wicked Engels delivery.
It was his work at the other end that was of most interest though, and he did that competently enough despite the sporadic counter punches that Falkirk were managing to land on Viljami Sinisalo's goal.
The most striking aspect of Murray these days is just how much he has developed physically since those early days of his Celtic career, when Ange Postecoglou was forced to throw the youngster in at the deep end for his debut in a Champions League qualifier against Midtjylland four years ago now.
Rodgers said before this game that he expects to see big things from the centre-back in the next year to 18 months, and it will be interesting to see if he can force his way up the pecking order at the heart of the Celtic defence.
Bigger fish for Falkirk to fry, but they must tighten up defence
In a similar vein as to when they came here on cup duty last season, Falkirk left on the end of a hefty defeat, but also with plenty of credit for the way they approached the task at hand.
Manager John McGlynn will be disappointed with the manner of the goals his team conceded of course, but there was plenty of adventure in their play, and had they been more clinical on the break in the first half then it might have been a different story.
As much as Celtic have bigger fish to fry this season than this tie, Falkirk certainly do though, and their chief concern has to be tightening up at the back. The same frailties that saw them concede two to Dundee United and three to Livingston last weekend were on display once more, albeit against a step up in opposition.
The news that winger Ethan Ross will be missing for a significant spell with an ankle injury though will sting McGlynn and the Bairns more than this loss will.
Scott Bain finally seen again at Celtic Park
It is somewhat ironic that the keeper had to leave Celtic to get finally get another game at Celtic Park, with his last appearance here coming as a substitute for Joe Hart as he took his curtain call in the last minute of the 2023/24 season, despite being on the books for another whole year.
If he rather had his feet up during that period, then the opposite was true here, with the former Celt kept busy as his old pals peppered his goal, particularly early on.
He did well to repel a fair few of them in fairness, as the 33-year-old showed that the old agility was still there, and while it may have been harsh on Nicky Hogarth to have been usurped from the position after an impressive campaign last season, the experienced Bain could be key if Falkirk are to survive this term.