Tony Watt did his top team prospects no harm in yesterday’s 4-0 development team win over Airdrie United.
The striker started pre-season in Germany with Neil Lennon’s first team squad and featured as a substitute against Augsburg and Kickers Stuttgart.
On Saturday he was back with the development squad alongside Lewis Toshney, Rabui Ibrahim and Andre Blackman as Celtic slumped to a 2-0 defeat to host club Partick Thistle.
Twenty four hours later Celtic returned to Firhill in the third place play-off with Watt showing no mercy to his old club as he led the line with conviction.
“Tony showed what he can bring to the team, he was a threat every time he went forward,” coach Stevie Frail admitted.
“We asked the strikers to work hard defensively, Morten (Rasmussen) was carrying an injury which he played through, but Tony put in a lot of donkey work defensively and that pleased me.
“He’s strong, holds people off and we’re working hard with him. He’s still raw and fairly new to the club, he’s doing the work that we’re looking for.
“He was involved in goals, scored one himself and could have had another. He’ll take a lot of confidence from that.”
The difference between the Thistle and Airdrie United performances was stark.
After a defeat managers and coaches often claim that they can’t wait to get back in action- in Frail’s case he had just 24 hours to wait between the matches.
Sunday’s win over Aurdrie was closer to the standards set at the club but Frail couldn’t hide his frustration with the display he had witnessed the previous day.
“We were disappointed by the Thistle match,” he explained. “Not so much in losing the game, you can accept that if you lose and the team has given a decent account of themselves but on Saturday we had to question their attitude.
“Although it’s only pre-season we shouldn’t be doing that- they just didn’t work hard enough.
“I was really pleased with the way that they played against Airdrie. There was a lot of tired lads after the match but it was good to get the Thistle performance out of our system.
“Against Airdrie they did everything that was asked of them. There was a purpose about them, we had a team talk at Celtic Park after our pre-match and the players went out and performed.”
With the first team squad in Holland and u-20’s in Portugal Frail had to dig deep to fill the bench against Airdrie but wasn’t short changed by the quality he discovered.
“We had to take Bahrudin (Atajic) off, his legs had gone,” Frail added. “He had put in a good shift and I pushed Glenn into right midfield although he’s more of a full-back.
“He did well to get a header onto a good cross from Joe Chalmers, it was a great leap and to put it back across goal and to guide it in at the post was excellent.
“It was great to see Glenn plus Mark Barrowman, who is only 15, and Ross Madden out on the park.
“They never travelled with the u-20 squad to Portugal so I’ve had them training for a week and their attitude has been spot on.”
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This bhoy is a Celtic legend in the making! Would have him in the first team ahead of Stokesy, but he must not be rushed! He’s still only 18 remember, but he’s mature beyond his years. He’s strong, got pace and is a natural goalscorer! Give the bhoy his chance next season Neil, you’ve already seen what he can do!
HH!!
Settle, legend?? What planet are you from ?
Celtic buy strikers we don’t “grow” them, James Keatings, currently injured, is a mile in front of Watt, in talent and finishing , take it you don’t watch Celtic at any level, real puzzle why this bhoy isn’t been given a chance, when duds like Murphy are taking a wage for SFA, and will NEVER make it at Celtic, there’s Never been a better chance to get a 1 st tram place for youths, check the stats at the end of the season, that will tell you everything!!
If you paid attention to this blog you would know that I am one of James Keating’s keenest admirers! As for watching Celtic I attended my first match in 1962, what about you?! And I watched them on this planet too! Saw young James score 5 goals against Hamilton in an under19 match a couple of years ago in an 8-1 win! Were you at the game by any chance? Look forward to receiving your reply!
HH!!
Tallybhoy, Actually I WAS at that game,
at Barrowfield, but don’t remember accies scoring, you got me!! A wisnae born in 1962, so you must know more about Celtic youth strikers than me, just an opinion, based on watching Celtic Academy over the last 10 years, saw Keatsy get player of the tourney 6 years ago at Lake Garda, now a know you were’nt at those games!! Not to mention
Half a dozen other European tournies, not saying Watty won’t make it, but he’s got quite a bit to go just to make it, never mind being a legend
Now how do you know that I was not at that tournament at Lake Garda in February 2006?! It was called the Arcobaleno Tournament and Celtic won it beating Sampdoria 1-0 in the final! Keatsy was’nt even in the squad, he would have been 14/15 at the time! Players I remember included Graeme Carey, Paul McGowan and Paul Caddis. Youre talking rubbish!
Legend is maybe a bit premature mate he’s a good prospect the same as most of the 19s hopefully most of them will get a chance at some point this season and see how they hack it in the first team but granted when he came on at murderwell he done the business so there’s great hope for him. Hail hail
I had my fingers burnt tipping Burchill for success in the past but here’s hoping we get at least one or two youth players through to the first team this season…I’d also look at loaning a few out to the 3rd division!
Lets try and build team for the future from these lads
Have to say that I read the comments from my fellow hoops fans a lot and don’t comment myself Celtic have always been blessed with good or great strikers watt looks a talent bug the lad for me has a long way to go before we immortalise him Quinn mcgrory mochan Lennox chalmers mcbride god rest him dalglish larsson to name but a few let’s hope we see watts name in that magical list of greats HAIL HAIL