Gorgie utopia sets the Celtic standard

Neil Lennon described it as football utopia and few supporters would pick fault with the managers’ assessment of the 7-0 rout of Hearts.

The state of the opposition is bound to be highlighted but over the last month Gary Locke’s side have won away at Hibs and Aberdeen as well as getting the apparent lift of agreement on the first stage towards a CVA.

Truth is no team in Scotland could have lived with Celtic yesterday as the bhoys turned on the style, passed the ball around with conviction and style while showing a rarely seen ruthless streak in front of goal.

There were plenty of man-of-the-match candidates but it’s hard to look beyond the display of Mikael Lustig.

With a constant question mark against his fitness and on the back of World Cup and Champions League exits over the previous fortnight the Swede showed no mercy playing a full part in a near perfect team performance.

In the five minutes before half-time Lustig provided Joe Ledley with the perfect assist with a well drilled pass along the six yard box followed by a thunderous drive that rattled the underside of Jamie McDonald’s crossbar before finding the net.

The performances of Lustig and Emilio Izaguire, showing rapid signs of returning to his pre broken ankle form, looked to be the key to Celtic’s success with the players showing a freedom and invention that has rarely been evident this season.

Both full-backs were given their flank to themselves and took full advantage pushing up at every opportunity to strengthen the midfield who linked up perfectly with Anthony Stokes.

In some ways it reminded me of the 2-2 Scottish Cup draw at Ibrox in 2011 when Izaguirre and Mark Wilson did a similar job as a ten man Celtic side came from behind to earn a draw on their way to lifting the trophy at Hampden.

With no European football to look forward to beyond next week’s trip to Barcelona, entertainment is as essential as a run to the Scottish Cup Final to compliment the SPFL campaign.

“It wouldn’t have mattered who we played today,” Lennon stated. “I thought we were absolutely amazing. It’s a statement of how good a team we are. A few people are thinking, ‘They’re on the way down’ and then the boys respond like that.

“We are in transition and it may take a wee while for the whole squad to come to fruition. But Virgil van Dijk is already a stalwart and Nir Biton showed his class again today.

“Boerrigter, Pukki, Balde – there’s more to come from them. And I already have class players here – Lustig, Ledley, Commons, Brown, Ambrose, Forster.

“We looked a Champions League team – which is what we are. I’m not getting carried away but that is what I want.

“I know we can’t replicate it every week but the players have shown they’re capable of that.”

After a Champions League campaign that turned sour after a promising start yesterday’s display was exactly what the team and support needed to restore belief.

The same priorities- a striker and midfield playmaker- remain, but after turning on the style at Tynecastle a diet of domestic only football doesn’t look so stale.

With flickers of recovery at Dundee United and Aberdeen we may even see signs of a return to the early eighties when there was a three way split of honours.