{"id":21143,"title":"I'm Loving Ange Ls Instead","description":"\u201cComfortable, actually\u201d was how Mark O\u2019Hara described St Mirren\u2019s 2-0 win over Celtic in his post-match interview on Sunday. And you have to say, the captain and goalscorer was pretty much spot on in his assessment of his side\u2019s performance.","content":"

\"8th0isp0obvw6cnddqlwnctacmp161isf6g898feex6dfg8s.png\"<\/p>

\u201cComfortable, actually\u201d was how Mark O\u2019Hara described St Mirren\u2019s 2-0 win over Celtic in his post-match interview<\/a> on Sunday. And you have to say, the captain and goalscorer was pretty much spot on in his assessment of his side\u2019s performance.<\/p>

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Generally, when playing against an Old Firm side, you need a combination of luck, refereeing decisions, your players having the game of their season and eleven opponents having an off day. If all these stars align, there is a small chance of snatching something.<\/p>

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Sunday however was - like O\u2019Hara said - comfortable. It was as trouble-free a day as we have had against Celtic in many a year, as we dominated the Champions across every area of the game.<\/p>

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Even if the stats may have you believe otherwise\u2026<\/p>

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\"zqdnmdvij3mfrrbs4virjt4qgatv59ihvr2f7uqckzfbktsi.png\"<\/p>

The game was yet another masterclass from Stephen Robinson in how to cede possession effectively and use a team\u2019s strengths against them.<\/p>

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Under Ange Postecoglou, Celtic have played with two advanced number eights (typically Callum McGregor and one other), capable of pressing high and with intensity, while also able to act as a passing hub, starting moves from deep when required.<\/p>

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Partnering McGregor on Sunday was one-time Buddie Aaron Mooy who dropped into the sole number six role in Postecoglou\u2019s much-rotated starting xi. The thinking behind this was that Celtic\u2019s inverted full-backs would allow Mooy more support in the middle of the pitch by lessening the space he had to cover - his passing ability suiting the off-the-ball running of Liel Abada, Kyogo Furuhashi and Daizen Maeda up top.<\/p>

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St Mirren excelled in restricting Celtic\u2019s space and Mooy in particular was left frustrated. The organised and disciplined St Mirren unit - led from the front by the imperious Curtis Main and Jonah Ayunga - effectively reduced the impact of Mooy, cutting off his passing options and forcing him to go for the safe choice of the backwards ball to Moritz Jenz or Stephen Welsh behind him (23 of his 55 passes on the day went in that direction), as shown in the example below.<\/p>

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\"p9ryiwqx2bhfghepdirjnagqmpldqcbvvsvlsxtwwqzlrs9g.png\"<\/p>

\"4pztragitn21uagudzexyxvbsjkf7zu4phxksi9wys27srfr.png\"<\/p>

When Celtic were<\/em> able to involve their attacking players, they were met with a similar lack of joy. Postecoglou\u2019s men repeatedly found their wide players stifled, with Ryan Strain in particular doing an immense shift in nullifying the attacking threat of first Maeda, then Jota, then Sead Hak\u0161abanovi\u0107 (the Celtic trio amounting to nearly \u00a310 million worth of footballer, for those counting).<\/p>

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\"ylhpxo2imt8x31mmqwa2zyqeyvhts967uye1b12zwjckoeyz.png\"<\/p>

As can be seen from the above heat map (via WhoScored), the Australian wing-back took up a slightly deeper role than we have seen in recent weeks. Strain won 4\/4 of his attempted tackles, making 4 interceptions, 6 recoveries, 4 clearances (2 headed) and winning 6\/12 of his ground duels.<\/p>

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On the rare occasion we did allow balls into our box, the back three of Charles Dunne, Declan Gallagher and Marcus Fraser remained resolute, robust and totally dominant, limiting Celtic to little more than a few snatched half chances.<\/p>

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Celtic\u2019s lack of bite up front was perhaps exemplified most profoundly with the stat that star man and attacking talisman Kyogo touched the ball just 17 times in his 96 minutes on the pitch, fewer than any other starter (including both goalkeepers).<\/p>

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Conversely, St Mirren were positively ruthless, scoring two goals from their two shots on target.<\/p>

To judge this game, or indeed this St Mirren side on its possession stats is to do it a disservice. Stephen Robinson\u2019s men may have only had 20% of the ball on Sunday, but the quality <\/em>of that 20% was so much more than anything Celtic were able to muster.<\/p>

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Take for example St Mirren\u2019s opening goal on 43 minutes.<\/p>

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\"0nbqavzktzpy59swb18vnpvxqkm8wjbhbaw9czx68tveeooh.png\"<\/p>

\"pp7hnrgbewqpmwmkyk0lcslosdewesg17xxrkjqiemr1l3ds.png\"<\/p>

St Mirren win possession in the middle of the field, and the ball is swiftly moved out right to Ryan Strain who floats in a delightful cross towards the late run of Mark O\u2019Hara; the Saints captain emphatically heading home past Joe Hart to put Saints 1-0 up.<\/p>

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The most pleasing aspect of this goal is the bravery and boldness of St Mirren in attack. O\u2019Hara, knowing the crossing ability of his teammate Strain, is able to make that late run because of a confidence in the organisation of the defensive lines behind him, should Celtic themselves spring a counter.<\/p>

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This bravery and confidence - a key feature across Stephen Robinson\u2019s teams - has been a welcome addition to St Mirren of late, and a key reason for the results we are seeing at the moment.<\/p>

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With Jonah Ayunga\u2019s 56th minute headed goal putting St Mirren two to the good, Celtic were unable to respond, and after 364 days without losing a domestic game of football, Ange Postecoglou\u2019s side were beaten. And beaten well.<\/p>

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\"j8lr1mzfl0luwwywg53ecqsgc7acdyjcvqnfeivc88pzmiww.png\"<\/p>

Put simply, Saturday was the ideal game for St Mirren to show Scottish football what they are about. It was the purest distillation of Stephen Robinson\u2019s brand of football, with St Mirren going about their task with discipline, organisation and intelligence. To a man, every Saints player knew what was expected of them and performed their roles expertly. The home side stopped Celtic from playing their usual high intensity football, bullying Postecoglou\u2019s men in a way we rarely see domestically. With St Mirren putting bodies behind the ball and restricting space, Celtic lacked idea and purpose.<\/p>

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Having so little of the ball, it would have been easy for St Mirren\u2019s concentration levels and focus to drop (something this Celtic team bank on) but Robinson\u2019s gameplan was executed perfectly, his side working together patiently out of possession so that when we were in possession, we made it count, breaking forward with bold ambition.<\/p>

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With the international break giving us time to focus on the block of eight games between now and the start of the World Cup (starting with the visit of Livingston to Paisley on October 1st), we are now in an extremely healthy position to go about consolidating our position in the top half of the table.<\/p>

<\/p>","urlTitle":"im-loving-ange-ls-instead","url":"\/blog\/im-loving-ange-ls-instead\/","editListUrl":"\/my-blogs","editUrl":"\/my-blogs\/edit\/im-loving-ange-ls-instead\/","fullUrl":"https:\/\/miseryhunters.co.uk\/blog\/im-loving-ange-ls-instead\/","featured":false,"published":true,"showOnSitemap":true,"hidden":false,"visibility":null,"createdAt":1663746235,"updatedAt":1663750137,"publishedAt":1663750137,"lastReadAt":null,"division":{"id":106606,"name":"Misery Hunters"},"tags":[],"metaImage":{"original":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/2rorjkztngdngvomwlcmw8rhoeewpwcceb0sha8wn5mxnzos.png","thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/2rorjkztngdngvomwlcmw8rhoeewpwcceb0sha8wn5mxnzos.png.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/2rorjkztngdngvomwlcmw8rhoeewpwcceb0sha8wn5mxnzos.png.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"metaTitle":"","metaDescription":"","keyPhraseCampaignId":null,"series":[],"similarReads":[{"id":37584,"title":"The Back Five #9","url":"\/blog\/the-back-five-9\/","urlTitle":"the-back-five-9","division":106606,"description":"A sideways, irreverent look at the past week in the world of St Mirren FC, with Misery Hunters writer Andrew Christie","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/thoyoxksmd1dyrlapdrrepw0nyls0m2gjxkvpwgxr3fye2af.png.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/thoyoxksmd1dyrlapdrrepw0nyls0m2gjxkvpwgxr3fye2af.png.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0},{"id":46069,"title":"Perth-ect Stranger","url":"\/blog\/perthect-stranger\/","urlTitle":"perthect-stranger","division":106606,"description":"Misery Hunters writer Andrew Christie remembers The Rasmus, has another wee dig at Aberdeen and previews St Mirren's upcoming league match with St Johnstone.","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/atw3zxq8bb04wpaxfstwycyksyarzbktryekk224sheuc3or.png.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/atw3zxq8bb04wpaxfstwycyksyarzbktryekk224sheuc3or.png.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0},{"id":38391,"title":"The Back Five #12","url":"\/blog\/the-back-five-12\/","urlTitle":"the-back-five-12","division":106606,"description":"A look at how St Mirren achieved historic consecutive top six finishes, with Misery Hunters writer Andrew Christie.","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/zdfsw7km75ark1h0mr6adltzspky1retc2wggddmyvdlniei.png.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/zdfsw7km75ark1h0mr6adltzspky1retc2wggddmyvdlniei.png.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0}],"labels":[]}