SANDMAN’S DEFINITIVE RATINGS: CELTIC @ LESSER HADES…
“Rather fail with honour than succeed by fraud” – Sophocles
Kasper Schmeichel arrives at Tynecastle. Hearts v Celtic, 25 January 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou.
THE FRIENDLY GHOST – 8/10 MOTM – “He’s fat, he’s round, he’s worth a million pound…” Or maybe tens of millions if we get the season over the line and into the Champions League. Pips Liam for MOTM due to his instinctive brilliance, saving two certainties to The Ginger Baresi’s one. Still won’t be enough to quell the haters, and their petted lips will be fluttering with angst as they realise but for the Schmeichel family’s finest goalkeeper we’d be out of Europe and out of a title race.
Kieran Tierney arrives at Tynecastle. Hearts v Celtic, 25 January 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou.
KATIE – 5/10 – Doubt KT would have started if we had a single fit left-back available to give him a breather. As it was, he coped manfully, obviously uncomfortable, being out-jumped and out-muscled for their equaliser. Thursday killed him for yesterday.
Julian Araujo of Celtic celebrates during the Scottish Premiership match between Heart of Midlothian and Celtic at Tynecastle Park on January 25, 2026. (Photo by Zak Mauger/Getty Images)
AZTECO – 5.5/10 – Game enough, and was in a right tussle with their most potent attacking player. Got overwhelmed at times due to lack of proper cover, outnumbered when it should have been the other way about. But, like KT, he coped, though unable to offer any attacking option.
Liam Scales and Benjamin Nygren. Hearts v Celtic, 25 January 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou.
OF JUSTICE – 7.5/10 – When the chips are down, he’s delivering. And there was plenty salt ‘n’ sauce on them yesterday to sour the palate. Manful resistance through the ten-man siege, stunner of a goal-saver at 1-1, looking the most assured outfielder and defying all detractors by holding Celtic together when other’s heads had gone. Yet again, thanks be to Liam…
Auston Trusty walks off after being shown a red card. Martin O’Neill looks on. Hearts v Celtic, 25 January 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou.
CRUSTY THE CLOWN – 4/10 – The hero of exotic spaghetti Bolognese becomes the villain of domestic macaroni, narrowly escaping catastrophe as he worked himself into a fusilli, gifting chances and ending
up penne-alised by the corrupt MIB’s for a scurrilous red after an innocuous but clumsy intervention. After the delicious heights of Thursday, what the fetuccine was that, big ghuy?
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Callum McGregor of Celtic celebrates during the Scottish Premiership match between Heart of Midlothian and Celtic at Tynecastle Park on January 25, 2026. (Photo by Zak Mauger/Getty Images)
🍀 “We feel a little bit disappointed that we didn’t win the game, which tells us where the mentality in the group is”
These were the thoughts of Celtic captain Callum McGregor following their draw with Hearts ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/EpnlosFe4z
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) January 25, 2026
CALMAC – 3/10 – The skipper’s worst gig of the season, by far. Never seen him so off the pace, out of sorts and critically unable to really knit any combination of passes in the middle. Overrun and dismissed too easily by lesser players.
Arne Engels of Celtic and Marc Leonard of Hearts contend for an aerial ball during the Scottish Premiership match between Hearts and Celtic at Tynecastle Park on January 25, 2026. (Photo by Zak Mauger/Getty Images)
THE TERMINATOR – 3.5/10 – About on par with his captain; expected to take up the mantle and offer some guile from deep, but despite appearing game for a physical contest he, too, shouldn’t have been second-best to most disputed balls; in particular being out manoeuvred by his runner who scored their opener.
Benjamin Nygren of Celtic celebrates a goal during the Scottish Premiership match between Hearts and Celtic at Tynecastle Park on January 25, 2026. (Photo by Zak Mauger/Getty Images)
NEGAN – 5/10 – What an absolutely splendid strike. And then… Then the sum of hee-haw. A total contradiction of a player; incredible instinct for scoring, incredible hapless anonymity outwith that knack. “Thou shalt sign a Swede in summer ’25 who will be top-scorer in the League by February ’26,” foretold the prophet, and we’d have expected a generational King Of Kings worth his weight in gold. We got a conundrum valued in Chicken McNuggets. Flaming snake-oil salesmen…
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Daizen Maeda of Celtic during the Scottish Premiership match between Hearts and Celtic at Tynecastle Park on January 25, 2026. (Photo by Zak Mauger/Getty Images)
LORD KATSUMOTO – 4.5/10 – Damn, Daizen. Another who looked like he was suffering from Euro-exertion, but still put himself about admirably enough to get involved in the second, even if his touch was gone and his peep a bit off full-whistle.
Tomas Cvancara in action at Tynecastle. Hearts v Celtic, 25 January 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou.
CARAVAN – 7/10 – One of the few. A big unit with some pace in those telescopic pins. Very promising second-half once he’d settled in and got about battering the Minis’ goons at the back. Be nice to see what he can do in a side that gives him some actual service, seeing as he still managed to pop one off the bar and create our second with a terrific bit of play. Took a yellow too, as is the right of passage for any debutant Bhoy; at least he earned it well by trying to rearrange one of the uglies’ facial deformity; “We have Mr.Potato Head in Czechia too…”
Tomas Cvancara, Benjamin Nygren and Hyunjun Yang of Celtic celebrate during the Scottish Premiership match between Heart of Midlothian and Celtic at Tynecastle Park on January 25, 2026. (Photo by Zak Mauger/Getty Images)
YING – 5/10 – Well, the game little fella got himself up and in there for a sweet tap-in, but most of his day seemed to be giving fouls away with any and every attempt to win back possession. However, just how many of those tackles were worthy of a free-kick is a case for Mulder and Scully…
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SUBS –
Sebastian Tounekti arrives at Tynecastle. Hearts v Celtic, 25 January 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou.
TUTANKHAMUN – N/A – Got on an kind of quibbled about, not really favoured with much hope given the circumstances.
Anthony Ralston arrives at Tynecastle. Hearts v Celtic, 25 January 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou.
TONY THE TIGER – N/A – Tony at left-back? Flaming hell, Martin. What was wrong with Tony right, or central too, and young TALL Colby at the left spot he’s so admirably coped with before? Don’t know. Maybe to counter their muscle coming in from that side on set-plays? Worked once when he won a great deep header from a corner, backfired when his height wasn’t enough at the back post for the knock-down at their second.
Dane Murray attempts to block the Hearts late equaliser. Hearts v Celtic, 25 January 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou.
GREAT – N/A – Back on the crime scene, mysteriously. And escaped another conviction with a panicked, suicidal sky-ball thanks to the linesman’s flag. Unconvincing.
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Martin O’Neill at Tynecastle. Hearts v Celtic, 25 January 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou.
FATHER MARTIN AND SAMWISE GANGEE – 6.5/10 – Two arguments here – that he/they failed to get a tune out of a side primed to set about a title-winning run, or that they DID get a tune out of a jaded team in the last type of match they wanted after Thursday’s epic, sapping slugfest. Given the nature of the performance, probably the latter – a case further strengthened by the red card which would have spelled doom and capitulation but for the mindset MON instills; enough of a force of will to get through to the final whistle despite obvious adversity.
‘I do have an argument with the red card, the referee has given a yellow.’
Martin O’Neill happy with the point against Hearts, but far from happy with VAR decision.
Once more, with much lacking on-field, and all the passion in the dugout – Fozzy setting about Deek and his Anthill mob, I hear… – The outcome is one the boss will utilise to a positive degree, building a bit of a siege mentality and quickly eradicating any players’ self-doubt after a woefully disconnected 90 minutes.
👀 “No more a red card than a blue card!”
Celtic boss Martin O’Neill says it was not a clear goalscoring opportunity for Auston Trusty’s red card at Hearts ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/FfFVsmlfyB
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) January 25, 2026
Unbeaten and onwards.
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Referee Steven McLean shows Auston Trusty a red card after a VAR review. Hearts v Celtic, 25 January 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou.
MIBBERY – 8.5/10 – Steven “It’s Steven with a ‘V’! Steven with a ‘V’!” McLean, subservient Zombie acolyte, and Johnny blues Beaton, dyed-in-the-wool season-ticketed blue-nose-shot-caller… And the other sinister shadows lurking behind them…Of course. Subversion of the actual rules? When the Celts are vulnerable…Of course.
Because the Hearts boy’s Da’ was Usain Bolt and the goalmouth is actually in the direction of the corner flag and the two covering hooped players were dragging the half-eaten corpse of a dead mule the home end had thrown onto the pitch after half-time snacks were done…Under those circumstances in THAT reality, he was ‘denied a clear goalscoring opportunity’. In a word, flaming rats. In another word, unsurprising.
When our new signing was penalised after 18 seconds for daring to contest a high ball, I wondered. Hearts being awarded three hundred and thirty eight free kicks in dangerous positions during the course of the game had me nodding sagely, and the call to the monitor after the obvious-yellow-card-but-nothing-more offence had the crossbow out and a new pub telly ordered.
Six bookings and a red, including captain, keeper and the new bhoy: that’s the stuff of MIB Only Fans’ accounts, the sort of licentious content Zombies will willingly give up their passport ID to access. Yet, they failed. Again. Celtic throats bared, the finishing touch escaped them. Big Ones and wee Ones ahead of us, but it’ll be short-term comfort for the night-cloaked vermin at the helm.
Nae luck, Zombies.
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Benjamin Nygren celebrates. Hearts v Celtic, 25 January 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou.
OVERALL – 5/10 – After Thursday’s 2-2 triumph this was 2-2 trauma. Having seen every single Celtic competitive kick of a ball since… Well, since before Graeme came out of the closet (Oh yes he is, and a depraved S&M doggy-masked one at that…) I reckon that’s one of the lowest domestic pass-completion games in Celtic’s modern history. But, really, let’s not miss the greater perspective today…
We were knackered, poor, and on the ropes for much of the match, especially the closing twenty minutes. The unhealthily-excited hordes of Sir Lord Jimmy Crystal were amassed inside the Gorgie Gargoyle Bowl awaiting the coronation of their pretendy champions-elect and after the scurrilous MIBs showed their true tangerine colours and blew their loads far too early, the big opportunity was there to crush us and rocket-fuel their title ambitions.
But they failed.
Them, not us.
♥️ Hearts twice come from behind
🚀 Nygren scores screamer for Celtic
4⃣ Jambos four clear at top | Celtic drop to thirdHighlights from a thrilling draw at Tynecastle as leaders Hearts remain six points clear of champions Celtic ⤵️https://t.co/zM8oBvvKzi
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) January 25, 2026
We somehow escaped intact after one of the most inept Celtic attempts at a title-barny seen this century, at least. They got a point, we got a grimly wrought-out confidence boost for a squad that was on its knees mentally just a month ago. We also got a look at a new player who might be an actual goalscoring striker with presence and pace, if we can manage to get the ball into the opposition penalty area anytime in the remaining games.
So, amazingly, a deteriorating horrorshow of a performance, nowhere near Celtic levels, BUT… No real harm done. Look ahead – a week left to bolster the playing staff and possible Euro play-off qualification to further replenish and reinforce the squad’s self-belief.
The incestuous Tangerine County fleg-sheggin’ cousins can now focus on molesting each other before we meet in the league again; Celtic just require to find that innate late-winter winning habit and put a string of results together.
Temporarily down, but nowhere near out.
Go Away Now
Sandman
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Everything Martin O’Neill had to say at his post match media conference at Tynecastle after Celtic’s 2-2 draw against Hearts…
Martin O’Neill arrives at Tynecastle. Hearts v Celtic, 25 January 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou.
Q: Martin, when you consider your exertions over the last three days, are you happy with the point?
Martin O’Neill: “I was delighted with the effort of the team, particularly towards the end when we were down to ten men again. It was a tough old match. I expected it to be, and that’s exactly what it was.”
Q: Did you have any argument with the red card?
Martin O’Neill: “Yeah, I do have an argument with the red card. The referee’s given a yellow card and is sent over to VAR to re-referee the game. My take on it is that, first of all, the ball is going away from the goal, so the player has to get a hold of that and control it. And secondly, and more importantly, is that we’ve got someone on the cover. So that’s what the referee saw in the first place. He was pretty close to it, and it’s not. So it puts you under severe pressure in the last 20-odd minutes.”
Referee Steven McLean shows Auston Trusty a red card after a VAR review
Q: Did you go and seek out the referee to ask for an explanation on that?
Martin O’Neill: “No, but if he gave me a chance I might do.”
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Tomas Cvancara in action at Tynecastle. Hearts v Celtic, 25 January 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou.
Q: What did you make of the debut of your striker?
Martin O’Neill: “Yeah, once he got used to the surrounds, a difficult game for him to come into, I thought his run for the goal was fantastic. Absolutely fantastic. So he’ll do fine for us during the course of time when he gets to know about it. All he’s had is a couple of training sessions with his teammates. But yeah, he’s got really good pace, did well, has good control, and I was really pleased with him. I think he was holding his hamstring, I was worried about that, and that’s when we replaced him.”
‘It’s not a red card… It’s really as simple as that’ 🟥
Martin O’Neill speaking after Celtic’s 2-2 draw with Hearts at Tynecastle ⤵️#BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/dKpf3Bq5dK
— BBC Sport Scotland (@BBCSportScot) January 25, 2026
Q: Were you disappointed with the set-pieces in the manner of the goals that you lost?
Martin O’Neill: “Oh, you’ll always be, absolutely.”
Q: Martin, when we spoke to you on Friday, you said that if you’d lost today, nine points would be a really big gap. Do you think in that manner, especially given you had the last 15-20 minutes with 10 men, it’s a better point for you than it is for Hearts today?
Martin O’Neill: “Maybe considering the circumstances, I might not disagree with you. They had maybe the opportunity with us down to 10 men, having played on Thursday night, it might have been that chance. But in the overall take of the game, the draw probably is a fair result.”
Benjamin Nygren celebrates. Hearts v Celtic, 25 January 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou.
Q: How do you think it leaves the title race in general?
Martin O’Neill: “Well, we had one minute to three, we had a tough time, and we still have a tough time. It’s another game gone past, but we’re still in it.”
Q: Martin, are you slightly worried? The games are coming fast. Are you worried that this team is running fumes about this now?
Martin O’Neill: “Yes, it is a concern. We played 60 minutes or something like that there on Thursday evening with 10 men. Not as long obviously today, but an important thing psychologically as much as physically. But they’ve shown great resolve, I must admit, really terrific resolve.”
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Q: We keep asking about transfers, but do you still feel there’s room for three or four players to come in next week?
Martin O’Neill: “I don’t know about your numbers, but definitely we would need some people in.”
Derek McInnes, Hearts v Celtic, 25 January 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou.
Q: Derek McInnes came running to the dugout after the first goal, do you know what he was annoyed about?
Martin O’Neill: “He didn’t say anything to me. I don’t know, genuinely.”
Q: Kieran Tierney took a sore one, how is he?
Martin O’Neill: “He’s pretty sore, we’ll see how he is for Thursday.”
Q: Who would be your left-back on Thursday then with Saracchi still not back?
Martin O’Neill: “Me. Coming in there, going to make a comeback. We’ll just have to probably shift somebody over.”
Q: I know the state of Scottish football isn’t your responsibility, but the excitement…
Martin O’Neill: “You didn’t come all this way, Michael, to tell me that, did you?
Q: The excitement of a three-way title race, is it good to be part of that? Can you see that it stimulates?
Martin O’Neill: “I think, yes, obviously I’m manager of Celtic, so maybe don’t say it like that. But when I wasn’t manager of Celtic, I thought it was a really good thing. Yeah, and I said so, so I think that… And it does stimulate interest, it’s great to see the crowd today, absolutely. I’m not saying that Hearts don’t get full houses they do. It’s been a great run by them, they’re doing brilliantly.”
