Neil McCann’s Celtic verdict is utterly deluded after Rugby Park demolition
Neil McCann accepted responsibility after Celtic's 5-1 Rugby Park demolition, but his bizarre assessment of the game raised more questions than answers.
Phillip Cooney 
Neil McCann says he takes full responsibility for Kilmarnock’s 5-1 demolition by Celtic. On that point, at least, we can agree.
Unfortunately, much of what followed sounded like a manager desperately trying to put a more flattering gloss on a comprehensive defeat.
Celtic scored five at Rugby Park. Kasper Høgh struck after just two minutes, and the champions could easily have added more.
Even McCann admitted exactly that.
“We’ve conceded five goals today and it could have been a few more,” he told The Herald.
Yet somehow, McCann also managed to claim Kilmarnock were the better team during the opening stages.
“It sounds daft now that I’m sitting on the back of a hiding,” he said. “I have to say I felt for the first part of the game we were the better side.”
It doesn’t just sound daft. It bears little resemblance to the game I watched.
What game was Neil McCann watching?
Kilmarnock certainly had moments. Both teams tried to attack, and the home side created opportunities.
However, suggesting Kilmarnock were somehow controlling Celtic is stretching credibility.
McCann’s next assessment was even stranger.
“Celtic playing on the counter-attack are always going to be dangerous because of how we’re playing,” he said.
Counter-attack?
What game was he watching?
Celtic weren’t camped inside their own half desperately waiting for Kilmarnock to lose possession. Both teams were going at each other.
The difference was quality.
Once Celtic found their rhythm, that gulf became painfully obvious. Kilmarnock couldn’t live with them.
The scoreline wasn’t an accident. It wasn’t some tactical injustice. Celtic were simply far better.
McCann deserves credit for accepting responsibility, but you cannot take responsibility and then spend the aftermath constructing excuses around the defeat.
Celtic exposed Neil McCann’s tactics
McCann admitted he instructed Kilmarnock to play an “open and expansive” game.
Against Celtic.
How did that work out, Neil?
Five goals conceded, with goalkeeper Max Stryjek preventing an even more embarrassing scoreline.
That’s not brave tactical management when your system repeatedly leaves your team exposed. That’s a tactical gamble which spectacularly backfired.
McCann then turned his attention to Robbie Deas’ suspension, branding the SPFL rule a “disgrace” and a “joke”.
He can debate that rule all he wants. It doesn’t explain Celtic putting five past his team.
Perhaps the most revealing statistic is nine goals conceded by Kilmarnock across their opening two league matches.
That’s the problem McCann needs to solve.
Celtic didn’t win because of a suspension rule. They didn’t win because Kilmarnock were unlucky.
They won because their quality eventually tore McCann’s team apart.
And unfortunately for Neil, football matches last 90 minutes.
Not whichever opening spell makes the post-match explanation sound slightly less humiliating.
Eric Knott 
Thought we could & should have score a lot more, Wide players were ineffective, out of position. Duran had a good shot, assist for a goal Yang had a good shot but was very poor. Tonetke came on & vanished AGAIN. Midfield should be breaking up a lot more breaks, probably won 2-3 loose balls. We SHOULD be adopting a 4-4-2 formation to get the best from Strikers.
Set plays look as bad as years ago, I accept we have players to bring in…but expect more. Last 5 or so mins Goalkeeper had NINE touches WHY, push on 5 x fresh subs, they are dead, front men want the ball !!
Great performance and result we will maybe change formation once we bring in more players