Celtic are now crunching through the gears so quickly that their defence of the Premiership title looks destined to start at a fiendish pace.
Coming off the back of an impressive victory over Sporting Lisbon in the Algarve, Saturday’s dismantling of an expensively assembled Newcastle side was every bit as comprehensive as the 4-0 scoreline suggested.
Notwithstanding the fact that Eddie Howe’s men are two weeks behind Celtic in preparation for the new campaign, you could only admire the way in which Brendan Rodgers’ side bettered them in pretty much every department.
While results in pre-season are notoriously poor indicators of what lies ahead, performances do count for something.
And with so many familiar faces hitting the straps a fortnight shy of the real stuff beginning with the visit of St Mirren, Celtic look primed to peak bang on cue.
Perhaps the most physically imposing side in the Premier League, Newcastle’s brawn helped take them to the League Cup and a Champions League position last season.
Kieran Tierney looked as though he had never been away when he came on against Newcastle
Auston Trusty was awarded man of the match for his imperious display in a 4-0 victory
Liam Scales rises above the Newcastle defence to complete the scoring at Celtic Park
Knowing this, Celtic used their brains instead. Brave enough to play through the visitors’ high press after a testing start, they moved the ball slickly and with purpose. Even after Rodgers changed 10 players on the hour mark, the collective performance level remained remarkably high.
Certain Celtic players badly needed this. Kasper Schmeichel’s season had ended with a costly blunder in the Scottish Cup final defeat to Aberdeen. The Dane looked much the better for the break, a couple of smart saves contributing towards another welcome clean sheet.
Often lacking an end product from promising positions, Yang Hyun-jun was enterprising, menacing and back among the goals. His contribution should give his confidence a shot in the arm and convince his manager that he’s worth keeping on board.
Most significant, though, was the imperious display of Auston Trusty. The American’s first season at Parkhead was punctuated by some days of promise, just not enough of them. So much so that you began to wonder if he’d be edged towards the exit door this summer if a would-be suitor was prepared to give Celtic their £6million back.
This was much more like it from the centre-half. Tasked with keeping William Osula quiet, he read every ball Newcastle’s midfield tried to thread to their forward.
He made sliding blocks and clearing headers. His calmness radiated across a back four containing Dane Murray and Hayato Inamura. Even when Osula had rounded Schmeichel, there was Trusty on the goal-line to avert the danger.
Trusty still has a lot to prove but, as he showed in pulling down the shutters on Atalanta in Bergamo, when he’s fully focused, he looks the part. He richly deserved the man of the match award he left the ground with.
The occasion was far more memorable than so many of these encounters down the years. The 10,000-strong Newcastle support elevated the atmosphere and, while the match was primarily a fitness exercise, it did not lack a competitive edge. No match between sides from Scotland and England ever will.
Celtic were far more potent in the final third. Evidently enjoying his foot races with Kieran Trippier, Daizen Maeda fashioned the opener when his cross from the left saw Joe Willock clumsily up-end Arne Engels in the box. The Belgian calmly sent Nick Pope the wrong way from the spot. Blameless on that occasion, the England keeper must have felt like boarding the team bus at the interval after a calamitous error led to Celtic’s second.
Schmeichel’s long kick was only intended to move his team up the park. Pope misjudged its bounce, allowing Johnny Kenny a tap-in into an empty net.
The young Irishman deserved that moment. The question is now whether his development is better served by going out on loan or by picking up 10 minutes here and there under Rodgers.
Even the half-time introduction of £55m Anthony Elanga — so far Howe’s only signing of the window — did nothing to change the flow of the game.
Celtic’s third goal was a peach, a six-man passing move which began with Schmeichel and ended with Yang slotting Maeda’s cross beyond Pope. With that, some Newcastle fans made for the exits.
The loudest cheer of the afternoon was naturally reserved for the return of Kieran Tierney. A ball of energy on the left, the full-back looked as if he’d never been away. He even claimed a late assist for Liam Scales as the Irishman planted a header outwith Pope’s reach for No 4.
It was a fine afternoon all round for Rodgers, one which allowed him to afford opportunities to emerging talents including defenders Ben McPherson and Colby Donovan, who prevented Newcastle from heading home with a crumb of consolation.
Early impressions of Benjamin Nygren are extremely favourable, with shades of Matt O’Riley in the Swede’s grace and composure.
Reo Hatate looks like a man on a mission after missing the cup final through injury. Paulo Bernardo, another who was introduced for the final 30 minutes, looked refreshed and ready to improve upon a personal campaign which only just got pass marks.
Physically and psychologically, Celtic head to Como this week in very good shape.
But even though Shin Yamada, the striker signed from Kawasaki Frontale, will boost their options, there are still areas of the side which will need strengthening if the progress witnessed in Europe last season is to continue.
It’s just conceivable that Newcastle could be back in town on Champions League duty this season. If that comes to pass, it can be said with some certainty that they won’t be nearly as deficient as they were here.
