‘Really, really good’: Raith Rovers boss singles out brilliant Celtic player

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Raith Rovers manager John McGlynn singled out Liam Scales’ thunderbolt as Celtic cruised into the Scottish Cup quarter-finals with a 4-0 win at Parkhead, speaking to the club’s official website. 

It’s a tribute to Ange Postecoglou’s game-plan as much as it is to Scales’ trusty left boot. 

Full-backs drifting into central midfield positions is a key part of the Postecoglou blueprint. And while Scales may be no Philipp Lahm, the former Shamrock Rovers youngster certainly has the ambition and the technical ability to make his quality count wherever he picks up possession. 

Controlling an intelligent Tom Rogic pass just outside the penalty area, Scales shifted the ball out of his feet and hammered a shot in off the post.

It was his second goal in Celtic colours. And, if this is a sign of things to come, then it won’t be his last either. 

“A really, really good strike. A worldie from the lad Scales,” admits McGlynn.

It took Postecoglou’s free-scoring side another 46 minutes before they made their dominance count on Sunday afternoon.

The mercurial Filipe Jota set up Giorgios Giakoumakis’ second half tap-in, breaking Raith’s resistance at last. Daizen Maeda then netted his third Celtic goal since arriving from Japanese football in the January transfer window. 

Nir Bitton scored the fourth, tapping home after his initial penalty was saved by Raith Rovers ‘keeper Jamie MacDonald. 

Will Celtic win the Scottish Cup?

“I can’t argue with the result to be fair,” McGlynn adds, via the Daily Record. “Celtic are a top-class side and our guys put in a great effort, were very well organised and very disciplined. 

“We knew Celtic would come in blocks. We managed to survive that 20-minute period that we thought we were going to get bombarded.

“Overall, I thought the guys worked really, really hard. I’m disappointed to go out but we have to learn from that.”

Perhaps even more so than the lopsided scoreline, Postecoglou will be thrilled to see two key players return to contention against Raith Rovers. 

Yosuke Ideguchi came off the bench to make just his second appearance for the Glasgow giants.

But if Ideguchi had been chomping at the bit after a spell on the sidelines, imagine the adrenaline coursing through Christopher Jullien’s veins as the towering centre-back stepped onto the pitch for the first time since December 2020.