Liam Scales

Thought he was excellent today..

 

I think that's definitely part of it, but that's also doing the player himself a bit of an injustice.

I think there have been some big improvements to his game - namely speed of thought. Moves the ball a lot quicker than he did say a year ago. Will never forget the 0-0 game against St Johnstone at home when he was infuriatingly poor.

More commanding for me too. Doesn't lose anywhere near as many duels as he did in 2023 and even the early parts of this year.

 

I

Aye I mean he’s had the chance to settle into a partnership and has the time to focus on his own game, and settle into a natural partnership. Last season it was literally him or bust, and he done some heroics.

Honestly, he’s so underrated.

 

I agree with the underrated part. Some of his defending is first class. He's actually fairly quick too

 

Think one of the parts that I can look towards for his ability is just how much CCV trusts him. When he came back last season that wasn’t quite the case, it is now. He’s happy to let him cover him or be isolated when it’s needed to be. Partnership has been monstrous this season so far.

 

It's easy to forget how good he was pre-Christmas, guy was my MOTM against Atletico at home and the huns, put in so many amazing performances over those months. Form dropped off a cliff after Christmas but he's starting to show it wasn't a purple patch last season. Having actual competition in Trusty will help a lot.

 

He's been superb so far this season, let's hope he can keep it up..

 

I’m unashamedly a fan boy so may just be me but the off a cliff patter I’ve never got with him, he had a shaky 6 weeks or so then CCV came back, they took 3/4 games settling and then end of the season we were solid at the back.

 

Solid as a rock at the back and a Celtic man through and through.

He is living the dream.

 

Probably MOTM today, dealt with Vargas well a few times on the run in behind, I never thought about him once on the ball which meant he moved it about well and quick and he defended great a few times, one near the end at 1-0 I think they tried to play that Vargas in after Palma lost the ball and on the turn he flicked his heel out and blocked it otherwise we were in trouble.

 

He has had a good stat to the season, forming a solid partnership with CCV.
I have every confidence in him heading into the CL acid test.
Just keep the focus, and he will be fine.

 

Trying not to be a *, or indeed upset the apparent fan club he has on these boards, so here we go;

He is getting better, game by game, hes formed a reliable spfl partnership with CCV, works his socks off, and at times has some excellent awareness.

BUT...

We've been saying for years how CCV instantly improves his CB partners, almost by default.
Out of the overall 40 minutes of football I caught yesterday, he misplaced about 5 or 6 passes, got spun inside out in the middle of the pitch by a tart, that could've really led to meaningful breakaway if Hearts had any legs in the team, and could've easily conceded a penalty had VAR not intervened to show the ball hit the other side of his elbow; in what was, lets be honest, woeful set piece defending.

Scales was marking Shankland, who he let spin him at the kick, chased him with TWO hands on his back, then got spun again to find himself infront of the striker.
Yes the ball was whipped in at pace, but he has basically a free header at it if hes aware where the ball is, all he had to do was attack the thing; but the ball zips by, and he spins (again!) a 180 with both arms flailing about. He was literally all over the shop.
As Stewart said on the commentary post match... Hes a very lucky boy.

Again, dont wanna * in anybody's chips, dont wanna start arguments, but hes simply not good enough to be a starter in where we want to be as a side.

Hes getting alot of plaudits today for an overall solid performance against a * poor hearts side who have scored 2 solitary goals so far and are sitting at the * of the table.

Put it this way, when i see his name on the team sheet in an spfl fixture its no problem.
When i see his name on the teamsheet for our midweek CL games... Fear.

 

Think he was the best CB in the CL by far last year and the only CB since CCV has been here that has stood up and performed without him. For the majority of last season he didn’t have CCV, he had a highlight reel of bombscares game by game, sometimes the same game, more than I can ever remember at any other point as a Celtic fan CB’s subbed in next to a player. He was the mainstay, and general opinion seems to be he was worse when after the break when CCV returned.

CL performances, particularly how good he was against someone like Griezman 2-2 at Parkhead he didn’t let himself down at all. Was one of the best players overall in Europe, just behind Matt O’Riley IMO.

We’ve been rock solid now he’s settled next to CCV. We have conceded 1 goal this season thus far, it’s not a coincidence that he’s been part of that. The 3 at the heart of it being Kasper, CCV and him. All whilst playing next to our apparently poor out of depth LB in Taylor (another harsh opinion our fans hold that IMO but out the 4 and keeper he is the obvious one that I’d replace)


Trusty may eventually take his place, but right now he has done absolutely nothing to even contemplate it. Even the CL last year the biggest mistake out of a CB that * us I can remember was CCV, against Lazio, that directly lead to a loss. Rushed back and was solid before then so don’t blame him either, but Scales hasn’t been an issue. Our fans look for anything to criticise when it comes to him, it’s bizarre to me that.

 

I've only seen the highlights, as I was working (so far, I haven't managed to find the full game online, I'd be really grateful if someone could PM me a link); but in the highlights, there was one defensive headed clearance that I'm absolutely raving about. I can't find it in the official highlights; but it was in some unofficial highlights that were on YouTube for a short time.

 

Who the * dresses these guys......

 

To be fair Palma's pic is even worse so they got a low bar to beat lol

 

Is that not Bain?

 

Thought that was Scott Bain for a second there