‘Cat and mouse’ – how Hibs hope to counter pressing game of Celtic ace hailed as ‘world’s best’ by Rodgers
The one assurance that any side playing at Celtic Park will be up against this current Brendan Rodgers-led squad? You are woefully unprepared for the task at hand if you are not willing to face the kind of savage intensity that may be evading some of the finer details of the Geneva Convention.
At least David Gray’s team knows what to anticipate when Hibs prepare to play the Hoops for the third time this season and their second trip to Parkhead. From the first blow of the referee’s whistle until the final clatter of whatever VAR-inflated injury time the officials could add late into the December evening, it is an unrelenting mental and physical test.
Dublin native Warren O’Hora, who grew up following Celtic, acknowledges that he wasn’t quite prepared for the intensity of playing the defending champions back-to-back in August. He’s learning on the go, though. And at least it sounds more ready for the competition this afternoon.
“It’s the intelligence and intensity of them, the way they press, which runs they’re making, where do they want the ball put in the box, outside the box,” O’Hora added, acknowledging that the continual harassment from Celtic’s front three had to be experienced in order to be completely comprehended.
“There’s little things like that that you definitely have to take note of, 100%. Playing a team of Celtic’s calibre, it’s all about mentality.
“At the end of the day, it’s your brain that tends to try to go first. Against a team like Celtic, once that happens, you can be in trouble.
That has already been reaffirmed by the personnel. We will be totally concentrated for perhaps more than ninety minutes tomorrow since there is no time to turn off in a game like this.
O’Hora’s attempt to develop from the right side of a back three could be an intriguing subplot in today’s match. Also referred to as Daizen Maeda’s office, Rodgers has openly stated that, in his opinion, no player in the world of football is better at pressing defenders.
O’Hora adamantly stated, “You need to use that against them somehow,” when asked directly about the Japanese forward’s constant energy. It’s small stuff like that, like pushing in places where he believes he can go in and nick the ball.
“It has to be a bit of cat and mouse. You might have to play over them once or twice to maybe get them to drop off sometimes.
There will be times where you’ll press and you’ll get it wrong, times when you’ll get it right. That happens in every football game.
“Whether it be the left winger from Celtic or the left winger from Aberdeen, there’s going to be times where teams will get it right. There’s got to be times where teams will get it wrong, and we’ll get some joy out of it. We have to back ourselves.
“There’s no point in not going out and having a go and feeling that this isn’t going to go our way from the first minute. We’ll back ourselves and we’ll have a go, 100 per cent. We’ll go in with the mentality that we want to win the game.
She’s barely two months old, so I doubt she even comprehends what’s happening at this point. All she wants is for Daddy to be a father.
Without a doubt, it has been difficult. In addition to my parents, the club has been fantastic with me. They have shown me patience. Without a doubt, it has been the best thing that has ever happened to me.
“My daughter doesn’t think I play football. To her, I am Daddy. It’s undoubtedly an escape that I didn’t anticipate finding as enjoyable.
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