Sandman’s Definitive Ratings – Celtic v Uterus | OneFootball

SANDMAN’S DEFINITIVE RATINGS: CELTIC v UTERUS…

Callum McGregor and Kasper Schmeichel of Celtic celebrate after their win in the UEFA Europa League 2025/26 League Phase MD8 match between Celtic FC and FC Utrecht at Celtic Park on January 29, 2026. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

THE FRIENDLY GHOST – 7/10 – Ping! Woosh! Hold…Hooold…Thunk! ‘Whit the… Wis that?’

“Their second whippin’ in, and then Kasper landin’ on the deck half a minute later…”

Caught on his heels like the rest of the side with the pace of their break and couldn’t sort his feet. But that partial-error aside, he’d already saved the skins, and the psyche, with a blinder of a fingertip save right on half-time which gets better with every replay. Still the big character we need for the big games. I mean, just look at his opposite number…

Benjamin Nygren of Celtic celebrates with Kieran Tierney after scoring the opening goal during the UEFA Europa League 2025/26 League Phase MD8 match between Celtic FC and FC Utrecht at Celtic Park on January 29, 2026. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

KATIE – 7/10 – What an admirable, admirable shift from the ‘veteran’. Not content with a stoical left-back stint, he pops up as a right winger to set up the opener with a byeline burst and cutback Jamesy would have been proud of. Did appear Donald Ducked for much of his participation and maybe hooking in a deputy is in order before we end January with faces pressed up against the transfer window again.

Auston Trusty and Colby Donovan of Celtic celebrate Trusty scoring his team’s fourth goal with teammates during the UEFA Europa League 2025/26 League Phase MD8 match between Celtic FC and FC Utrecht at Celtic Park on January 29, 2026. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

MELLOW YELLOW – 6.5/10 – The big lang streak of gallus is staking his claim for the position and did himself no harm tonight with a confident 90 minutes in which he was tested all-round. Maybe caught being too eager on occasion but will learn more composure and nous with every coming game.

Auston Trusty of Celtic celebrates scoring his team’s fourth goal during the UEFA Europa League 2025/26 League Phase MD8 match between Celtic FC and FC Utrecht at Celtic Park on January 29, 2026. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

CRUSTY THE CLOWN – 7/10 – Big mhan’s on a mission – creamed in that header and celebrated with a growl. Sacrificed by skullduggery on Sunday, he mostly kept his wits about him despite a few lapses when they stepped up gears unexpectedly.

Celtic v Utrecht, UEFA Europa League, League Stage. Back row (L-R) Sebastian Tounekti, Auston Trusty, Arne Engels, Benjamin Nygren, Liam Scales, Kasper Schmeichel. Front row (L-R) Daizen Maeda, Yang Hyeon-Jun, Callum McGregor, Kieran Tierney, Colby Donovan Photo: Kenny Ramsay. IMAGO / News Licensing

OF JUSTICE – 7.5/10 MOTM – Liam? Man of the match? Again? Seems a recurring theme this season but who’s going to argue – well, a handful of virgins… – when you’ve got the insurance of the Ginger Baresi preventing mass heart attacks with a stunning block as the final ten minutes ticked away. Make no mistake – that goes in for 4-3 and we’re rocking. Ultimately, that was emblematic of his overall precision in positional play; terrific, under-appreciated intuition shown in the regular winning of headers from set-pieces. Made that look easy by dint of well-focussed footballing intelligence. Under-appreciated, that is, everywhere except HERE. And by MON…

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Arne Engels of Celtic scores his team’s third goal from the penalty spot during the UEFA Europa League 2025/26 League Phase MD8 match between Celtic FC and FC Utrecht at Celtic Park on January 29, 2026. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

THE TERMINATOR – 6.5/10 – That pen, son… chef’s kiss. But still yet to find the swaggering midfield-boss within that his physique and ability promises. Played well, and you might say well-within himself. But there’s a proper player under the surface; reminds me a bit of Broony when he was raw and inconsistent, then suddenly it came together. Maybe…

Callum McGregor of Celtic celebrates with Auston Trusty after the American scores the fourth Celtic goal during the UEFA Europa League 2025/26 League Phase MD8 match between Celtic FC and FC Utrecht at Celtic Park on January 29, 2026. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

CALMAC – 6.5/10 – Much revived after Sunday’s absence, the real Calmac was back in control. Then out of control, then regained it, lost it, got it back for the closing quarter. Pendulum he is, indeed… But this was much more the natural footballing skipper we know.

Benjamin Nygren of Celtic celebrates after scores the opening goal during the UEFA Europa League 2025/26 League Phase MD8 match between Celtic FC and FC Utrecht at Celtic Park on January 29, 2026. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

NEGAN – 6.5/10 – “Where? There! – goal!”…’Eh, where’s Ne… There! – goal!’ …”Huvnae seen him fur… Ooft, nearly another.”…And just like that…*puff!*… he was gone.

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Yang on the ball for Celtic during the win in the UEFA Europa League 2025/26 League Phase MD8 match between Celtic FC and FC Utrecht at Celtic Park on January 29, 2026. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

YING – 6/10 – Enthusiastic, like a puppy who’s eaten a curlywurly and seems to run about in the same pattern. Showed some nifty footwork and a nip or two that got him a yellow, but still felt as if he was playing on the fringes of a game he should have relished.

Daizen Maeda watches on as Auston Trusty scores with a header to give Celtic a 4-2 lead. Celtic v Utrecht, UEFA Europa League, Group Stage, Celtic Park, 29 January 2026. Photo Stuart Wallace IMAGO/Shutterstock

LORD KATSUMOTO – 4/10 – Couldn’t trap an ant with a satellite dish; when Daizen’s touch is off, the front rows of the stands know it. Nothing would stick, proving he’s no target man – just fire it over the top and let him chase it. But his press is precious, and barking-mad Barkas felt it, much to our advantage.

29.01.2026 Celtic v Utrecht, UEFA Europa League, League Stage Sebastian Tounetki arrives at the stadium. Photo: Kenny Ramsay IMAGO / News Licensing

TUTANKHAMUN – 5/10 – The ghost of Mikey J often haunts the Parkhead wings, and tonight I swore I saw it more than once…The balance of poor outings isn’t in his favour as he promises much yet delivers little once more. Needs to step it up to keep his position in the starting eleven, because spring’s on the horizon and we all know Jamesy will be rising with the sap, looking for action…Right, ladies?

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SUBS –

Kelechi Iheanacho of Celtic arrives at the stadium prior to the UEFA Europa League 2025/26 League Phase MD8 match between Celtic FC and FC Utrecht at Celtic Park on January 29, 2026. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

ITCHYCOO PARK – N/A – Back, but rusty and needed reminding which way he was shooting a couple of times.

Paulo Bernardo of Celtic arrives at the stadium prior to the UEFA Europa League 2025/26 League Phase MD8 match between Celtic FC and FC Utrecht at Celtic Park on January 29, 2026. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

SAINT BERNARDO – N/A – Still hanging aorund in hope or with purpose? We’ll see if Paulo lasts the window. Always a useful deputy, but needs game time to get up to speed.

JAMESY – N/A – When you need experience to keep the Dutch well-pumped, only Ron Jeremy could claim to be more effective than throwing in Jamesy to keep the balls rotating and give them a proposition to think about. Oo-er Missus…

GREAT – N/A – Preferred again, but with less time to induce anxiety, mercifully, and at least the big lhad didn’t take any chances.

HIGHLAND TOFFEE – N/A – Luke, Luke’s nearly scored a… Well, a kind of, erm, cross-shot-lob-dink-clump-hingummy. Close.

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Martin O’Neill, Manager of Celtic interacts with Ron Jans, Head Coach of FC Utrecht, prior to the UEFA Europa League 2025/26 League Phase MD8 match between Celtic FC and FC Utrecht at Celtic Park on January 29, 2026. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

FATHER MARTIN AND SAMWISE GANGEE – 7.5/10 – Faith in the faithful. Gave Sunday’s tribulation ten a chance to show their Euro-bollocks and dismiss the Gorgie episode as a point won and never to be spoken of again, by setting up some minor glory. And they responded. Then tried to put the boss in a nursing home with an indifference to tactical discipline for about half an hour, before remembering who was in the dugout and shook themselves down to reinforce the victory and make it through to the knockouts.

All about the mindset, is Martin, and so far he’s been the right man for the right motivation; instilling the character the squad required to compete properly. And now he can mark his reboot with a first creditable achievement.

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MIBBERY – 6/10 – A Twelve-year-old Italian with the whistle. What can possibly go wrong? For them, quite a bit after VAR intervened at the penalty to the confusion of everyone bar the Big Lebowski… “Well, yeah, that’s just, like, your opinion, man…” And there was a bit of understandable anxiety after Bologna and Sunday when we picked up a couple of bookings within five minutes. But in the end, any threat to our numbers dissipated, much like the Italian military in WWII…

Martin O’Neill, Manager of Celtic, arrives at the stadium prior to the UEFA Europa League 2025/26 League Phase MD8 match between Celtic FC and FC Utrecht at Celtic Park on January 29, 2026. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

OVERALL – 7.5/10 – Magic, that’s the job done, let’s hit the pub before half ti… wit. And, awe naw…A canter began to look like a hobble and the crushing anxiety of throwing away a three-goal lead and qualification loomed like Allan the Beast over a drunken debutant at a charity ball. And we were getting far too charitable as slackness replaced intensity and a number of teams looked like replacing us in the draw for the playoffs.

However, like I alluded to above – CHARACTER is the by-word for our title-winning run to come. It’s the magic ingredient this squad had lost, but shows plenty of promising signs of regaining under the current coaching staff. I include them all in that – mental Fozzy, intense Shaun, Open University Strachan and his laptap, and of course the genial boss, still quipping his way through interviews and getting his point across in his cheeky inscrutable manner.

That’s a combination behind the scenes that resembles a movie assembly of comical, disparate characters about to go on a suicide mission against all odds. And here we are. One madcap scene at a time we’re progressing and the team’s finding a way to get the job done in the end.

We’re into act two now, and it involves a prestigious Euro road-trip and a domestic ding-dong against cannon-fodder we know we can take out to set up a Battle Royale of a final third act. Games like tonight, wrestled in and out of our grasp like a slippery fish, are the start of the character arc that just may take this Celtic side to unexpected heights. Provided, of course, that they stay on-script…

Go Away Now

Sandman

Highlights of the match plus everything said at Martin O’Neill’s post match media conference on the next page…

MARTIN O’NEILL’S POST MATCH MEDIA CONFERENCE AFTER CELTIC’S 4-2 WIN OVER FC UTRECHT…

Celtic v Utrecht, UEFA Europa League, League Stage. Back row (L-R) Sebastian Tounekti, Auston Trusty, Arne Engels, Benjamin Nygren, Liam Scales, Kasper Schmeichel. Front row (L-R) Daizen Maeda, Yang Hyeon-Jun, Callum McGregor, Kieran Tierney, Colby Donovan Photo: Kenny Ramsay. IMAGO / News Licensing

Q: What did you make of the result and the overall performance?

Martin O’Neill: “We’re delighted, obviously, with the result for a start. The performance, I thought, for most parts, was really terrific. After the first two minutes, in which they forced a corner, I thought our pressing was terrific. As a consequence, we got ourselves a couple of goals in front. Not that you’re ever coasting in a game, but we were doing splendidly. I thought we’d just maybe see it through to half-time. They get a goal back, it unnerves you a little bit. Then, when they got the second goal, of course, you’re just beginning to get a wee bit concerned. At that time, I actually thought we were flagging a little bit. But Auston Trusty comes up with a great header. Naturally, we deserved to win the game. Overall, I was delighted with the performance.”

Q: And getting through, obviously, is a big bonus for the club?

Martin O’Neill: “You’d have got long odds about us qualifying after about four games. But great credit to the players, genuinely great credit to them. They worked tirelessly. I just said to them before the game that you don’t want… Last Thursday’s performance was magnificent, playing 60 minutes with 10 men. The performance in Feyenoord was great. So you just didn’t want that to count for nothing. The only way that we could not count for nothing was just to get through, and we won. So we’re in the next stages of the knockout. Another night at Celtic Park.”

Q: It’ll be Stuttgart or a certain Robbie Keane’s Ferencvaros in the next round. We’ll find out who it’ll be tomorrow. If it does turn out to be the Hungarians, how much would Robbie Keane relish going up against you in the dugout?

Martin O’Neill: “Robbie’s just starting his managerial career. And from the start he’s made, he’s done really, really well. He’s been a great player as well. So he’s got a bit of pedigree.”

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Nick Viergever of FC Utrecht concedes an own goal, which results in the second goal for Celtic, during the UEFA Europa League 2025/26 League Phase MD8 match between Celtic FC and FC Utrecht at Celtic Park on January 29, 2026. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Q: How important is the confidence that grows from a result like this, getting back to basics, winning matches and keeping morale up?

Martin O’Neill: “Yeah, I think all of those things follow from the result and obviously performance. So the players were ready for it. I was concerned because we didn’t make that many changes in the team from Sunday. They go again, and at some stage or another, I expect them to flag a little bit. I don’t think that you can constantly press in the manner in which we do. You can’t keep that going for 90 minutes. But the important thing is that when you don’t press, then there’s moments where you just have to sit back and make sure that you’re covered.

“We allowed them in their second goal. They’ve knocked it over the top and scored from their viewpoint a good goal. So that put us on the back foot for a while, and it would have been a bit of a concern. But again, Trusty comes up with a magnificent header and we win. And it’s just nice to get through. But getting back to your point, of course winning breeds confidence.”

Benjamin Nygren of Celtic celebrates after scores the opening goal during the UEFA Europa League 2025/26 League Phase MD8 match between Celtic FC and FC Utrecht at Celtic Park on January 29, 2026. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Q: With two more games now in the schedule, possibly more if you progress, does tonight highlight the importance of adding to the squad?

Martin O’Neill: “Of course. Absolutely.”

Q: Where are you at with that?

Martin O’Neill: “Absolutely. We are definitely making progress. There’s no question about that. Definitely.”

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Q: You mentioned renewed enthusiasm yesterday. Could this be a key spell with a win tonight, another on Sunday, and new signings coming in?

Martin O’Neill: “It’s really as simple as that! As we say, we know that we need to supplement the squad. We need a wee bit of quality as well to help. Particularly with the extra games now, I’m sure it would be a delight for our opposition at domestic level. But we’ll go with it. You might as well. Just for us to qualify and get another European night at Celtic Park, I don’t think it will do us any harm if we get the players in. Which I’m hoping that we will do.”

Q: The last time Celtic won a knockout tie after Christmas was 2004 against Barcelona when you were in charge. Does this feel like a chance to put that right?

Martin O’Neill: “Give me that again. The last time what?”

Daizen Maeda watches on as Auston Trusty scores with a header to give Celtic a 4-2 lead. Celtic v Utrecht, UEFA Europa League, Group Stage, Celtic Park, 29 January 2026. Photo Stuart Wallace IMAGO/Shutterstock

Q: A knockout tie win after Christmas was 2004, Barcelona?

Martin O’Neill: “Was it? Good Lord. Yes, you’re right. I didn’t know that. I genuinely didn’t know that. Right that wrong. There have been a few wrongs. There have been a few wrongs in my time as well. It is genuinely nice to be in the draw, really. I’ve said this before, whether we’re good enough to continue is another issue, regardless. But it is nice actually to have another game at Celtic Park in a knockout thing. I assume we would be drawn at home first, would we?”

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Q: On the ongoing transfer situation, you’ve been linked with a couple of wingers – Fares Ghedjemis and Damir Redzic. How close are those?

Martin O’Neill: “I’ll put it this way, you wouldn’t be a million miles away. Do you know this here? I see your face in my sleep. I swear to you.”

Q: That’s a scary thought.

Martin O’Neill: “No, it’s not a scary thought, it’s just I wonder what he’s going to ask me. You wouldn’t be a million miles off.”

Q: In terms of confidence, percentage-wise?

Martin O’Neill: “Percentage, that I don’t know about percentage.”

Q: Would it be one or the other, given they’re both wingers?

Martin O’Neill: “It could be.”

Q: Are you more hopeful than you were yesterday?

Martin O’Neill: “Actually, I think I am.”

Q: Has there been progress today?

Martin O’Neill: “There’s progress today on certain things, yes. I don’t want to be that cryptic. I would hate to say something is absolutely certain, and then it fell away, that’s all.”

Sale Ends Sunday…

It’s the last few days of the Half Price January sale at Celtic Star Books. Every book ordered is now just £10 and p&p is only charged on the first book at £4.50. So ordering three books will cost a total of £34.50 and given you a £30 saving. Order at celticstarbooks.com/shop

All Books Now Half Price in the Celtic Star Books January Sale…

These books now available at at HALF PRICE in our January sale – click on image to order…

Order from Celtic Star Books HERE!

Please note that p&p is priced at £4.50 is only charged on ONE book so you can buy as many of our books as you like and the postage cost will remain the same. Why not expand your Celtic library today?

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