“We’re not eyeballing Hearts and worrying about them,” Luke McCowan | OneFootball

Celtic may have delivered a much-improved performance at Celtic Park on Saturday, but the goalless draw with Hibs saw the team drop two points behind Hearts at the top of the Scottish Premiership…

Cameron Carter-Vickers of Celtic reacts after Referee Don Robertson showed him a yellow card for a challenge on Kieran Bowie of Hibernian. Celtic v Hibernian, Scottish Premiership, Celtic Park, 27 September 2025. Photo Stuart Wallace IMAGO Shutterstock

The early table makes for intriguing reading, but inside the Celtic dressing room there appears little panic. Luke McCowan, speaking after the game and reported by Daily Record was assertive in his assessment of the situation.

“We’re not eyeballing Hearts and worrying about them or anything like that. It’s more worrying about ourselves. It’s making sure that we’re at it. That’s always been the way Celtic play. It’s about we come first and we make sure that we’re doing the things that we’re good at throughout the season,” McCowan explained.

“If we keep up what we’re doing, it won’t matter what Hearts do. It’s about the levels of performance Celtic put in. It’s the same every season, isn’t it? There’s always a team that pushes us. It’s always the question. Last year it was Aberdeen, they started like a house on fire. Hearts as well have started like a house on fire, performing well.

“It’s so early, there’s so many games to play. If we keep that performance level that we did on Saturday, we’ll come away with the three points more often than not. It doesn’t matter if there’s one point in it or ten or more. It’s about putting that level of expectation on yourself.

“It won’t matter if Hearts are there or not. It’s about us. It’s a level of expectation at this club. You need to put that pressure on yourself and you need to accept that pressure of league Champions. You need to go and show why you won the league before. But knowing that winning it the year before means absolutely nothing. It’s about pushing on and pushing on and then that throughout the full season.”

Luke McCowan celebrates. Partick Thistle v Celtic. Premier Sports League Cup. Sunday 21 September. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

McCowan’s words reflect a realism that many inside Celtic Park will recognise. The Champions know that, historically, the only team capable of derailing Celtic is ourselves. Just last season Aberdeen were tipped as the side who could finally split the Glasgow dominance, with some even considering them title challengers, only to fade away spectacularly after a blistering start.

Now it is Hearts’ turn to earn the headlines, and with Derek McInnes in charge, Tony Bloom’s financial backing, and Jamestown Analytics shaping recruitment, there is plenty of hype around Tynecastle. Bloom has already stated he wants to see Hearts win the title within a decade. But as the Edinburgh club sit top of the table after six games, some are wondering if that timeline has already been shortened from ten years to ten months.

Luke McCowan of Celtic celebrates scoring to give Celtic a 1-0 lead. Celtic v St Mirren, Scottish Premiership, Celtic Park, Glasgow, 3 August 2025. Photo Stuart Wallace, IMAGO / Shutterstock (The Celtic Star)

Hearts have scored 15 goals in their opening fixtures, an impressive return compared to Celtic’s eight. Yet defensively, Hearts have shipped six goals, the same as theRangers, who are being heavily scrutinised for their defensive fragility.

Celtic, by contrast, have conceded just once. If Alex Ferguson’s maxim that attack wins games, but defences win titles still rings true, then Celtic supporters may find more comfort in our own statistics than those of the league leaders.

The problem for Celtic, however, lies not at the back but up front. The departure of Kyogo in January robbed the side of their most reliable finisher. The summer exits of Nicolas Kühn and Adam Idah compounded the issue, while Jota’s long-term injury deprived the team of creativity and a steady supply of goals and assists.

Sebastian Tounekti during the Partick Thistle v Celtic. Premier Sports League Cup. Sunday 21 September. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Recruitment has also been late and inconsistent. Seb Tounekti has shown signs of promise and creativity in flashes reminiscent of Jota, though still raw. Kel Iheanacho, brought in on a free, looks an able replacement for Idah but is still building fitness. Michel Ange Balikwisha, meanwhile, has looked cautious in his early appearances, more like a central midfielder operating wide than a natural winger.

Michel-Ange Balikwisha of Celtic Celtic v Hibernian, Scottish Premiership, Celtic Park, 27 September 2025. Photo Stuart Wallace IMAGO/Shutterstock

For now, Celtic’s attacking reinforcements offer promise but no guarantees.

That uncertainty has given Hearts hope, though their challenge carries familiar caveats. Momentum is a vital ingredient in any title bid and McInnes’ side certainly have it at present. But with so much of the starting XI still drawn from last season, they remain vulnerable to key injuries. Craig Halkett’s continued fitness is crucial, without him, the defence could quickly unravel.

Article by Niall J continues on the next page…

Tony Bloom, the Brighton owner, attended his first game at Tynecastle since taking a 29% stake in the club. Heart of Midlothian v Aberdeen, Scottish Premiership, 4 August 2025. Photo Neil Hanna Shutterstock

Yet Bloom’s investment means that unlike Aberdeen last season, Hearts have the depth and financial strength to reinforce in January if they remain in contention, meanwhile even if Celtic were to enter the transfer market, the support have little real confidence in a coherent strategy emerging although Brendan Rodgers told The Celtic Star that things could be better in terms of conducting transfer business come January.

‘On looking forward has there been anything discussed so far about changes that are going to be made for the January transfer window so that we can avoid similar dramas of the summer window?’ The Celtic Star asked the Celtic manager at his media conference last Friday at Lennoxtown.

Celtic Manager Brendan Rodgers applauds the Celtic fans at full-time. Final score Celtic 0 Hibernian 0. Scottish Premiership, Celtic Park, 27 September 2025 Photo Stuart Wallace IMAGO/Shutterstock

Brendan Rodgers replied:  “I really hope so. At this moment in time, for me, the scouting team know exactly what we’re after and what we missed out on in the summer market. So again, a lot of work going on into that. It’s a smaller window, of course, so you have to be slick, you have to be prepared and ready and look to get the business done as early as we possibly can. So I’d be hopeful that we could learn from that and hopefully close that out better in the January window.”

Hearts also benefit from a lighter schedule. With no European football and already out of the League Cup, their focus can remain entirely on the league. Celtic, by contrast, must navigate the Thursday-Sunday grind until at least February. It is a potential advantage for the challengers, though still a long way from decisive.

Heart of Midlothian v Aberdeen, Scottish Premiership 04/08/2025. Hearts head coach Derek McInnes during the Scottish Premiership match between Heart of Midlothian and Aberdeen at Tynecastle Park, Edinburgh, on 4 August 2025. Photo Malcolm Mackenzie, PSI

The real test of Hearts’ mettle may come when Celtic visit Tynecastle at the end of next month. A victory for the Champions in that fixture could puncture the momentum currently building in Gorgie, just as Celtic’s demolition of Aberdeen in last year’s League Cup semi-final ended any faint notion of a challenge from Pittodrie. Hearts will be desperate to avoid such a fate, but Celtic will know they are capable of delivering it.

McCowan’s words though do cut to the heart of the matter, no pun intended. Celtic’s battle lies within. The defence is already title-winning in quality, but the attack must rediscover its cutting edge and the team must start winning decisive matches, something that’s hardly been a feature of our 2025 story to date.

Heart of Midlothian v Aberdeen, Scottish Premiership 04/08/2025. GOAL 1-0 Harry Milne of Hearts celebrates after the opening goal during the matc at Tynecastle Park, on 4 August 2025. Photo Malcolm Mackenzie/PSI – IMAGO

Hearts deserve credit for their flying start, but there are still 32 games to play. If Celtic find consistency and rhythm, they will remain the team to beat. If not, Hearts may yet turn early-season excitement into something more lasting.

For now, the noise around Tynecastle is impossible to ignore, but as Luke McCowan reminded everyone, “It’s about us.”

Niall J

Continues on the next page…Celtic must shake off lacklustre form to end 2025 with a bang…

Celtic Park. 17 May 2025.. Photo Vagelis Georgariou

Callum McGregor looked back with some satisfaction on the Celtic performance in Belgrade last week but there’s also a nagging thought in the skipper’s mind that the team came away with two points short of what the team’s performance merited against Red Star Belgrade on the Europa League opener…

The two teams ahead of kick-off Crvena zvezda v Celtic, UEFA Europa League, Football, Rajko Mitic Stadium, Belgrade, Serbia – 24 Sep 2025Belgrade Rajko Mitic Stadium Serbia. Photo Nikola Krstic Shutterstock

“Maybe we should have won in Belgrade, but it finished in a draw,” McGregor said, looking back on the 1-1 draw ahead of Thursday night’s match at Celtic Park against Portuguese outfit Sporting Braga. “When you’re in the stadium, with the atmosphere and everything else — in the first game — you don’t quite know what to expect.

“We’ve dropped down from the Champions League to here, and everyone expects us to win. It’s easy to say, ‘It’s easy,’ but it’s not — you have to earn the right. And they’ve got some good players too. I think, on the whole, we probably just edged it. On another night, we could’ve won it.

Kelechi Iheanacho of Celtic celebrates his goal Crvena zvezda v Celtic, UEFA Europa League, Football, Rajko Mitic Stadium, Belgrade, Serbia – 24 September 2025. Belgrade Rajko Mitic Stadium Serbia Photo Nikola Krstic Shutterstock

“It shows the level of our team — to go there, create enough chances to win the game, and not give up too many at the other end. I thought it was a good start and a good point earned in Belgrade,” Calmac concluded as reported by Newsquest outlet TCW.

With that valuable away point already on the board, Celtic now turn their attention to the first of the four home games and it’s at Celtic Park where the team needs to maximise their points haul if they are to make meaningful progress in the group stages of European football’s second tier tournament.

Crvena zvezda vs Celtic Glasgow UEFA Europa league match at Rajko Mitic stadium, Belgrade 24.09.2025 Photo: Marko Metlas/MN Press

“Hopefully, we just fly through the group. That’s the thing — we have to prove we’re a good side. It’s easy to say, ‘Yeah, they should do well,’ but we have to actually make sure we do it.

“That’s important. We have to earn the right — the same way we did in the Champions League last year. We can’t take any game for granted. We’re there, we’re hungry to win, and we have to perform at a good level to get points.

“Hopefully, after the eight games, we’ll have enough points to get through — and from there, the competition could really come alive.”

Photo: Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

2025 so far has hardly been a vintage year for Celtic, yes the title was one after a sizeable lead was built in the first half of the campaign but meaningful victories have been few and far between when you look back the football that’s been played.

The biggest disappointments of course were the Scottish Cup Final defeat to a poor Aberdeen side and the Champions League elimination in the play-offs to Kairat, this being the most costly and one of the most embarrassing results in Celtic’s history.

Celtic captain Callum McGregor looks frustrated at full-time. Final score Celtic 0 Hibernian 0. Celtic v Hibernian, Scottish Premiership, Celtic Park, 27 September 2025. Photo Stuart Wallace IMAGO Shutterstock

As we mentioned last week the Europa League campaign – in the group stages at least – is all about atonement for Celtic. Callum McGregor is correct in his assessment on the match in Belgrade but we could add the Scottish Cup final and many others, including the game against Hibs at the weekend, to the list of games we should have won in 2025 but didn’t.

This needs to change and ideally that needs to happen in the match against Sporting Braga on Thursday night where we need both a good performance and a victory.

Continues on the next page…Celtic v Sporting Braga – An early Europa League kickoff but not our earliest…

Celtic’s next opponents come in the shape of Portuguese outfit Sporting Braga who are our visitors at Celtic Park on match-day two of our Europa League campaign this Thursday in the early evening kick-off…

Outside Celtic Park, 27 September 2025 ahead of the Celtic v Hibs match. Photo The Celtic Star

The game kicks off in the unusual time slot of 5.45pm and if you think that’s early remember the last time we kicked off in an even earlier slot at Paradise in European competition four years ago when we beat Ferencvaros 2-0. That Europa League match under Ange Postecoglou actually started at 3.30pm on a school-day back on 19 October 2021.

The early kick-off (matchday three) was related to the COP26 climate summit that was to take place place in Glasgow a few weeks later, so neither Celtic or theRangers would be allowed to play at home on matchday four.

Fans of Celtic display a banner in protest against UEFA prior to the UEFA Europa League group G match between Celtic FC and Ferencvarosi TC at Celtic Park on October 19, 2021. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

As a result, both Glasgow sides had to re-arrange their Europa League matchday three games to be played at home. In an additional complication, Celtic and theRangers cannot play at home on the same night so with theRangers playing Brondby at Ibrox on the Thursday, Celtic were forced to play on Tuesday with an earlier kick-off time of 3.30pm due to the Champions League fixtures later that evening in the Europa League match.

Outside Celtic Park, 27 September 2025 ahead of the Celtic v Hibs match. Photo The Celtic Star

Celtic posted this on the official Celtic FC website. “Clearly this is an unfortunate and unique set of circumstances driven by COP26. We fully understand the frustrations of our supporters. We can assure our fans that we have made significant representation at the highest levels to try and avoid this eventuality.

Fans of Celtic show their support prior to the UEFA Europa League group G match between Celtic FC and Ferencvarosi TC at Celtic Park on October 19, 2021. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

“While these matters are totally outwith our control, once again we want our fans to know that we fully understand the frustration this may cause. However, we do hope you can still join us for each and every game at Celtic Park in this really exciting Group stage.

“We thank you sincerely for your continued support.”

Let’s hope we see a repeat result on Thursday as we aim to solidify a place in the top half of the Europa standings in our aim to automatically qualify for the last 16.

Sporting Braga are a well known name on the European scene, maybe not as famous as their Portuguese counterparts Benfica, Porto, and Sporting, but they are a decent side all the same.

The last time we faced the Portuguese side, indeed the only other time we’ve had the pleasure of facing them, was in a Champions League qualifier doubleheader back in 2010 when Neil Lennon’s side won 2-1 at Celtic Park thanks to goals from Gary Hooper and Efrain Juarez, but unfortunately were eliminated 4-2 on aggregate after a painful 3-0 loss in Portugal.

Carlos Vicens head coach of Sporting Braga during the UEFA Europe League League phase, Matchday 1, between Sporting Club de Braga and Feyenoord at Stadium Municipal of Braga on 24 September, 2025 in Braga Portugal Photo by Luis de la Mata / SportPix/Sipa/ USA

Currently sitting seventh in the Portuguese Premier Liga, slumped to a home defeat at the hands of Nacional at the  weekend, but Carlos Vicens side made a winning start to their Europa League campaign with a single goal win over Feyenoord.

Braga fans, getting an autograph from the new transfer Gustaf Lagerbielke

As well as the obvious Gustaf Lagerbielke connection, ‘Os Arsenalistas’ boast some talented players, such as Uruguayan international midfielder Rodrigo Zalazar, Portuguese international winger Ricardo Horta and the evergreen 39 year old ultra experienced 146 capped Portugal international midfielder Joao Moutinho.

It will be a tough test for Brendan Rodgers and his players, but one we are more than capable of overcoming especially as Celtic has home advantage and hopefully enough in the stadium will provide that Celtic roar we are so used to hearing on big European occasions like this one.

Just an Ordinary Bhoy

Continues on the next page…

Danny McGrain, David Potter & Willie Fernie – what a combination!

Celtic in the Eighties by David Potter. Out now, order your copy at Celticstarbooks.com

We’re certainly Putting on the Style with the new promotion from Celtic Star Books. David Potter’s final book – Celtic in the Eighties – has been selling wonderfully well since its launch earlier this month. It is by far our fastest-ever seller. Order one of the last remaining copies of Celtic in the Eighties and Danny McGrain will sign it for you PLUS you’ll receive a copy of David Potter’s wonderful book on Willie Fernie as a free gift.

Celtic in the Eighties and Willie Fernie – Putting on the Style both by David Potter. Photo The Celtic Star

Danny McGrain has now agreed to sign the final batch of Celtic in the Eighties. Ordering is simple, just place your order for Celtic in the Eighties at celticstarbooks.com/shop and we’ll do the rest, ensuring your copy is signed by Danny and a complimentary Willie Fernie book dispatched by the next working day, whilst stocks last, from Wednesday of this week (Danny is signing the books on Tuesday evening).

Celtic 3-0 St Mirren, Scottish Premier League, Celtic Park, 15 May 1982.Celtic captain Danny McGrain collects the championship trophy as Roy Aitken looks on. Photo The Celtic Wiki

Danny McGrain signing copies of Celtic in the Eighties by David Potter. Photo: Celtic Star Books

Please note that stocks are now running very low indeed and the book will NOT be reprinted. Click on the image below to order. Please note that postage will only be charged on ONE book.

Celtic in the Eighties by David Potter. Out now on Celtic Star Books. Click on image above to order.

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