Celtic’s unusual Hearts blow and why they overcame it

At one point, they were behind in a domestic fixture.

It is not something that has happened often since the Australian was appointed last summer, particularly during the unbeaten run in the league, which lasted almost a year.

In total, they have been behind nine times in Scotland during games under the 57-year-old's reign, and throughout that time they have still gone on to win four of those matches. 

Now, while that does mean five of those games ended in defeats, some context has to be given. The three losses suffered at the start of last season, against Hearts, Rangers and Livingston, saw the former Socceroos coach working with an almost completely different squad to the one he is operating with now.

In hindsight, they can be understood in the challenging circumstances. However, given his exceptionally high standards he will no doubt remain frustrated at the other games Celtic did lose as part of that data.

Those being the Scottish Cup semi-final to Giovanni van Bronckhorst's side and the recent fixture against St Mirren.

But in terms of the victories, these have included magnificent moments such as the thrilling Premier Sports Cup final win against Hibernian, the season-defining 2-1 victory at Ibrox in April, the day the league was effectively clinched against the Jambos at the end of last season and the weekend's dramatic 4-3 goal fest against the same opposition.

Each fixture mentioned is extremely important and made possible by the Bhoys' impressive bounce-back ability.

This was on show more than ever on Saturday as Celtic had to contend with a pinball-type affair induced by the introduction of VAR to the Scottish game.

Having what appeared to be a clear penalty not given, going behind just after half-time, re-taking the lead only to be pegged back, yet still managing to score again and walk away with three points showed this team never knows when it is beaten.

The fact that Greg Taylor's winning goal was not a surprise to any close observers showcases the fighting spirit the Australian has built during his 15 months at the club.

It is a trait that will be essential if Postecoglou and his team are to achieve the success they want this season.

The comeback kings may be a premature title for this current squad, but if there is a continuation of fixtures like the weekend's victory, then it could be a moniker that becomes more fitting in the long run.

This piece is an extract from today’s Celtic Digest newsletter, which is emailed out at 4pm every weekday with a round-up of the day's top stories and exclusive analysis from The Celtic Way team.

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