Cruise control; With a display that was as efficient as their hosts

ABERDEEN 0 CELTIC 4 Subs: D'Jaffo for Mike 55, Tiernan for Clark 67.

Not used: Peat, Michie, Payne.

Booked: None.

Referee: S Dougal Subs: Fernandez for Petta 74, Maloney for Petrov, 74, Crainey for Mjallby 74 Not used: Hedman, McNamara.

Booked: None.

Attendance: 17,284.

THERE is an appetite for nostalgia around Aberdeen at the moment, but this felt uncomfortably like the same old story.

Although it would have been painful for the chief scout of FC Basel, their Champions League opponents, to take in the efficiency and assurance Celtic demonstrated yesterday, it was Aberdeen who endured all the direct punishment. They were so tormented that defenders Phil McGuire and Jamie McAllister had to be pulled apart when they went for one another after conceding the third goal.

"Tempers were high," said McAllister. "We were both blaming each other. He swung for me, but he missed. I grabbed him by the throat. But we talked about the goal in the dressing room afterwards and shook hands."

Ebbe Skovdahl, the manager, tried to puncture any row stories by suggesting there was nothing wrong with players showing what defeat meant to them. "It's not a big thing," he said. "It's good to see players frustrated when things are not going the right way. But that frustration should be taken out on the opposition, not teammates."

There was little chance of that. Aberdeen never got close enough to Celtic do inflict any sort of damage. The only team to defeat the champions in the SPL last season had been in the mood for a repeat performance, but only until kick-off. Celtic have beaten Aberdeen by 7-0 and 6-0 in recent seasons and a similar massacre was feasible yesterday. Skovdahl's team has improved, but they are not out of the woods yet.

Celtic's victory was so comprehensive they would have spent the closing minutes wishing the task had been that little bit harder. Aberdeen offered little in the way of a meaningful challenge before the FC Basel game at Parkhead on Wednesday. "That will be a totally different game," said Paul Lambert. "Really, really difficult."

His manager, Martin O'Neill, took off Johan Mjallby as a precaution and was pleased with the form and fitness of Bobby Petta and Joos Valgaeren. Didier Agathe is also close to a return after his hamstring injury, although a start on Wednesday seems unlikely.

"We played very well," said O'Neill. "There was an air of confidence beforehand and I thought we played some great stuff. I had obviously been concerned about the game beforehand."

O'Neill is a worrier, but even his anxiety would have evaporated quickly yesterday. The game had yet to find a rhythm by the time Celtic scored a fifth minute opener, but Mjallby's goal emphatically established the pattern for the rest of the afternoon. Against Dunferm-line last weekend Celtic scored with a corner played short by Petta, stopped and teed up for him by Momo Sylla, then swept in by Petta for Henrik Larsson. Yesterday the ploy yielded another goal, although this time Larsson's headed knock-down found Mjallby requiring only a touch to steer the ball into the net.

The concession of the immediate Celtic goal left Aberdeen's youthful team hesitant and unsure. Celtic's additional man in midfield lured them into playing long balls to their front two, Darren Mackie and Leon Mike. Midgets would have been as effective against the Harlem Globetrotters. Celtic's defensive sentinels swallowed up ball after ball then allowed Neil Lennon to begin attacks which would have Aberdeen on the run again.

Darren Young's exasperation degenerated into some snarling exchanges with Lennon but otherwise Skovdahl's team was intimidated and unsure how to deal with what was happening to them. Even as O'Neill's side played deeply, confidently inviting Aberdeen on to them, Rab Doug-las had only one tepid Mackie shot to deal with in the whole of the first half.

How Aberdeen's attack needed a Sutton. When Celtic played it long the Englishman routinely held off McGuire to feed one of his teammates.

"I thought he played exceptionally well," said O'Neill. "When he's fit and plays like that he is really top class. I don't expect him to play every game this season but when he's fit he's really special."

As well as Sutton's brawn, Celtic had other options which were closed to Aberdeen. Petta and Sylla were both in lively mood on the wings, where Chris Clark and Kevin McNaughton made no such contribution for Aberdeen.

McGuire had the most torrid time of it courtesy of Sutton, who doubled Celtic's lead. Larsson generated panic among defenders by running at them before laying off a ball for Stilian Petrov.

His low shot was deflected but goalbound until McGuire's clearance at the back post. Unfortunately for McGuire the ball merely found Petrov again and the Bulgarian's lobbed cross was met with a close- range, diving Sutton header.

The third, which had Aberdeen's men at each others' throats, came eight minutes into a second half which began almost solely around the home team's penalty area. Larsson fired over a ball from the right which eluded everyone except Petta on the other side, and the little Dutchman returned it into the box for Sylla to bundle in a close range header with Kjaer stranded.

The goalkeeper was then required to separate the feuding McAllister and McGuire, who materialised during Celtic's celebrations. Sylla might have had a second with an odd, vicious cross which surprised Kjaer into swiping the ball away for a corner.

Larsson then expertly collected a long, diagonal Balde pass before delivering a measured, curling shot which struck the outside of the post. Aberdeen were ragged.

Even a defence which had not been stripped of its composure, though, would have struggled to prevent Celtic's fourth and final goal.

Paul Lambert played a free-kick to Sutton and got it back. A feign to the right wrong-footed McAllister, before Lambert stepped inside to place a delicious shot in off Kjaer's right-hand post.

Aberdeen, who sent Laurent D'Jaffo into the path of the juggernaut for his competitive debut, return to European football themselves on Thursday with a Uefa Cup home tie against Nistru Otaci of Moldova.

Their supporters could be forgiven for seeking solace in their 1983 videos last night. After Celtic's visit the immediate future doesn't seem so bright.

PLAYER RATINGS

ABERDEEN Peter Kjaer: Lack of protection from his defenders left the Dane exposed. Saved a Larsson shot to prevent 5-0.

Eric Deloumeaux: Uncomfortable home debut. Troubled by Bobby Petta and unable to help his struggling defenders.

Phil McGuire: Consistently second best in personal tussles with Chris Sutton, whose strength he couldn't handle.

Russell Anderson: Stretched whenever Celtic played balls into the penalty area.

Jamie McAllister: Unable to deal with Johan Mjallby at set- pieces. Repeatedly caught upfield of Momo Sylla.

Kevin McNaughton: Could not offer his usual forward momentum and, like Deloumeaux, given a headache by Petta.

Roberto Bisconti: Attempted to inject some midfield aggression but the game passed him by.

Darren Young: Displayed more obvious commitment than most of his team-mates, but barely more effective.

Chris Clark: Tried to inject some early zip to the attacks but was starved of possession and faded.

Darren Mackie: Fed high balls when he prefers passes to chase. One soft first-half shot.

Leon Mike: Equally ineffective in one-on-ones against Celtic's giants.

Substitutes: Laurent D'Jaffo: Offered no more than the Dons' other forwards.

Fergus Tiernan: Came on to the right side of midfield, with McNaughton switching to the left. Unable to make an impression.

CELTIC Rab Douglas: Grateful to keep Magnus Hedman on the bench again, but was hardly any busier than Hedman.

Johan Mjallby: Easy conversion of early chance for opening goal, then an effortless afternoon defensively.

Bobo Balde: Dismissed any prospect of danger from Mackie or Mike.

Joos Valgaeren: Swept up anything the other two at the back missed, which was next to nothing.

Momo Sylla: Happier display than usual. Repeatedly found in space and used the ball reasonably well.

Paul Lambert: Calmly effective, and wonderfully-executed fourth goal.

Neil Lennon: Deep enough to seem like a fourth central defender at times. Unruffled orchestrator of several of Celtic's moves.

Stilian Petrov: Central to second goal. Otherwise quietly efficient.

Bobby Petta: Repeatedly tormented Aberdeen with corners and crosses.

Henrik Larsson: No goal shocker! Constant threat as a provider though and hit superb effort off the post.

Chris Sutton: Game's most dangerous attacker. Bullied Dons from first to last.

Substitutes Stephen Crainey: With the game won, came on at left- back as Celtic switched to a back four. Untested.

Shaun Maloney: Busy and eager to add his name to the list of goalscorers, as usual. Played in behind the front two.

David Fernandez: One burrowing run into the area.

Copyright 2002
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