IT’S one thing to be handed a start in the UEFA Champions League.
It’s another to be unleashed in a No.10 role against the in-form, undefeated Premier League leaders in an electric, thrilling home cauldron. And truly impress.
Tom Rogic lasted 56 minutes for Celtic in their pulsating 3-3 draw with Manchester City, and this isn’t a case of just calling out an Australian simply because he played.
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It was a performance lauded by his national team boss Ange Postecoglou.
“The Champions League is a massive competition and City are flying in the (English) Premier League so the fact that he could make an impact was great for him and great for his confidence,” Postecoglou told AAP.
“He’s continued on from the form he’s shown in the (Scottish) Premier League for Celtic.”
Postecoglou has consistently backed the former Central Coast and Melbourne Victory player, and he backs him to continue his upward trajectory.
“He’s got more in him,” he said.
“It’s only really been this year he’s really played consistent football. The more he plays, the more of an impact he can make.
“Tommy’s shown he can play at the highest level ... his performances are compelling his managers to make him a bigger part of it.”
In a match of incredible intensity and end-to-end pace, Rogic brought his trademark forward surges, ability to find space in between the lines and link with teammates to the fore. He also came within a whisker with a dangerous first-half free-kick.
On a couple of occasions, he looked like he might get robbed in the middle of the park, but wriggled free, turned out of danger and played forward.
Against the best in the #PL, Rogic still got between the lines as he pleased pic.twitter.com/NRxz6yH4Hs— David Weiner (@davidweiner9) September 28, 2016
His Celtic side pressed rampantly like their lives depended on it against Pep Guardiola’s men, providing them with their most thorough examination this season, the first team to breach City’s rear guard three times this campaign. Aleksandar Kolarov was uncomfortable at centre-back and without John Stones, Rodgers’s side relished the chance to challenge the City defence.
Alongside fellow young star Moussa Dembele and former City winger Scott Sinclar, Celtic were an immense threat, and Rogic was at the heart of it.
In the 20th minute, he surged forward in space and had the poise and timing to find Kieran Tierney on the left, who sparked an own goal via a deflection from the backtracking Raheem Sterling.
The might of Manchester City in the Champions League & this is what they're saying about @Socceroos star Tom Rogic: pic.twitter.com/XgE29kGTGk— Daniel Garb (@DanielGarb) September 28, 2016
After Celtic played out of their skin in the first-half, you wondered whether City would come out and blow the hosts off the park in the second. But Brendan Rodgers’s side, via Dembele again, scored in the 47th minute before Nolito drew level for a third time in the 55th minute.
At that point, Rogic was sacrificed. Defence is not one of his strong suits yet, although it has improved markedly, and he had got through a mountain of work in the high octane environment.
Tom Rogic preparing for this second half.. pic.twitter.com/Ftg6F37opA— talkingbaws (@talkingbaws) September 28, 2016
There have been rumours every now and then of Premier League interest in Rogic, and after passing this audition so impressively, he will have caught plenty of attention.
There's now way Tommy Rogic will be playing in Scotland next season. Surely bound for bigger things. He showed again that he is pure class.— Ray Gatt (@Gatty54) September 28, 2016
Last season Celtic didn't have any 'big money' players. Now they have 3: Tierney, Rogic & Dembele.— Gerry McCulloch (@gerrymcculloch1) September 28, 2016
Attention has been drawn to his low pass completion rate, but this wasn’t a game of metronomic possession, and the playmaker’s game plan is more flamboyant and high risk than a possession-keeping midfielder.
@peterdickson06 @AgentScotland @CrillyBobc as I said gave the ball away too often. Worst pass completion on the pitch. Including goalies pic.twitter.com/RCIKB5LTy1— David Crilly (@dcrilly83) September 28, 2016
Rogic was in a great battle with the hard working Fernandinho, and if he had a model to aspire to on the other side of the pitch, it was David Silva. The Spaniard, who didn’t have the injured Kevin De Bruyne next to him on this occasion, was typically mesmerising, and his assist for Sterling was top class.
Fantastic football from #Celtic in first half. Rogic v Fernandinho in midfield is a great contest. Both on top form. #celticvcity— Calum Crowe (@CalumCrowe10) September 28, 2016
Rogic has been immense. Bossing Gundogan and Fernandinho about in the attacking sphere.— Richard Wilson (@timomouse) September 28, 2016
In the end, after City came back to draw level three teams, the hosts had keeper Craig Gordon to thank for some stellar goalkeeping; but it was fitting that the Scottish outfit should take a point for such a gallant, ambitious performance on a truly thrilling night of football.
“It’s a noise I’ve never heard before since coming up here,” Rodgers said of the occasion.
Our Tom Rogic starred in Chmpns League for @celticfc agnst Man City. We thnk he is first Tuggies player to play CL group stage. @Socceroos https://t.co/oxeTsdsYqN— Tuggeranong United (@tufc_tuggies) September 28, 2016
How good is Tom Rogic going! Ease up Tommy, we don't want these rich English clubs stealing you from us!— Keith Galloway (@kgalloway85) September 28, 2016
“I think of all the games that we’ve had here. I’ve played around the world with teams with great atmospheres.
“But there is sheer passion. I was a Celtic supporter so I understand how passionate they are here, but it’s when you come here that you actually realise why players throughout the world that play for different teams talk about the atmosphere here.
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“You can see the level of support for the team when we play to that level. It’s very difficult for a team even of Manchester City’s quality.
“You can say actually say that a Celtic supporter really is like a 12th man. Tonight the atmosphere was electric. It was an incredible evening for us and they helped us produce the performance that we did.”
Celtic v Man City non-stop action, absolutely incredible game of football— Ned Zelic (@NedZelic) September 28, 2016
“It was maybe a good lesson for us, how important it is to start well. It is not easy to recover one goal, imagine two, imagine three,” Guardiola explained.
“It was mentally a shock at the start of each half, to concede a goal after two minutes. In the second half, aside from the first five or 10 minutes we played well, we created chances.
“They scored three and but didn’t make many more chances, we created enough chances to win the game.”
Celtic fans in raptures over Rogic - but want him to last 90 minutes:
Tom Rogic is a Rolls Royce— Sean McBride (@SeanMcBride11) September 28, 2016
He's often an easy target for boo boys but Tom Rogic is a superb footballer, when he has the ball at his feet he can produce sheer magic.— Inside The SPFL (@AgentScotland) September 28, 2016
Dembele will be sold for over £20m. Rogic is a top class attacking midfielder. He was the best player on the pitch in the first half— Daniel (@Kitson67) September 28, 2016
Tom Rogic the best player on the pitch in the first half.— Brian Murphy (@MurfBrian) September 28, 2016
No coincidence that Celtic's attacking potency faded when Rogic went off— Emrod (@Emrod_lives) September 28, 2016
You have to appreciate the ability Tom #Rogic has for keeping the ball. He skinned 3 or 4 players in the 1st half a few times. #WeeTamCSC— Ross (@r05co) September 28, 2016
Tom rogic in that first half was the greatest thing to ever happen to football.— Paddy Dempsey (@HailHail16) September 28, 2016
big tam rogic played like an absolute boss in the first half— Gearóid Galavan (@ggalavan) September 28, 2016
Just wish that tom rogic could last a full game, what a player but after 60 mins he can hardly run— Craig Scott (@craigscott88) September 28, 2016
Big rogic looked like a 50 million quid player for half an hour, then runs out of gas 😳 wtf— millsy (@millsymillar) September 28, 2016
Tom Rogic is the Australian riquelme— Lorenzo.G (@MomoAminikadri) September 28, 2016
Big Tom Rogic could skin you in a phone box. If we can get him fitter he'll be something special.— Kev! (@KevinAinslie) September 28, 2016
One of the stars of the show in the first half for me was Rogic. He was everywhere. Breaking play up, defending, attacking. Immense.— Bartin (@Bart1nMa1n) September 28, 2016
Rogic has turned into some player— Andrew Morgan (@Andy__Morgan) September 28, 2016