Jason Holt Rolls Back the Years as St Johnstone Stun Celtic in the Premiership Shock of the Season
In a season that has often felt like a foregone conclusion at the summit of the Scottish Premiership, Sunday afternoon at McDiarmid Park served up a reminder that nothing in football is ever truly certain. Celtic’s 1-0 defeat to bottom-of-the-table St Johnstone wasn’t just the shock of the season — it was a moment that pierced the illusion of invincibility surrounding Brendan Rodgers’ team. And at the heart of this seismic result stood a man with Rangers blood in his veins: Jason Holt.
Had Rangers not collapsed so dramatically this term — a full 13 points adrift at the time of Celtic’s stumble — the blue side of Glasgow might have greeted St Johnstone’s win with something more than passing amusement. But given their own dismal fortunes, particularly following a sobering 3-1 defeat to Hibernian at Ibrox less than 24 hours earlier, there was only so much schadenfreude to go around.
Yet if Rangers’ failure to mount a credible title challenge has dulled their voice in the rivalry, Sunday’s events in Perthshire still sent a ripple through Scottish football. After all, it had been two full decades since the team at the top of the table had gone away to the team at the bottom and lost. That’s not just a rare result — it’s a historic one.
And it wasn’t a fluke.
A Tactical Masterclass in Grit
Simo Valakari’s St Johnstone side didn’t luck their way to three points. They earned every inch of them with a performance grounded in tactical discipline, collective effort, and sheer determination. From the first whistle, it was clear this was a team that believed — not just in the result, but in the method that might deliver it.
The Saints took the lead just four minutes in, when Daniels Balodis rose highest to glance a header past Joe Hart from a corner. It was a well-worked, well-taken goal — but what followed was arguably more impressive. St Johnstone didn’t retreat into a shell, nor did they rely on desperation or time-wasting. Instead, they set about stifling Celtic with structure and smarts.
The real battle was won in midfield, where Valakari had a clear plan: stop Celtic’s engine room from ticking. Mackenzie Kirk was tasked with shadowing Callum McGregor, Jason Holt stuck like glue to Reo Hatate, and Victor Griffith disrupted Arne Engels. The trio formed a suffocating blanket across the middle third, closing off passing lanes, biting into challenges, and denying time on the ball. It was textbook frustration football, carried out with near-perfect execution.
Jason Holt: From Ibrox to Icon
If one player embodied St Johnstone’s performance, it was Holt. A veteran now, the midfielder hasn’t always been in the spotlight since his Rangers days ended in 2020. But on this day, in this moment, Holt turned back the clock. His stats were impressive — an 87% pass completion rate, more tackles than any other midfielder on the pitch, and key interceptions in dangerous areas — but they don’t capture the full picture.
Holt’s influence was psychological as well as physical. He set the tone. He led by example. He played as if it meant everything — and for him, maybe it did. To help deliver a blow to the old rivals from the other side of the city must have carried a personal charge, even if Holt was far too professional to admit it outright.
He didn’t just shut down Hatate; he nullified him. Time and again, as the Japanese midfielder attempted to drift between lines and break into space, Holt tracked him relentlessly. The man who so often brings spark and creativity to Celtic’s midfield looked more like a frustrated passenger. And when Rodgers turned to his bench in desperation, there was little change. Holt and company held firm.
Celtic: Off Beat, Out Battled
Celtic, for their part, were oddly muted. They enjoyed 74% possession but lacked their usual rhythm. McGregor couldn’t dictate the tempo, Hatate couldn’t create, and Kyogo was left feeding on scraps up front. It was a reminder that possession is meaningless without purpose — and that even the best sides can be disrupted when they’re denied control of the middle.
Brendan Rodgers cut a frustrated figure on the touchline. This wasn’t part of the script. His side have been efficient, relentless, and ruthlessly consistent this season, but on Sunday, they looked human. Vulnerable. And though they remain heavy favourites to lift the title, this result offers a glimmer of hope to anyone who still dares to believe.
St Johnstone: Belief Brewing in Perthshire
More importantly, it injects new life into St Johnstone’s fight for survival. Just a day earlier, they were staring at a seven-point gap to safety. Now, after this monumental upset — coupled with results elsewhere — they’re within touching distance. And with the belief clearly flowing through the dressing room, who’s to say they can’t complete the great escape?
Manager Simo Valakari certainly isn’t lacking confidence.
“It was fun. A real fun experience!” he beamed post-match. “I love to see them smiling, I hate it when they are unhappy because they’ve lost… We believe in what we’re doing. Can we stay up? Of course! The fight continues.”
It’s hard not to root for a team like this. Built on effort and unity rather than budget and flair, St Johnstone are everything that football romantics still believe in. And if they do manage to stay up, this win — this heroic, unthinkable win — will be the moment the tide turned.
Rangers: Mocking from the Middle
As for Rangers, they remain stuck in a strange limbo — too far behind to threaten Celtic, too inconsistent to mount a real resurgence. Barry Ferguson’s fury after their Hibs defeat captured the mood among the fans: a cocktail of anger, fatigue, and resignation.
The irony, of course, is that while they might have taken some comfort in seeing Celtic trip up, it changes little. They’re 13 points off the pace and now being chased down by an in-form Hibernian side managed by David Gray, who looks to have instilled a belief and aggression that Rangers sorely lack. Rangers find themselves equidistant between first and third — not a position that inspires much pride.
Still, at least one man with Rangers heritage can hold his head high this weekend. Jason Holt reminded the Scottish footballing world of his quality, his work ethic, and his leadership. In doing so, he might just have changed the course of the relegation battle — and given Celtic a timely warning that the title race isn’t over until it’s over.
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