It wasn’t just the result, which was enormously satisfying, but the manner of Celtic’s performance yesterday was equally gratifying. We passed with speed and precision, creating space between what was often two blocks of five defenders. Hearts were in a sorry state but despite enduring the consequences of being unable to pay their dues, they remain considerably more resourceful than many of the lower league teams which have caused Celtic problems in cup competitions in recent seasons.
We finally got to see what the fuss over Nir Biton was all about. He brought control, time and space to the play. In particular I liked the way he tried to retain possession. Hope we see more of him in the weeks to come.
While most attention was drawn to the striker position following defeat to Milan last week, central midfield, bereft of recent departures, the injured and suspended, was just as under-resourced. The opportunity is there for Biton to grab a place for himself, just as Victor did a couple of years ago.
Christmas book offer:
To mark yesterday’s 7 goals, you can order a copy of last year’s CQN Annual (we’ve only a few boxes left), plus Willie Wallace’s Heart of a Lion, for only £7 (UK, Ireland only). Email David, david@cqnmagazine.com, who will organise. Once they’re gone, they’re gone…….
You can order this year’s CQN Annual below:
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Nihao
The reaction to my question about T’Rangers/Rangers never losing a match to a poor official decision has reactions which have been the same all of my life……..we KNOW it’s rigged and always have done, we joke about the obviousness of it.
The whole game is rigged in their favour, we need a victory by getting Ogilvie his jotters.
Well done the Aberdeen fans with their banner at Hampden on Sunday, it should have made the papers but again, we know it never would.
Hello from Suzhou me auld China’s
When’s the draw?
Fit like?
Ulryc
3rd
Bawsman, in nearly 60 years of watching Scoddish fitba, some things never change mate.
I remember Mr R H Davidson……..of Airdrie no less.
Midfield is the key…..get that right and the goals will follow……step forward Mr Biton
Any chance someone could cut n paste BRTH’s interview with Nevin please (if that’s allowed that is?)
Biton needs games to get him to the pace of the game, he was caught short a few times but great promise.
And Samaras is a happy clapper.
PeteTheBeat 12:41 on 2 December, 2013
“I have to say that that was a ridiculous penalty award.
“Looks like a case of ‘Celtic get dodgy decisions as well’. It won’t be mentioned that we were 5-0 up at the time.
“NL should say that it was ridiculous.”
Collum also awarded us a penalty against St Mirren at Hampden that was a complete joke.
The guy is just useless as a referee. Hopefully he is a better teacher.
in the squad
Collum knew what he was doing. Wait for the next really dodgy decision against us and Voila! Whit about the hand baw against Hertz? These things even themselves up etc.
I don’t think we should sell Nir for a penny less than £15 million.
Now, who else has had a half-decent game lately? What about that Lustig? We should be looking to get at least £10 million for him on the back of that goal. And VVD must be worth about £12 million. And what about Ledley? Oh, aye, we need to get him to sign up before we can sell him for serious cash. Oh. FF as well, after his England debut, he can now be described as a full internationalist worth many more millions.
And anyone else.
Lyruc
Spot on Paul. We set up too offensively v Milan. A solid central midfield allows the full-backs to get forward with more freedom and give width. I don’t think any of our wingers give us anything more than Mikel/Adam and Izzy. Hope we stick with this setup.
ayrshirtim
12:47 on
2 December, 2013
=========================
I’m 3 years off that pal but we treat this sheer bare faced cheating as something that’s expected.
It’s like casual racism in my mind, for years it was accepted, indeed there were comedians who made a living joking about it.
We all laughed at the Ricki Fulton sketch when the scout finds a young Catholic and tries to get the Rangers boss to sign him………It really isny funny.
The challange is open, can anyone remember Rangers (in all its forms) losing a match to a bad call?
Except Aiken’s throw in :-)
sipsini
09:11 on 2 December, 2013
I’m with you, Bhoy….never again…!!
Sure I remember them having a goal disallowed against us at Ibrox that should have stood (David Robertson??)
That makes us about even then?!
The draw is 14.00
The oven is being pre-heated to 160C for the ole Zombie ball.
Bawsman
12:53 on
2 December, 2013
Except Aiken’s throw in :-)
Thanks for that: a joyful place.
Do Zombies have balls?
bawsman
12:53 on 2 December, 2013
Except Aiken’s throw in :-)
———————————-
Still laughing at that mate but know what you mean. Davidson was and is just one in a very, very long line. Collum’s decision yesterday has been banked for future use. As soon as I saw it I thought, “why”
Mibees I’m paranoid.
Was there not a chalked off goal that wasn’t a chalked off goal because everybody stopped playing when they heard the whistle?
bawsman
Didn’t the cardigan berate a linesman (“Mr Murphy”) for a wrong call a few years back?
Huns losing because of a bad piece of refereeing…. what about when they lost 1-0 at home to Kilmarnock. Seem to remember some hun ref adding on a crazy amount of injury time hoping/expecting that the deady bears would score a glorious winner. Naw…Killie did. Oh how we laughed.
bawsman
12:44 on 2 December, 2013
SPOT ON……..really proud that Celtic have always risen to the (corrupt) challenge…..and prevailed SENSATIONALLY……..never thought for a minute that the establishment would allow them to be liquidated……but they did, and they were…….
Now the establishment are standing by again, watching their tribute act being financially shafted….all good fun … !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nir I like the look of the big guy and he simply MUST be given a run of game.
Maybe, just maybe we have found our new LUBO, we can dream. He could change his name to Lubonir. That’s it, cracked it!
Hail Hail
KINGLuBO
I went to Palmerston on Saturday for the very good 2-2 draw between the Beautiful South and the Saints of Mirren.
Given the sensitivity of the football authorities to the display of any kind of political banner I was mildly surprised to see a ‘Scottish Labour’ tifo at the ice rink end.
Good job ole Philvis wasn’t with me; he’d have been reachin’ for the ole snuff.
agent green
13:03 on 2 December, 2013
Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha….I remember THAT fondly
j77
13:02 on
2 December, 2013
==========================
It wasn’t a wrong call, it was a good call, he had the wrong name.
steinreignedsupreme
12:47 on 2 December, 2013.
Gollum isn’t rediculous he is devious, as are most of the men in black.
J77.
The wrong call that the cardigan castigated him for was that his family name was Murphy.
Always think Broonie looks a much better player on the right or further forward – two goals no too shabby.
The first one Hooperesque.
‘Dp zombies have balls?’
How else do they stay stiff?
I did not comment on our OTT reaction to a good Celtic performance yesterday because I thought we deserved our moment in the sun before we revised our reaction to a more realistic level.
However, I have been beaten to the punch by several equally OTT reactions today, revising our expectations further down than is realistic. Our pendulum is certainly swinging to extreme distances. I think, in technical terms, that means we have a period problem with our pendulums :-)
Let’s look at the sober facts.
Hearts are, thanks to a 15 point penalty for administration, the bottom club in the SPFL. Even without the penalty they would only be 10th in the table, ahead of Killie and Ross County but still behind the Jags.
However they have won 3 and drew 3 of their 14 games and are in the last 4 of the League Cup. They have scored 12 and lost 21 goals in the league so, on average they are losing games by the odd goal in 3. Before yesterday, only one team had taken more than 2 goals off them this season and that was QOTS, who lost their LC tie on pens after a 3:3 result.
3 weeks before our tie, Hearts went to Aberdeen and won 3:1. In our last league visit to Tynecastle, we were 1:1 with over an hour gone and only made the game safe with a Pukki goal 4 minutes from time.
So, yes Hearts are poor and yes, by the end, like the Aberdeen team we beat 9:0 in Nov 2010, and like all teams that were outplayed, they were hiding by the end.
But they did not start like that; Celtic made them feel that fear by slick passing, superior close control and clinical play. This was a domination leading to surrender not a surrender resulting in domination.
We should enjoy the moment but we should not go overboard either. This was, after all, a one off trouncing and not yet a series of big wins. I would point out that we have scored 4, 3 and 7 in our last three domestic outings so we are just as prolific as the Dundee United we are praising as they have score one less goal in their most recent 3 matches.
There has never been a season where we produced a regular diet of 5:0 wins and, if there was, we would have cause to moan the opposition standard more than we have.
Given the extent of the pendulum swing today, I remain determined to draw more satisfaction out of yesterday and I am not going to downsize my joy because it was “only Hearts”
What with us singing “its gonna be 10 in a row” before we even have 3, this creeping disdain for domestic dominance worries me that we are developing traits associated with their support from 89 to 97.
Perspective is, indeed, needed.
Mikael Lustig’s low ball to the back post for Joe Ledley’s goal was inch perfect, and reminded me of his low pass to the near post for Gary Hooper to score away to Spartak Moscow in the CL last season.
Great player.
His goal wisnae’ too shabby either!
Who needs wingers?!
HH!!
Biton was great, it’ll signal the end of Kayal if he continues that way, the same when kayal was last injured and Wanyama stepped in! Kayal doesn’t seem to be prgoressing much.