In different times, it would be difficult not to consider a run of 18 wins and a draw in our most recent 19 fixtures across all competitions as anything other than a performance highpoint. But we were made to fight to hold onto our advantage late in the game against Dundee yesterday, while Newco snatched a late equaliser a week earlier – a goal which had been on the cards for some minutes.
Tiredness looks to have crept in.
Like Aberdeen, Celtic had six European games to contend with over the summer, although the intensity of five of Celtic’s games was of a higher level than that of Aberdeen’s. Then there is the matter of the Champions League group stage; six nights of the most acute energy sapping football available, and that’s just for the fans.
There is also the matter of the new regime to factor in. Training changed when Brendan Rodgers arrived, new levels of fitness were required and reached.
Talk to any athlete and they’ll tell you their fitness varies in a planned manner across the year. There is a recovery period, a time when they lay down base fitness, a time for improvement, then peak fitness is reached. But peak fitness doesn’t last forever, you have a window before burn-out, then often a cliff-edge.
Body and mind become tired as the athlete approaches the recovery period. The January break will have helped, but that wasn’t long enough to go through the cycle of recovery-to-peak. Evidence for this is most readily available in our current star performer, Stuart Armstrong, who has played 36% fewer minutes than club captain, Scott Brown.
While many Scottish clubs will look ahead to the international break in anticipation their players will get some time off, Celtic will lose the vast majority of their squad to full and youth international sides. The playing surface at Celtic Park might get a rest during international weeks, but the players don’t.
Despite this, I expect we’ll cling on to top spot and take the title. If we get the win at Tynecastle next time out, I also expect Brendan to prioritise the Scottish Cup, and rest significant numbers for the games against Partick, Kilmarnock and Ross County.
We’ll pounce onto the Hampden surface with renewed purpose.
In different times (#2), news that Rangers’ QC, Andrew Thornill, who led their defence against HMRC for their use of EBTs, has been made bankrupt by HMRC would be too ridiculous to be true. But for that lot, it’s just a minor footnote in the final chapters of their ridiculous history.
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Agree Re kouassi looked a bit off the pace. He also probably thought shirt pulling was allowed in Scotland as he’s seen that many get away with it.
NotinthehoopsCFC
Kouassi had a fairly bad ilness when he arrived.Malaria.This can be very debilitating.The boy came on against Dundee when the whole team had started to perform badly.
I did see some total prats on Twitter yesterday slaughtering the boy.I have no idea what sort of brain function these morons have.
KT looks a shadow of the player who started the season.We forget how young he is.A wee rest needed.Same with Sinky.3 or 4 days down with the wife would either do him good,or finish him off.
Not been too impressed for weeks by Lustig.His crossing from wide has never improved.Looks a bit sluggish.Terrific player,so I hope a wee rest will also help him.I would take an Aberdeen win on Friday and a draw at Tynecastle.Celebrate at Celtic Park.
Going by Hearts against the Dons,cant see it though.
MWD
I am confident the players are motivated but I am talking of that wee , hidden extra which , I feel , the opposition have in their desire to become the first to beat us but is difficult for our players to have EVERY game. They should, though, be able to find it for the Cup game (s).
JJ
Don’t quite understand the Kouassi signing,early days but brief showings to date no better,or not as good as Henderson.
I think we need another forager in midfield to assist Brown,or to occasionally give him a rest,not necessarily a Rogic type who is creative, but someone to do the job Kante did for Leicester and now Chelsea.
For not a lot of money Graham Shinnie I believe could give us that cover as he is a bloody pest when playing against us.
PS Not impressed with subs yesterday,Brendan not being fair with LG,as Dembele poor for 3rd game in a row.
Turkebhoy
I don`t think it is possible to give a meaningful assessment of Kouassi at the moment . Also, I think KT and SS work as a unit so when one is off the boil (as I believe SS has been of late) then it affects the impact of the other.
As regards those doing the `slaughtering`, they are just confirmation that our general support contains some right bampots.
JJ
JJ
Do you think their will be a new, stamp and coin minted for that victory? Maybe a trophy and a congressional medal of honour.
The new quadruple. :-@)))
Victory over Celtic will be celebrated for years to come.
MWD
three games in a row now, where we’ve barely worked the opposition goalkeeper and misplaced passes a plenty.. (I know we eventually scored 4 against St Mirren but for 59mins we were awful & lucky not to go 2-0 down..)
is it complacency or tiredness? I agree that Griffiths should have got a run for the final 20 mins instead of Dembele who was clearly struggling. Is Griffiths really not good enough in Brendan’s eyes (or is it now a personal issue between them like has been suggested to me recently)
MWD
I will be buying that coin to go with the one minted to commemorate Sevco`s victorious draw last week.
JJ
PS If we do eventually lose, it will be mentioned as often as the plagiarised `Super Cally` excuse to have a go at Celtic .
How anyone can judge Kouassi based on 2 sub appearances is beyond belief and reason.
I’ll say nothing more on the boy except to say he’s wubbish. :-@))) And I base that on the performances in every game this season.
MWD
The Green Jedi
Both Brendan and Leigh have stated quite strongly that there is not even a sniff of a riff between the pair.
JJ
Moonbeamswd
The birthday honours list awaits the heroes that bring the evil unbeaten run to an end.
Minstrels will sing songs about them.
(Not the Al Jolson type…)
Hot Smoked
I don’t expect either of them to say anything else. (in public at least)
https://stv.tv/news/west-central/1383608-dave-king-firm-hit-with-64-000-fine-over-rule-breach/
Breaking News
SPFL announce any team (hopefully Stupid FC) that beat Celtic will win the league and gain entry to Champions League.
MWD
David,
It is not the unbeaten run that is evil. The `Evil` epithet goes to our team !
JJ
Can someone in Thornhill’s position still practice if he is bankrupt? Open to all sorts of corruption…
The Green Jedi
`I don’t expect either of them to say anything else. (in public at least)`
but you would give implied credence to the suggestion that there is a riff?
Hmmmm….?
JJ
A Comey in charge of the FBI who’d have thunk it.
Hot Smoked
Sorry, the State Aid unbeaten run. Thanks.
;)
Even the ole Rangers Lawyer is bankrupt
Irony CSC
bournesouprecipe
Even the ole Rangers bankrupt Tax Lawyer dodged tax…
BSR
It really does seem like something from the Goons !
JJ
!!BADA BING!! on 20TH MARCH 2017 2:56 PM
I understand he prior to this case he declared to the Bar,therefore that allows him to continue to practice.
He should have demanded an EBT?
MWD @2:54
Would a draw not suffice?
Cheerio for now,
JJ
http://www.footyheadlines.com/2017/03/celtic-17-18-away-kit.html
Philadelphia new look blog
http://philmacgiollabhain.ie
MWD
Eboue Kouassi has malaria, and the major symptoms of the disease broke out just after his arrival with us.
My dad has malaria, which he caught as a contract worker building the Kariba Dam, Zimbabwe (Rhodesia). The disease never goes away, and even now some 60 years later, he still suffers the very occasional debilitating shivers and sweats and is bed ridden as a result. Modern medicine has got better at managing the effects, but it never really goes away.
He will need time, and also patience from the fan base to nurture him back to full fitness. Expect very occasional disappearances from the squad also.
Just in case SMSM don’t cover it
Convicted criminal Rangers Chairman Dave King’s company fined for financial misconduct
A company owned by Rangers FC chief Dave King has been fined almost £64,000 for breaching financial rules.
Micromega Holdings Ltd, which the South-Africa based businessman founded in 1998 and of which he is executive chairman, was handed the penalty by the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE).
The firm was censured and fined one million rand, with half of the fine suspended, for failing to follow regulations over the purchase of shares worth ten million rand.
The JSE issued a statement on Friday, March 17, outlining the reasons for the penalty, half of which amounts to about £31,846.
It said Micromega, which invests in financial services, information technology and car parts, breached its rules by failing to get the approval of shareholders through a special resolution for the purchase of its shares from two counter parties.
The fine comes just days after it was revealed Mr King breached UK financial rules by failing to extend his offer to other shareholders when “acting in concert” as he seized control at Rangers.
Mr King became chairman at Ibrox after a boardroom battle with Mike Ashley’s representatives in March 2015.
The City of London’s takeover appeal board ruled that Mr King breached its takeover code by “acting in concert” with the “Three Bears” in acquiring a stake equalling more than 30% of the total shareholding in Rangers International Football Club PLC.
Micromega said it will appeal Thursday’s fine, arguing the transactions “had no impact” on the company’s shareholders, and said it had sent a circular to them to approve the repurchases after the breach was discovered.
@CQN
£7.00 booking fee for Semi Final ticket seems a bit excessive?
Shirley CSC
BSR- And £1.50 for using your own internet….
TURKEYBHOY- SIN CITY BHOY
The criticism of Kouassi was absurd by those twittering idiots.
I thought the frenetic pace unsettled him.
Was interesting how often he took strangle angle and put himself wrong side of opponent.
This suggests he was caught cold and was overreacting.
Difficult for someone so young to come on in those conditions.
If he had started he would have had time to adjust to the game,
I think he will be fine and the lessons he learned yesterday will prove to be beneficial.
many a man has made a ‘towsy’ debut for us then gone on to be a player, and not just the one we all immediately think of..
If someone can make a bona fide judgement on Kouassi after his glimpsing appearances for us then they are wasting their time posting on a blog,they should be working at the top end of the game because they possess an almost supernatural ability to assess a player.It’d be like seeing the frame suggested for a painting and describing the qualiy of the painting itself based on that.
I don’t know if Kouassi will turn out to be a great,good,bad or terrible player as I haven’t saw enough of him to make a prudent judgement and I doubt anyone in our support has either.Let’s give the bhoy some time before we label him insufficient.
If a year ago we had been offered to be in the position we are in now we’d have gladly accepted it.That we are where we are is down to the players as much as Brendan.Of course we have positons in the team that could be improved upon but what team doesn’t?To remain unbeaten so late in the season is a fantastic achievement and our players should be receiving praise instead of micro-scrutiny when we don’t win a game at a canter.Sometimes we should be thankful for what we have rather than wanting what we’ve not.
The least we’ll get this season is a league and cup double,that’s THE LEAST.I’d have given a kidney for a season like this in the early 90s.I hope we improve next season,I always do,but enjoying and appreciating the present is important.Brendan and the squad deserve praise and thanks for their efforts this season,every single one of them,no matter how big or small their contribution.
And Kouassi is entitled to more than a fleeting opportunity to prove his worth.
HH
HOT SMOKED on 20TH MARCH 2017 2:48 PM
The Green Jedi
Both Brendan and Leigh have stated quite strongly that there is not even a sniff of a riff between the pair.
JJ
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What type of riff were you expecting? Some blues or maybe a bit of heavy metal. Me, I didn’t know either of them played guitar!
KTF
!!BADA BING!! on 20TH MARCH 2017 2:54 PM
https://stv.tv/news/west-central/1383608-dave-king-firm-hit-with-64-000-fine-over-rule-breach/
———————–
Bada I am beginning to think Dave doesnt do rules!
BADA BING
Dave King in charge of ticketing.
BOURNESOUPRECIPE on 20TH MARCH 2017 3:32 PM
£7.00 booking fee for Semi Final ticket seems a bit excessive?
Shirley CSC
*****
Not excessive enough, in support of the SFA and their club team!!
To those who have written off Kouassi after a couple of sub appearances, it’s a good job they weren’t around when Tommy Gemmell made his early appearances in the team, at around the same age!