The players would have had a light training session at Lennoxtown today as muscles continue to refill after Wednesday night’s exertions. Expectations of Celtic in the Champions League are not high, and were exceptionally low when this group was drawn, but even so, these games have a huge financial, physical and even emotional impact on every area of the club.
One argument suggests the last thing we need is a cup semi-final four days after a Champions League outing. An alternative thought is that this is the perfect game for Celtic right now. Memories linger of sitting stressfully at Fir Park days after Celtic beat the reigning European Champions, Milan, as (subsequently liquidated) Grenta held onto a lead until the 87th minute.
While playing (subsequently liquidated) Rangers away 64 hours after winning a Uefa Cup semi-final 1200 miles from home in 2003 proved to be the perfect game to instil steel into the legs.
With what passes as a fully fit squad, Brendan has choices to make for Sunday. Did Patrick Roberts do enough off the bench against Borussia to justify a start? Perhaps. He’s a player who owes us one at Hamden too.
Callum McGregor will also fancy his chances ahead of Nir Bitton, who didn’t have a great Scottish Cup semi-final against the same opponents in April.
It would be a huge surprise if Moussa Dembele didn’t start as the lone forward, despite Leigh Griffiths itching to get on alongside him. Brendan will not change formation for this game, while Moussa will fancy his chances against a defence he punished to ruthlessly last month.
For me, our two most important players on Sunday will be Scott Sinclair and Tom Rogic. They are the epitome of the modern footballer, strong, skilful, intelligent and difficult to defend against. If we can get them on the ball often enough we’ll score a lot of goals.
Pretty much every Celtic fan I know expects Mark Warburton to have learned a lesson from his Celtic Park whipping and for him to deploy a more defensively-minded team this time. My Newco pals don’t expect this to happen. Warburton hasn’t varied his game-plan since arriving at the club and is apparently reluctant to start experimenting now.
He took his team to Hampden to face Celtic against similarly long odds last season. Within minutes we knew we were in a game, and despite the clear chasm between the teams, it was Newco who faced Hibs in the Scottish Cup final.
A repeat of the 5-1 win at Celtic Park is possible, but you’ve seen enough football to know that nothing can be taken for granted on Sunday. Remember that Newco came close to levelling that 5-1 game at 2-2 early in the second half, and the latter part of their collapse came after going down to 10 men.
I’m off later to meet those from the Tyneside No. 1 and friends, who have walked (yes, WALKED), from Merthyr Tydfil and will reach Doherty’s Bar in Hamilton this afternoon. They’ve pretty much walked a marathon a day for 13 days and will make the final journey to Celtic Park tomorrow.
This herculean effort has been made to mark the memory of Jonathan Thomas, who aged 30 lost his biggest fight one year ago tomorrow.
We’re lucky as Celtic fans that we get to meet and read about people who do these things in our name. It’ll take you 2 minutes to let them know how inspiring they are here.
It’s also worth marking the events in Aberfan, the village a few miles from Merthyr Tydfil which was visited by unimaginable tragedy 50 years ago today.
John Humphrys: What we owe the people of Aberfan 50 years after tragedy struck the village, and why it shows authority must be challenged. pic.twitter.com/OdjyaAGTsQ
— BBC Radio 4 Today (@BBCr4today) October 21, 2016
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John James? Do folk still take that pish seriously?
He’s Randall Stephens. Second cousin to Harvey the Rabbit, collecting information about unwitting site visitors and bloggers. Anonymously. And I gather he’s now asking folk to send him money.
Wake up folk.
There’s nothing I like better after a hard weeks work than using my weekends to go to Parkheid for the game, followed by a visit to Chapel for Mass on Sunday. Usually I cannae be bothered cooking on a Sunday so I just make masel some toasted cheese.
Had a laugh last week when my mate said he was at Celtic Park on Saturday, Church on Sunday and had roasted cheese for tea. Whit a rocket, or is he a zoomer? Hmmmmmm?
;)
CELTIC MAC on 22ND OCTOBER 2016 2:14 PM
Can’t remember the year but Tommy Johnston scored the winner.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
J McCormick
The rabbit in my Paella in Valencia in July, put me off it a bit. Prefer chicken wi seafood.
CELTIC MAC on 22ND OCTOBER 2016 2:14 PM
20/3/2000, CIS Cup, we won 2-0, Riseth and Johnson.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Whoops – missed the Ole CIS final !
John james was best in dynasty – paddy Roberts to start tomorrow, time to get his season going
VFR
Would rather watch in the pub than the Hampden terraces. Gave my ticket for tomorrow to a worthy cause.
Games against the tribute act at that dump, leave me cold.
worth a read if you have a spare 10 mins or so. Deals with issues of tribalism that we are all to aware of.
http://scottishreview.net/RonnieSmith81a.html
I was never asked f I was a hot cross bun.My first Celtic game was at Celtic Park Belfast circa 52/53 when the hoops from Glasgow met the hoops from Belfast in a charity match for the La Salle boys home kircubbin Co. Down.Well could not have asked for a better start to a long and happy love affair than Celtic v Celtic.
I have read consistently about how Sevco were the better team for the Scottish Cup semi-final last season and beat us.
They aren’t and they didn’t!
We drew 2-2 and although they had more possession (much like us on Wednesday), we had 33 shots on goal to their 9; we had 10 on target, they had 3.
They won a penalty shoot-out after a draw; this was down to the fact that Tom Rogic missed his penalty because the ball moved just before he kicked it.
So no more of this nonsense that they beat us because they were the better team; they won a penalty shoot-out because we were poor, missed a coupe of sitters and their keeper had some great saves.
Subsequently we demolished them 5-1; and despite the Breid Man saying they had 4 new players to settle in, we also had 4 new players to settle in – in fact one of them scored a hat-trick and another scored 1 goal.
So no fear tomorrow and another pumping on the cards I think!
FAC the Act
KTF
DELANEYS DUNKY on 22ND OCTOBER 2016 2:34 PM
DD, nae problem with that but I’ll be there to give the boys a cheer ……..
FAC the Act
KTF
TBB
You are an awfa oul cynic!
JJ is just trying to make a nom de plume for himself by spouting out whatever oul rubbish he fancies and, yes, now he is asking for money in return for continuing with his daily diet of rumour and innuendo.
Personally, I think he could be Russell Grant but that is another story entirely …….
VFR
I have no problem with any Tim going to the match tomorrow, delighted that oor mate Almore is coming over from Dublin for the match. His third game at Hampden, will see his third Celtic win there, I am sure.
HH
Surely if Sevco’s stadium was in such dire need of repair and was a safety risk it would be closed down?
There is too much at stake to play around with people’s lives.
Read this on another site, no idea if it’s true, but it’s a laugh all the same.
Business Stream were billing Oldco at Edmiston Drive and when Newco formed they said their address was Ibrox Parish Church, Clifford Street…………..
TBB
He has had the begging bowl out for some time now, bit of a desperado IMO.
Some of his stuff seems to be actionable but nobody looks like suing him, that gets me a thinking.
HH
http://www.philmacgiollabhain.ie/attempting-a-suitable-accomodation/#more-8140p
Never been a great one for honours. Always thought they werea bit like statues and monuments…a great target for gulls and pigeons to shite on.
Strangely enough I was also never for removing them from a recipient once they had been conferred.
I couldn’t understand this reluctance on my psyche to see them dragged from their pedestal…and then in today’s herald a letter from Willie McClean of Milngave chimed in harmony with my uneasiness.
THE news media today is awash with expressions of support for the proposal that Sir Philip Green should be stripped of his knighthood on account of his dishonourable conduct which led to the collapse of BHS (“Pressure mounts to strip BHS ‘spiv’ Green of knighthood”, The Herald, October 21). The implication is that he should be cast back into the ranks of the common people like me, among whom dishonourable behaviour is presumably commonplace and acceptable.
I, and millions more like me, have never regarded my absence from the honours list as a badge of dishonour and I suspect that the proportion of disreputable characters among the exalted recipients of titles is actually higher than among the rest of us. Let Philip Green keep his knighthood and leave the common people with their pride and respectability untainted.
Let it live with them like a brand on their forehead….Murray included.
Hail Hail
Matt
More apropos of nada
My youngest is on a day trip from Tours to Amboise on the Loire.
The belle of Burnside texted me, and said our daughter was visiting the town where Leonardo Di Caprio
was buried.
Dontchalovewives CSC
A shade offside
Just offside
Marginally offside
OFFSIDE CSC
New Article?
Some legless sheep still floating around Mount Florida.
Hooper scores against Rangers again….Sheff Wed 1 QPR 0.
slightly offside…..a wee bit pregnant?
Pink Floyd now on the Jukey….wish you were here. Brilliant
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXdNnw99-Ic
Hail Hail
Matt
Kings Park or Mount Florida?
EDDIEINKIRKMICHAEL on 22ND OCTOBER 2016 2:37 PM
Trite and inane.
And that’s being charitable.
Delaney’s Dunky.
The great thing about Paella is that you can add whatever takes your fancy. Although Valencia Paella, does not contain seafood according to local tradition. Many places here put chorizo in Paella but I seldom see this in Spain, I am led to believe that good chorizo is considered too rich to waste in a Paella? I have no idea but I have stuck to that rule, no rabbit either.
Last year in Poble Nou I had a Paella with the good lady and it contained rabbit, I never let on to the good lady.
Two bottles of Rioja later I told her what she had been eating, not such a good lady then!
So , lesson learned…,today’s featured chicken thighs , pork shoulder, peppers and green beans. Good peasant food.
I fear I know a bit too much about this type of stuff. Sadgitcsc
THE BATTERED BUNNET on 22ND OCTOBER 2016 2:23 PM
He did break the story about the search warrant.
Someone is feeding him info.
Who and why?
When ma Mammy was walking home from ‘Penders’ the purveyors of square sliced ‘par excellence” (stick yer “apropos” where yer mammy never kissed you), on hearing an ambulance siren she would say….”I hope that’s not for our Catherine or Jean”…..
If however it was the sound of a fire engine she would exclaim…”Oh god I hope I haven’t left that chip pan on”
Her piece de resistance was always reserved for the blare of the polis car….with the resigned expectation of experience she would announce “I bet you that’s for our Matt”
Mammies are very savvy!
Hail Hail
Matt
VFR- i disagree my friend, the huns were the better team in last years semi, we were blowing out our ar$# after half an hour.Brown not fit, Paddy missed a snip, and we watched McKay run us ragged , unchallenged for the whole game HH
wonder what tactics warbhurtin will go for tomorrow – try and limit ss and jf and break or push high like us and leave space
BRTH
Do you mean Grant Russell the journalist?
Russell Grant is an aquaintance of mine. I doubt that he is JJ. I could check if you like.
BOB STORRAR SNR
Naw would have sufficed….. :-))
As others have said ..standard greeting…
If your not a new poster apologies …
J McCormick
Your Paella recipe sounds delicious, especially if accompanied by some fine Rioja. Enjoy.
BOURNESOUPRECIPE on 22ND OCTOBER 2016 3:43 PM
I remember watching one of our games on telly last season when we had a goal chalked off for offside.
“correct decision” says Andy Walker. “His leg is clearly offside”
HAMILTONTIM
survey completed.
Colemanballs
Paul Merson ” and Caspar Schmeichel has been unbeatable today Leicester 3 Crystal Palace 1″.
HH
Note for those who can’t get in Brazen for the game tomorrow…My stool will be free in Sharkeys.
Hail hail
Matt