I was shouting at Martin O’Neill through the television last night. With the game at 0-0, Wales’ Joe Allen was off getting treatment, which lasted several minutes before he was eventually replaced. Ireland had a man advantage, but still refused to press Wales, who were able to comfortably pass the ball around the back.
Ireland needed a victory, they had a brief window where they would enjoy the advantage, but they chose to defend instead. Then I remembered the game against Barcelona in March 2004. For much of the game Celtic enjoyed a 10-9 men advantage, but it didn’t look that way. We defended our territory and ventured up field only when a mistake or long clearance permitted.
We won that game, the first leg of a knockout tie, 1-0, but there were grumbles among the support in the days thereafter. “We should have gone for them, 1-0 will not be enough.”
Martin gambled successfully against Barcelona as he did last night. There was probably an acknowledgement on both occasions of the comparative limitations of his players, so his game plan was easily understood and scrupulously followed.
He could have urged his players to press forward for the period Allen was getting treatment, but that would have been counter to his simple message. Permitting such off-the-cuff decision-making would have been a fatal mistake.
Teams in possession are more likely to make bad passes in their defensive area than teams who have been drilled to get the ball as far away from their defensive area as possible. You don’t need to like this type of football (I don’t), but Ireland are in the World Cup play-offs when countries with more talented players are out of the competition, including Scotland and Wales.
You wouldn’t want to watch this football at Celtic today. Even back in his Parkhead heyday, Martin received complaints about his team’s robust, target-man, playing style. Ireland are simultaneously an echo of a bygone era and a lesson in winning against better-resourced opponents. I would take it for international football, or even for Champions League group stage, but it would shut the stands at Celtic Park if we tried it domestically.
Celtic wore commemorative shirts against Hibs to mark National Famine Memorial Day. One million people died in Ireland’s Great Hunger in the years of famine, from 1846-50. Millions more left the country, some of whom arrived in Glasgow, and formed the communities which founded Celtic 40 years later.
One million people dying of starvation in what was then part of the United Kingdom is an unimaginable horror. Scotland was also affected by the Blight, although to a lesser extent.
James Forrest’s shirt from the game against Hibs is available for raffle to aid the Celtic FC Foundation’s work (James will sign the shirt). Your Foundation carries on the mission that gave birth to Celtic 130 years ago. It feeds the poor in Scotland, Ireland in London and across the globe, but it also works with many disadvantaged groups of children and adults.
The Foundation is core to our mission as a football club. You can enter the raffle by making a minimum £5 donation on this MyDonate page and answering this question:
Which PSG player was booked for diving against Celtic last month?
Please forward your donation confirmation with the diving player’s name in the SUBJECT line to celticquicknews@gmail.com The raffle will close on Monday.
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The new Invincibles treble disc DVD is now available from CQN Bookstore HERE. It is quite simply unmissable. What a season that was!
All CQN t-shirts are now reduced to £10, choose from our Invincibles shirt, the Jock Stein one or the Gotcha classic! We’ve added some new books too and there’s some crackers on the way! More on that over the next few weeks or so.
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Jimmynotpaul,a huge scalp for Cumbernauld, beating former Junior cup winners, Tayport.
I hope their winning run continues.
One of my pals is a Pollok fan, he pointed out to me on Saturday that any Pollok home games I have been to in the last two years, they haven’t lost. He asked me if I wanted a season ticket for Newlandsfield. I declined the offer lol.
Regarding Jackie Wilson, what a singer and dancer. As I got more into soul , I sometimes wish I was born 18 years earlier so I could have seen the Stax and Motown revue shows which toured these shores. The added bonus would have been able to the Lions playing each week.
Lustig booked for time wasting, misses first play off game
MIKEL booked, out of first leg of play off.
Good!
Corkie
I find the adhesive lilys easier to handle and less likely to cause damage than those pins.
However its not something I would fall out over.
I agree An Dún, but there is no doubt that the football under Brendan is away more attractive.
I’m absolutely loving it at the moment.
Jackie Wilson was hte original version
Yhink the guy that JNP mentioned only formed his band in the mid 80s
Dallas.
If we had been born 18 years earlier, with our health issues, we would be dead by now :-))
We would have missed the invincible treble.
I would love to have met Sam Cooke though.
Hail Hail
PHILBHOY-that’s exactly what I said-(good)
WITS, I find the Pins more reliable in the long term, but as you say I won’t fall out over it. Remember well being chased by the Gardai 55 years ago with my collection box under my oxter, Happy Days.
Definitely more attractive but then it could be argued that’s a luxury afforded by the lack of any competition whatsoever. MoN faced a Rangers that had won 11 out of the previous 12 league titles.
P67 talking about stands being closed when I recall not being able to get a ticket for love or money for any home game under MoN is strange talk indeed.
I think it’s unfair to compare between MON and BR,only because Martin had Henkie:-))
MON won 3 titles out of 5, lost one by a goal and the other by a point. All under the nose of the biggest sporting scandal in British history. Were it not for Hun cheating he would have smashed them all over the place like Brendan does and would have won 5 in a row. Quite remiss of Paul67 not to mention that.
It’s true to say it wasn’t all perfect but it isn’t perfect under Brendan either. What was important was the psychological impact of the MON era. There was an inferiority complex around Celtic park when it came to the Huns. MON met that head on and they never recovered. They couldn’t cope with being knocked off their perch and their cheating got worse and worse.
Right now Celtic are on a perch. Lets not forget MON was a huge part of getting us up there. It’s nonsensical and disrespectful to suggest he would have emptied the stadium.
SFTB.
Thanks for that, I’ve just Wikipedia them.
That’s what I get for believing a comment posted on a song, without checking.
I have to admit though, their version on you tube is so tinny that I readily accepted it was from a bygone era.
South of Tunis will be thinking I’m a right tube.
A few on here will already know that though.
Hail Hail
SSN showing ref training down south re video replays, a guy put the ball in the net with his arm, yellow card, Son of Satan thought it was funny at Hamilton last week?
Point taken, An Dún but you can only beat what’s put before you & so far the record under Brendan is nothing short of amazing & as I said the football is entertaining.
Jim and Frank Brogan played for Celtic like everyone on here would play- 100 per cent in every game.
Jim was the better player but that didn’t make him a Kieran Tierney! Frank was what would nowadays be described as a squad player.
I remember them fondly as I do all players whi don the Hoops.. Lucky Bassas!!!!!!!
THETIMREAPER
Well said, that man.
P67’s lack of respect for an absolute Celtic legend is strange to say the least. Completely at odds I’m sure with the opinions of our support.
Thank you, Martin O’Neill. We continue to enjoy the fruits of your success.
Jimmynotpaul, we would probably be six feet under but we are here , enjoying how our team is playing.
I would also have loved to meet Sam Cooke , one of the most important people not only in American music but also history with a Change is gonna come . A song that truly reflected how Black people had been treated which reached a white audence across the globe.
Im watching the Netherlands Sweden game the now. The Dutch strip is bowfin.
I wonder if Virgil and Mikael will swap shirts when the game is finshed?
Jim Brogan……
What a wonderful defender. Converted from full back to sweeper, the successor of the legendary John Clark. ( My dad loved John. It was his contention Big Billy would have been only half as effective without Luggy).
That Jim so successfully stepped into John’s boots is an indicator of how good he was. Jim was a more physical player with a crunching tackle and excellent game awareness. Incidentally he scored a very famous last minute winning goal against the original Rangers. The joy of that was augmented by the bitter Rangers manager Waddle claiming his club was jinxed when they played the Celtic. A dignified loser not!
Jim’s health problem is so sad and I can only wish his family well.
A true Celtic Hero…..never forget.
HH
Bada Bing, Damien Dallas will ref our game on Saturday.
P67 has history on disrespecting MON,I can’t remember the bones of it but he has!strange really
Any news on our injured players, please?
Setting free the bears, thanks for you post about higher and higher.
I enjoyed your earlier post about Martin and Gordon . Both were great for us.
I dont know if this is hearsay or not but was Gordon not recomended by Martin to take over?
Martin O’Neill, Celtic Legend!
Thank you Martin!
Hail hail the Celts are here!!!
And I still say the accies brogan was the one:-))
Guys Re HIgher and Higher…it was originally recorded in 1967 by The Dells, then later the same year by Jackie Wilson. JW’s version is very, very different to the original which was on the Chess label. Although JW recorded on the Brunswick label, he used a Motown Records house band (The Funks) for this recording. I believe The Dells version was never released as a single and the song now is synonymous with Jackie Wilson…Great song!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJOPOc9hQAM
Dallas.
Yes Sam played a big part in The Civil Rights Movement,before his untimely death, friendly with Ali, Malcolm x and Dr Martin Luther King. Can you imagine having all them for dinner.
Hail Hail
BBC Alba from 9pm on Scottish Ladies team, good programme, some very focused smart and driven young people
bis morgen
Weebobbycollins 9.32.
Thank you, as they say, every day a school day.
Genuinely appreciated.
Hail Hail
Big Lustig is one mad bassa.
Jimmynotpaul, in the nicest possible sense , Sam , Martin, even Malcolm would struggle to get a word in edgeways with Ali there lol
Philboy,
Lustig is about to complete full 90 minutes against Netherlands.
I read that Jozo’s injury wasn’t as bad as expected.
Not heard anything about the others
2-0 it finishes with Holland. Another failure.
Sweden in the play offs.
Weebobbycollins , thank you .
It would be interesting to hear the Dells version if it ever gets released , even on a compilation.
Jackie’s version of Higher and higher is such an uplifting song by one of the finest singers I have heard.
The day MoN stood on the steps of Celtic park and told the world he was honoured to be the Celtic manager I cried tears of joy, didn’t know how much then, but I knew he was special.
Like his first league game against D Utd away I think, again I cried when we beat them, he had instilled a different mentality than what had gone before, to compare him and Big Jock or Brendan is just plain wrong imo, they were-are what was-is right at the time.
I hope Brendan tells the SFA to foxtrot oscar , when looking for players for next month’s totally meaningless friendlies.
Dallas- like a Russian Doll, another hun pops up…
Our developement team beat Dundee 2 nil earlier tonight.
Wallace Duffy and Broque Watson scored our goals