Let’s be clear, Morton are not a good football team, nor are Hibernian, but the former’s 0-3 win at Easter Road last night demonstrates the uncertainty principle of any game. Turn up with less than 100% hunger and you will find yourself out of the cup.
Celtic cannot afford to field anything less than their top team a week on Sunday in the Scottish Cup quarter final. Morton are a better team now than they were three years ago when they last won at Celtic Park – and we’re everyone’s favourite soft spot.
I watched Manchester City win comfortably away to Dynamo Kiev last night. It finished 1-3 but 1-5 would have been a more accurate reflection on the chances made. The result and performances didn’t reflect the relative merits of each team. Dynamo are not that bad, City not that good.
City are horrible away from home this season. They have scored 13 goals in 12 away league games, winning only five. More curious is that they also won 1-3 away to Sevilla and 2-4 away to Borussia Monchengladbach. That’s 10 goals in 4 (in total) Champions League away games, not far shy of their 13 goals in 12 Premier League games, most of which were against inferior opponents.
Here’s the thing, Dynamo, Borussia, Sevilla all fancied their chances against City. They pushed high up-field and were shredded as a consequence. Premier League teams don’t make that mistake.
Cup competitions are different from the league, success is all about getting to the next round, and to do that you need to pose a threat, but all three of City’s opponents failed to comprehend the consequences of pressing forward.
All I could think of was our efforts in Molde and Malmo. We took both games to our opponents and were skelped as a result. Away to Ajax we defended deeply and gained a credible draw, at home the open spaces of Celtic Park behind us were exploited by Ajax to our cost.
Dynamo, Borussia, Sevilla and Celtic didn’t know when it would have been wiser to prioritise defending their own 18 yard box. It’s a big lesson, one which has been evident since Warsaw.
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Last nights result shows the championship is rubbidge
HH
Agree wi Geordie.
PAUL67
Last night was Dynamo’s first competitive match in something like twelve weeks. That may have had a bearing on the result.
But I do agree with much of the post.
At times a balance needs found somewhere between ‘the best form of defence is attack’ and ’11 men behind the baw and park the bus’
HH
Huvny watched Sportscene fur years ‘n years.
Willny missit.
Bawsman,
I stole it from tbj ;)
HH
Some good points there, Paul. But don’t forget Kiev hadn’t played for three months. Don’t see City going any further.
Mr Pastry ( last thread ) .
Sportscene is indeed cringeworthy – but – it isn’t nearly as bad as Italian Cooncil tele’s Sunday night Serie A highlights prog . ——-scantily clad bimbos thrusting their assets at the camera and announcing -Here’s Fiorentina v Lazio and up pops Palermo v Empoli , pundits shouting over each other , ranting coked up celebrity fans , geriatric ex -players who shouldn’t be allowed out without their carer , gizmos beyond the control of the operator, adverts for panty liners and pasta every five minutes . Somebody being interviewed in a stadium somewhere but there’s no sound etc etc ..
Must be pay day at asbestox.
The cry is pay day lenders
Glass2/3’s
Imagine for a minute they did. All the way and won it.
Bit of a stretch I admit.
Wee pep would be saying “aw ffs no again!”
:)
HH
South of Tunis
Do they not know men don’t buy panty liners?
Unless the ads are aimed at guys my age
CELTIC’S PSYCHE
————————
Must agree with Paul on application and what will be needed against Morton – I am far from confident.
We falter quite rarely in league matches, but regularly just don’t ‘cut it’ in one-off cup-ties.
That we have been denied by the likes of ICT, Ross County(twice), St Mirren…etc in the latter stages of cup competitions, says much about the football department at our club.
No team, even Barca, win all their games, all the time – that said, some of the weak and inept performances that we have seen in recent years, in cup-ties,, are difficult to comprehend.
The league title is always the priority, and in the last four/five seasons, it has been taken as a given for us, with no challenge from Ibrox, including the ten point deduction first season.
Have the players developed a mindset that as long as we are on track for the title, cup competitions are something of a back number?
I would happily see domestic cups used for the development of our youngsters and those established first-team players in need of a game, for whatever reason, but we must make this clear, then we will know to lower our expectations accordingly.
I am fed-up being let down when it comes to one-off ties – and yes I know we have had sending-offs, but we should have been well ahead in those games prior to being reduced to ten men.
I will not go into the ‘snatching defeat from the jaws of victory’ habit that has befallen us in our last two attempts at CL qualification – suffice to say – will we ever get better chances in future?
S o T
I no longer watch Italian cooncil TV.
Garbage.
Buona giornata!
HH!!
Geordie
Just checked my pockets and it’s gone .. ya wee light fingered so and so ;),
SOUTH OF TUNIS on 25TH FEBRUARY 2016 11:51 AM
Mr Pastry ( last thread ) .
Sportscene is indeed cringeworthy – but – it isn’t nearly as bad as Italian Cooncil tele’s Sunday night Serie A highlights prog . ——-scantily clad bimbos thrusting their assets at the camera and announcing -Here’s Fiorentina v Lazio and up pops Palermo v Empoli , pundits shouting over each other , ranting coked up celebrity fans , geriatric ex -players who shouldn’t be allowed out without their carer , gizmos beyond the control of the operator, adverts for panty liners and pasta every five minutes . Somebody being interviewed in a stadium somewhere but there’s no sound etc etc ..
—————————————————————————————————-
Take your word on that one – although the presentation and punditry is often delivered by giant ‘panty-liners’ on Sportscene
I remember us being put out at C P in the SC 1st round by Dunfermline in 1968 when we were reigning European champions.
Now that was a shock.
Good Afternoon.
Here are a few thoughts on everyone’s favourite referee, Willie Collum…
https://theclumpany.wordpress.com/2016/02/25/the-debit-collum/
And in case you missed it, there’s a ‘fun’ ‘competition’ underway to find our favourite liquidation lie…
https://theclumpany.wordpress.com/2016/02/24/the-world-cup-of-liquidation-lies/
Afternoon Celts
Mr Pastry
Dont worry, we will thrash Morton.
Hope that puts your mind at rest.
Dont Panic:)
HH
Gerry…
We also lost to the huns that August at ibrox.
The wee guy selling the pink times outside the ground was shouting –
“Local team beats European Champions”.
Phil,
Was that the game”Orange’ Person scored a screamer
Interesting read on the clumpany about WC.
I am more concerned that bad decisions against celtic are greeted with “carry on, you’re all doing very well” (apologies to young Mr Grace) whereas decisions that are seen to harm sevco or benefit celtic will result in the offender being banished.
Jerry…
Pretty sure it was 0-1, can’t remember the scorer I’m afraid.
(Actually I’m pleased I canny remember)
South Of Tunis on 25th February 2016 11:51 am Mr Pastry ( last thread ) .
Sportscene is indeed cringeworthy – but – it isn’t nearly as bad as Italian Cooncil tele’s Sunday night Serie A highlights prog . ——-scantily clad bimbos thrusting their assets at the camera
============================================
You might have just hit on an idea to replace a tiresome format with Nevin and his sevcoian cronies:-)
I am sure we wouldn’t bother about being first one on either,
HH
CRC
Geordie
Yeah it’s funny how it’s worked out. Three finals out of four for Bayern before Pep, and none since. Last chance this year….
SOT
Edit.
Serie A highlights prog . ——-scantily clad bimbos thrusting their assets at the camera and announcing -Here’s Fiorentina v Lazio and up pops Palermo v Empoli ,
*******
Fascinating information thst those mentioned ladies actually have names for their “assets”. : >)
How do you get Italian Cooncil telly? I quite fancy some of that.
BTW, German men have worn panty liners for at least 40 years, seriously, no kiddin.
Thistle away tickets now on sale to ST holders, first come first served.
I thought after Quarabag away that Ronny had adapted and learned how to set up his team for Euro away games.
Subsequent games v Malmo & Molde blew that thought out the water.
I have concerns not only about his choice on when to play defensively (Quarabag & Ajax but not Malmo & Molde) but also about the type of players he is buying.
We are a lightweight team (physically & mentally) with little or no bottle. This manifests in a serious problem in adversity – e.g. when we go behind in a game, or when the opposition equalise.
The hallmark of Celtic teams have been scoring late goals to win games, or coming from behind to win games. When is the last time we did that – it doesn’t happen often….
On Saturday, the score line says we skooshed it – but who would have fancied us to come from behind and win the game if Gordon hadn’t produced a brilliant save on the 1 on 1 at start of second half? We might have, but the evidence to support that is not there.
Had to laugh at Kev J earlier on praising Jim Duffy, if he was to read the Greenock Tele he would be in a minority with Morton supporters who have been on his back the last few weeks. No doubt that will change in next week’s letters page after last night’s result, but overall the verdict on JD is must do better…
The last time Morton beat us they went on a losing streak and were relegated, here’s hoping they get beat off us and get relegated again, horrible support…
I hope and think we’ll thrash them…
Bawsman
Probably need to live in Italy or get it on sat Astra 13 degrees east. Incredibly there is a licence fee which unsurprisingly very few people paid but now they add it to your leccy bill. It is difficult to describe how bad it is.
Put it this way it makes Ted Rogers 321 look positively cerebral .
Is the Deila bloke still here? Sack him before Morton cuff us.
SOUTH OF TUNIS on 25TH FEBRUARY 2016 11:51 AM
Mr Pastry ( last thread ) .
Sportscene is indeed cringeworthy – but – it isn’t nearly as bad as Italian Cooncil tele’s Sunday night Serie A highlights prog . ——-scantily clad bimbos thrusting their assets at the camera
=========================================
And you’re complaining?!?
ffs!
The nearest we get to that is Craig ‘Rangers are a global business juggernaut’ Paterson who, depending on bedraggled hairstyle, can occasionally resemble a Reader’s Wife from the back pages of an eighties Fiesta mag.
And you’re complaining?!? ffs! The nearest we get to that is Craig ‘Rangers are a global business juggernaut’ Paterson who, depending on bedraggled hairstyle, can occasionally resemble a Reader’s Wife from the back pages of an eighties Fiesta mag. – See more at: http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/when-teams-including-celtic-get-it-wrong-in-europe/#comment-2783273
They dont even have the stripping housewives show any more. The Pope didnt like apparently.
The Pars won 2-0 . Game featured a wowee Honest Mistake in their favour.. Think they went on to win the Cup ?
Celtic cannot afford to field anything less than their top team a week on Sunday in the Scottish Cup quarter final. …
I 100% agree with this. However we’d need to know who our top team are? We have 10 days to identify a top team – something that has eluded us for months if not longer.
My view is you always start any game with best 11 then when game is won you introduce others for development.
Geordie/ glass2/3full
Had Sav been referring to the last 16 of the knockout stages I’d have been correct.
But he wasn’t so I’m an eejit!
Consummate amateur.
Beatbhoy,
He was referring to the knockout stages of all cl tourneys from midnight, Jan 1st 2012 a.d. ;)
I still dunno if he’s right though. Lol
HH
On an unusually positive note ( from me) I DO BELIEVE we have a decent team buried in the frankly ridiculously large squad we have we just need to clear the pitch and leave on best 11