A confident striker and a scared defender

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John Guidetti has put himself out there by letting us know he’ll score a hat-trick in next month’s League Cup semi-final.  I’m not normally an advocate of showing confidence, if not contempt, for opponents prior to a game, but Guidetti’s comments come against a rich canvas.

The player is in a rut and will be feeling the weight of disappointment with each passing chance.  He is a goal-scorer, he’ll score again, but he needs to find the spark to fire-up the second part of his season.

You will remember Kenny Miller ran his guts out in his early months as a Celtic player but it was not until a game against oldco Rangers in September that his landmark first Celtic goal arrived.  Kris Commons has been a scoring sensation throughout his time at the club apart from his second season, when he took until April before scoring, a delightful chip over the oldco keeper.

Ahead of both of those games I knew it was all going to come together for Miller and Commons.  John Guidetti has set himself a target.  He will probably score before that game but he knows how important it is to perform at Hampden.  He is good enough to deliver on this one, don’t bet against him.

Contrast John’s comments to those last week from newco defender, Steven Smith, who said, “The fans will probably be dreading [the Celtic game]because in the big games this season, we haven’t done well. Everybody has got their opinions and are entitled to them.

“But with the results we have been having and the way we have been playing, I don’t think we can think about it too much.”

You will be hard pushed to find a clearer example of the language of failure: “dreading”, “haven’t done well” and “the way we’ve been playing”.  You normally need to work a bit to find a player’s insecurities.  It’s good of John Guidetti to mark his card on what to expect. Give me a confident striker over a scared defender any day.

The Second Annual Celtic Supporter’s Féile is on the weekend of Friday 30 January 30 – Sunday 1 February in Philadelphia.  The events include live music each day, the US premier of The Asterisk Years, with a Q&A with Paul Larkin and Graham Wilson of Beyond the Waves podcast, as well as live coverage of our first ever meeting with newco Rangers in the League Cup semi-final.

You can find more information, including how to book, here.

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  1. 67Heaven ... I am Neil Lennon ....The angels are with Wee Oscar in Heaven.. Ibrox belongs to the creditors on

    Some fekin’ goal for Hamilton ….pure determination

  2. Big Georges Fan Club - Hail, Hail, Wee Oscar on

    Hello this is WEE BGFC. Has anyone in the european scheme got their Inter home tickets

  3. blantyretim is praying for the Knox family on

    PF

     

    A

     

    I’m as god a tipster as you obviously stating game over after Utd went 2 up

  4. jobo baldie

     

     

    21:09 on 12 January, 2015

     

     

    Remember PL asking for ticket money up front for a game against us in 2012?

     

     

    Keep the Faith!

     

     

    Hail Hail!

  5. Ref having a mare. Hope he isn’t lined up for any showpiece matches…

     

     

    And it’s 2-2

  6. 67Heaven ... I am Neil Lennon ....The angels are with Wee Oscar in Heaven.. Ibrox belongs to the creditors on

    Hamilton are all over Utd at the moment

  7. mike in toronto on

    Been in Oz for a few weeks, so haven’t been online much. Hope all is well with everyone.

     

     

    On that note, just saw the note about TET’s wife. Thoughts and prayers.

     

     

    Looking forward to the article in the paper!

     

     

    JohnnyRambo…. other than left back (I love Izzy, but he has always been too small, and since his injury his pace no longer allows him to cover for that lack of height), midfield is our weakest spot …. ball gets bogged down there and slows our game down (to a crawling pace). Wihtout a strong smart centralmid (and we have been lacking same since the days of lambert, et al), we wont progress as a team.

     

     

    The problem isn’t our strikers … I think we have bought well there … the problem is our midfielders slow the game down and dont create much for our strkers.

     

     

    Sadly, I dont rate SB (great heart, but not enough skill or football IQ) …. we need a midfield general ….I think NB is a smart footballer … I like the looks of LH …. think Denayer could be a good holding mid .. not sure if one of these guys is the answer … and haven’t seen enough of SA to say if he is or isn’t (few times I have seen him, I have been underwhelmed, but others I trust rate the kid highly).

     

     

    If we have to spend 2 million to, in effect, sort out the midfield (which, in turn, makes our strikers more effective) .. assuming that he is the answer, then it is 2 million well spent.

     

     

    HH

  8. ….pfayr supports weeoscar

     

     

    21:13 on 12 January, 2015

     

    Jobo

     

     

    As I understand it ….fans pay their club money for the ticket …clubs then square up SFA

     

     

    SFA obviously don’t trust Sevco not to spend the cash

     

    ………………..

     

     

    So the SFA do not trust them for a few weeks but trust them to last the season???????

  9. ....PFayr supports WeeOscar on

    Prestonpans

     

     

    That 2-1 could have been any score if we’d taken our chances

     

     

    And not had a perfectly good goal chopped off, been given a deserved penalty etcetera

     

     

    DU don’t impress me ..

  10. Jobo-they will be given 20k tickets to sell,times 30 quid a pop,looks like the SFA don’t trust them for once.

  11. Big Georges Fan Club - Hail, Hail, Wee Oscar on

    Hello this is WEE BGFC. Has anyone in the european scheme got their Inter home tickets?Forgot the ?

  12. ....PFayr supports WeeOscar on

    Googybhoy

     

     

    It appears to be ok when it other folks money …not there own

  13. 67Heaven ... I am Neil Lennon ....The angels are with Wee Oscar in Heaven.. Ibrox belongs to the creditors on

    Armstrong should have done better there….rushed it

  14. Dallas Dallas where the heck is Dallas on

    Bourne, it wisnae us, it’s everybody else’s fault.

     

     

    Bill Buy-Ng the gers

     

     

    You’ve heard about the white knight, here’s the Blue Nights

     

     

    We won’t forget

  15. prestonpans bhoys on

    The spirit of Arthur lee@21:13

     

     

    Surprised it’s taken all these years before I was found out :0)

  16. Dallas Dallas where the heck is Dallas on

    Tallybhoy, ‘m sure Liege and Charlton are owned by the same people.

  17. ….pfayr supports weeoscar

     

     

    21:14 on 12 January, 2015

     

    2-2

     

     

    Great game this :-))

     

     

    __________

     

     

    Atleast you’re consistent:)

  18. big georges fan club – hail, hail, wee oscar

     

     

    They’ve not been sent out yet wee man.

  19. Awe_Naw_No_Annoni_Oan_Anaw_Noo on

    Gene

     

    17:02 on

     

    hebcelt

     

    17:07

     

    BIG-CUP-WINNERS

     

    19:42voguepunter

     

    20:21

     

     

     

    Thank you kind sirs

     

     

    HH

  20. 67Heaven ... I am Neil Lennon ....The angels are with Wee Oscar in Heaven.. Ibrox belongs to the creditors on

    Utd score…..2-3 ….great game

  21. re – Imrie— I stepped in to stop him getting a pasting in pub a few years ago, from another hun! I should have left them to it…

  22. Awe_Naw_No_Annoni_Oan_Anaw_Noo on

    TET

     

     

    Thoughts with you and your wife. Hope she makes a speedy and full recovery

     

     

    HH

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