Winning the league is hard, or at least it should be. Aberdeen are finding that out as they unnecessarily dropped points on Saturday. Celtic have had it easy for so long we’ve forgotten a few truths of competition.
Sitting 6 points clear, and (again) confident of winning the league, we can constructively appreciate the job Derek McInnes has done at Pittodrie. They are very likely to come up short this season, but the gap between them and Celtic is not the chasm it used to be.
For years we discussed that what Scottish football really needs is teams like Aberdeen and Dundee United comfortably outperforming Motherwell and Inverness. No disrespect intended for the latter two, but Aberdeen have hugely better resources, if we are to receive a genuine challenge, it will come from there.
I was also delighted to see the 15k attendance at Pittodrie on Saturday, reflecting the bounce that has occurred at Tynestle this season. Figures like that will help Aberdeen (and Hearts) solidify. Both can make a profit at that level.
Progress isn’t linear, so don’t be surprised if Aberdeen or Hearts don’t leap forward next season, but the chances of them being overhauled by a smaller club is slight. The future looks healthier than the past.
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mickbhoy1888 10:00 pm
You right there regarding an obvious goalscoring opportunity rule. What was shocking to me, it was another sending off for as I suspected denying AOGO. Why fool the people? I would love to hear from the referee Thomson, what was this?
Geordie Munro on 29th February 2016 10:19 pm
Same man ,Leigh ,clear through V the huns in the 2-0 game.
Same ref., I think.
Incidentally ,I think the refs get instructions through their earphones …………..viz. wee Collum penalty decision V the huns when he had his back to the action.
Gorra run , mate.
Cheers.
mickbhoy1888 on 29th February 2016 10:00 pm
All those rules you quote are only relevant providing the player is onside,he was not, therefore the game should have been stopped effectively ruling out all of the preceding requirements you quoted.
For what it is worth gut instinct is a great indicator, and being close to the incident I was not concerned in the least as I was confident not only that the ball was played but that the flag would go up,shocked when a red card shown.
Annoyed at RD initially but full marks for stepping up and retracting.
We are all suffering from a lack of goal attemprs on target. 23 iin February. If you subtract goals and pens and set pieces then there is not much from free play. but we are doing enough with regards skimming it. I.e we are far from convincing But still top. GOOD
The attacks in bth Ronncy and Lenny are uncalled for and unbecoming.
There Endeth the ceremony for February.
HH
macjay1
I did watch it with Polish commentary. None of the two Polish guys in the studio was sure if it was foul or not.
eddieinkirkmichael-hope you and yours are well sir. A couple of questions to yourself and a lot of good guys on here,who have a different opinion of RD and our current situation. What progress have we made ,at home and in Europe? What makes you trust him to have another try at the CLQs? Is he learning on the job? Can you see the shape of a team,and one that can be changed,tactically ,by substitutions,or going down to 10 men. Genuine questions,not looking for an argument my friend. I support the team on the park every game,and have never booed a player or manager in approx 40years. HH
Awe_Naw
You mellowing – in your old age?
‘Lennon’ with no christian name brought it all on himself.
Ronny still a Norwegian Diddy
CelticQuickNews CSC
BSR
Amen
but it we dont fight them we turn on each other ?
Back of the bus …doon stairs … next to the big wheels … and playing crap
busloadiffaithtogetbyCSC
Geordie Munro -We really need to highlight the differences at times,and constantly question the inconsistencies,and ask for explanations IMO. Fleming and the other chancers in charge of our game,must laugh at our lack of bottle. If you remember after we were cheated by McLean and Co at Hampden last season,our statement read ‘after being inundated by complaints by our supporters….’ hiding behind the fans again IMO HH
eddieinkirkmichael
Did I say we should win the league in February?
Did I say we had gone backwards as a team?
I leave you to work out for yourself what my post was in relation to..
please please please can someone provide me with a link to the footage where there’s a definite indication from the linesman or referee that the Hamilton player is offside when the ball is passed forward , where Celtic have two defenders 8 yards forward of the Hamilton player near the penalty spot when the tackle is made and where the Celtic goalkeeper is rushing to close down the 13 or 14 yards between his six yard line and the spot outside the penalty box where the tackle was made
I remember another referee Thom(p)son give a ridiculous decision at ibrokes,john greig chopped down Bobby Lennox as he ran onto a thro`ball from Ronnie Glavin,stonewall penalty!,oh wait a minute was he no offside?(again);))
Buzz Bomb broken ankle, greig no sanction,play on!
Joe Craig scored a great goal later to give Cellick first victory at bigotdome for 2 years
HH
I missed the first 5 minutes of shortbread but caught the rest, and no mention of the Mcgennis incident unless it was at the start. The rest of the show had Speirs and Jackson practically in mourning at the sheep failure to capitalise. Cringeworthy stuff as usual but really just emphasises how much they’ll be hurting at 5 in a row. You could feel the pain.
starry plough on 29th February 2016 10:52 pm – Chill out.
Reporter to Bobby Lennox
“When did you know your leg was broken?”
Bobby Lennox to reporter
” When I seen Grieg coming towards me
CelticTales CSC
ME-aye and a moritoriam (sp) on plastic pitches,so says the Scottish Sportswriter of the Year,Jingle Jangle,all because Waghorn-Pen is injured…
Ole starry plough the most chilled out guy in the valley.
Celtic correct to appeal. It was not a red card—-in fact it was offside and Boyata took the ball.
Deila oblivious to all the politics and decision taken by Lawwell to repair some of the damage done. Of course the dressing room know this as well so Deila still exposed to players turning up.
At the end of the day Deila is toast and will be gone by the summer latest. Blowing another £30M on another litany of excuses does not fly.
£90M of CL lost revenue would be some achievement for Pedro. Soon he will be defending the corners.
At the end of the day…………………………….it gets dark.
NITOL CSC
• sipsini on 29th February 2016 7:38 pm
TONTIME TIM…
I agree with most of your post, bar this bit…
The “moneyball” and throwing money about like a man with no arms are over, for now anyway.
We have squandered millions of late by going for the unproven cheap option.
*and that’s the part of “moneyball” I was getting at. We got carried away a bit with the money we made on Davy Ki and big Vic, we also got lucky with the latter as if the thug hadn’t put Beram Kayal out of the game for a spell then Vic might not have happened as until then he didnae exactly put the heather on fire.
Money was then wasted on projects such as the Fridge and the young Portuguese lad whose name I have forgotten now.
There was also a mention yesterday about manure bringing a young lad through fae the youths and why can’t we do that. We have and his name is Kieran Tierney.
We also brought Tony Watt on against Barca and no some no name Danish side in Europe, however, he became a twat.
I hope that young lad makes the grade; he could however go the same way as the young Italian lad who burst on the scene scoring on his debut a few years back. He’s now with Cardiff after being out on loan to 6 clubs and yet still only 24.
Mr Pastry, we can only hope that our board won’t allow the summer narrative be Sevcos promotion.
They’ve played a few wrong hands but that doesn’t make them fools.
!!Bada Bing!! on 29th February 2016 10:34 pm eddieinkirkmichael-hope you and yours are well sir. A couple of questions to yourself and a lot of good guys on here,who have a different opinion of RD and our current situation. What progress have we made ,at home and in Europe? What makes you trust him to have another try at the CLQs? Is he learning on the job? Can you see the shape of a team,and one that can be changed,tactically ,by substitutions,or going down to 10 men. Genuine questions,not looking for an argument my friend. I support the team on the park every game,and have never booed a player or manager in approx 40years. HH ——————————————————————————————————————————–
What do you call progress? For me it’s in what I have seen on the pitch at various times since Ronny first took over,. KT and CMcG both establishing themselves in the 1st team squad. The overall improvement in Griff who said a couple of weeks ago that the improvement in his play was down to the coaching at Lenoxtown. The dramatic re-emergence of Rogic who most fans had written off. Henderson likely to be introduced next season to the first team after a highly successful period being on loan to Hibs.
I am firmly of the belief that we have a strategy in place going forward that will result in a better Celtic team on the park. I believe Ronny has the knowledge and ideas to get the most from our youth academy players in the coming months and years.
So for me yes I see progress, I also don’t think for 1 min that we have regressed as a team the facts just bear that out. I have said before and I’ll say it again if we are as bad as some would have us believe then we wouldn’t be top of the league, that’s an uncomfortable fact for many.
I’m not blind to what takes place out on the park but some of the stuff coming from our fans has been hysterical nonsense tbh. We have regularly put in impressive performances in the league this season to suggest other wise is ridiculous.
Yes I see the shape of a team emerging, a new centre half partnership that is yet to play together due to injuries has hampered the overall development of the team(I don’t see Boyata as being a first pick when everyone is fit). IMO most of our problems have stemmed from this area.
In Europe I actually thought we showed glimpses of being a very good team. That for me gives me belief that when injuries clear up we will begin to see what this team is really capable of. So many times in Europe this season individual players made the wrong decision at crucial times in games, we saw a similar incident on Friday. Ronny is coaching them to play a particular way yet still now and then individuals are choosing to go against what they are being coached.
Is he learning on the job? I would hope so only time will tell but I think we all agree he’s an intelligent guy so yes I believe he must be capable of learning on the job.
Would I give him another chance of CL qualification? Of course I would just like we gave Lenny the opportunity. Any manager who wins the league deserves the chance to participate in Europe the following season, every other Celtic manager who has won the league got the chance why shouldn’t Ronny?
Throughout the season Ronny has made small changes to the team during games, he’s a coach it’s what coaches do are you suggesting he can’t coach because I think he’s been heluva lucky to wing it in 2 leagues and not be able to coach.
I wont answer the bit about going down to 10 men as I really don’t think any manager expects to go down to 10 men so wouldn’t make provision for that eventuality, how could you possible know which of the 11 players is going to get sent off. If you care to look through our results over the years you’ll come across a multitude of occasions where we went down to 10 men and got beat, it happens all the time to the best managers and teams. It happened to Lenny on a number of occasions and we got beat, once or twice we actually managed last gasp wins while down to 10 men these games were memorable and we rightly celebrate them but to try and use a team going down to 10 men as a stick to beat Ronny is poor as far as I’m concerned.
Leigh Griffiths gives 10-man Celtic last-gasp win over Partick Thistle
http://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/jan/02/celtic-partick-thistle-scottish-premiership-match-report
Zbyszek
Great to see you post my Polska brother.
Lechia Gdansk is Green and White. :))
Wenger’s weaker case for defence
That was some calling card Lionel Messi left under the floodlights of the Emirates Stadium but Arsène Wenger, usually such a fierce protector of his own, was not being unduly harsh when he described his Arsenal team as “naive” and “extremely guilty” for leaving themselves vulnerable to a side who make counterattacking their speciality.
http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2016/feb/27/chelsea-antonio-conte-gamble-court-case-italy
Hi Eddieinkirkmichael,
Re your point last night, about ‘when did calling out cheats ever achieve anything?’
Do you think Fergus achieved anything in calling out Jim Farry in 1999?
HH
Eddieinkirkmichael.
Great post.
Clogger Celt my point if I remember was in regard to referees ,while I didn’t specify that it’s what I was alluding to. On the wider issue of cheating I wish we had someone prepared to stand up for us but sadly it would appear our current custodians are happy with what’s going on now and also don’t appear to want to rock the boat about the past either.
Good morning friends from a wet, windy, wild and woedful looking East KIlbride.
JOBO
Dreich down here but…
Dydd Gwŷl Dewi Sant hapus.
Which had better mean what I think it means!
From today’s Herald.
SCOTLAND’S pre-eminent historian, leading broadcasters and figures from sport, academia and the legal profession have called for the scrapping of the SNP Government’s controversial football laws.
Professor Sir Tom Devine, pressure group Liberty, television executive and journalist Stuart Cosgrove and broadcasting colleague Tam Cowan
have joined dozens of others from public life calling for a repeal of the Offensive Behaviour at Football Act.
Others joining the call include the historian Professor Tom Gallagher, both co-convenors of the Scottish Green party, Patrick Harvie and Maggie Chapman, several prominent Labour Party figures, former snooker world champion John Higgins, author and playwright Alan Bissett and Celtic’s fan liaison officer John Paul Taylor.
The petition criticises the Act, which received Royal Assent in January 2012, just nine months after the Old Firm ‘shame game’ which heralded it, as “an unjustifiable attack on freedom of speech and the rights’ of fans to political expression”.
It also describes it as “a clumsy political response to one football match”.
The move comes as the pressure group leading the charge against the Act, Fans Against Criminalisation, appear in front of the Scottish Parliament’s public petitions committee on Tuesday calling on the “Government to hold a full and comprehensive review of the Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications (Scotland) Act 2012 with a view to having this Act repealed”.
It also comes on the eve of the election campaigns for the Holyrood elections in May.
The petition states: “We, the undersigned, call on the Scottish Government to repeal the Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications (Scotland) Act 2012.
“We do so on the basis that it is wrong to create a law which applies to one demonised sector of society, which this act does to football fans. It is by definition a discriminatory piece of legislation and we also note that the Government has failed in its commitment outlined in its Equality Impact Assessment to carry out an equalities audit in regard to this law.
“We also oppose this legislation on the basis that it is practically impossible and inherently dangerous to criminalise offensiveness. This Act is therefore an unjustifiable attack on freedom of speech and the rights’ of fans to political expression.
“This legislation was a clumsy political response to one football match which serves only to unjustly criminalise football supporters and should be repealed as a matter of urgency.”
Although accounting for only a tiny percentage of convictions in Scotland over the past few years, the law has however dogged the Government with opponents continuing to fight a high-profile campaign against it.
Critics have said it points to an illiberalism within the SNP and a denial of free speech, as well as accusations of poorly drafted legislation and disproportionate policing.
In response, ministers and supporters of the Act have repeatedly pointed to opinion polls calling for tougher action on sectarianism, while last summer the Government, courts and prosecution officials all signalled they wanted to make more use of civil bans rather than criminal punishments for those who flaunt the controversial legislation.
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “Since the introduction of the Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications Act, religious crimes are down, race crimes are down, crimes in relation to individuals’ sexuality are down and we’ve seen a decrease in crimes of offensive behaviour at or in relation to regulated football matches in Scotland showing the Act has delivered real improvements.
“The Act sends out a clear message that Scotland is a country which will not tolerate any form of prejudice, discrimination or hate crime, and it gives police and prosecutors an additional tool to tackle this behaviour.”
Other signatories include George Galloway, co-founder of the Rangers Standard Alasdair McKillop, River City actor Gary Lamont, academic Stuart Waiton, Professor Willie Maley, Maureen McBride of the Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research and several leading solicitors.
Cymru am byth!
1st March 1981, 35 years ago today, we remember his courage and his fight not to be labelled a criminal.
Hebcelt, really? Groupon?
Surely Celtic can’t do that as they always say that they can’t reduce walk up ticket prices due to the season book price per game.
I really think that games should be looked at on an individual basis and season ticket holders should back any attempt the club make to increase interest by reducing pricing while remembering we are lucky enough to afford a season book.
Thousands can’t and shouldn’t be excluded.
If one person takes that Groupon deal and then buys a season book then the job is done.
Canny understand all the talk about the dark arts performance at Hamilton on Friday night.
Ah mean, our 1st shot at goal was the penalty.
It’s been pointed out to me on the odd occasion that, we don’t play with 1 striker as, we’ve got 4 / 5 attacking players ?
Bottom line, it would get fitba stoapped.
It’s already chased 40,000 fans out of Celtic Park.
It’s p#sh ah tell ye, P#SH!
A Celtic team with 1 striker v’s…..
Stranrear, East Kilbride, Ross County, Hamilton Accies ?
Aaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrggggghhhhhhhhh!
Where did the Celtic go……….?
Ronny could still flop this league….
…..no being negative….
….just not being fooled….
Eddieinkirkmichael on 1st March 2016 12:13 am
__________________________________________________
Griff said that it was, John Collins who turned him into a Celtic player.
That’s why……I think that the Celtic dressing room needs a riot to rage through-out the entire football department – noses oot of joint – egos oot the door – invisible players who play a guid 10 mins every couple a months like, Commons…..oot the door….pay up his contract and free him….he’s a bad influence on the dressing room with his cliquey style….get him oot!
Put Collins in charge….if, he had the cojones to take on Fergus and, beat him and he did….give him the keys to the dug oot before Ronny empties the park….imho.
Ye might no agree wi that but, ye’ll no be the only wan!
What the hell do we care now……..
HH
High Jinks from our wee legend!