Adrenaline dip, reds, wanton ruffling

1215

Cast your mind back to earlier this month.  February ended with a 100% domestic record, qualification for the League Cup Final and two merit awards for performances against Inter Milan.  We then walloped nearest challengers Aberdeen 4-0.  A small matter of a game against St Johnstone lay ahead before the Scottish and League Cup double-header against Dundee United.  Which we lost.  At home.

If a team drops even a few percentage points below its optimum the actual drop in results achieved can be enormous.  Celtic have answered all the big questions over the last seven weeks, despite the reversal in Milan; there will inevitably be a drop in adrenaline when normality returns, which is tomorrow, again against United.

We have a month to prepare for the Scottish Cup semi-final but another St Johnstone-type episode would cut the gap at the top to zero points, with Celtic having one game in hand.

I’m a great believer than a manager cannot and should not ask his players to climb the mountain every time.  If he does, he loses that special intensity he’ll need for the truly big occasions.  The players, from captain to novice, must carry the burden.

Niggles between players happen in every game.  On most occasions it will be a couple of months before you face the same opponent again, so whatever happened last time will have been replaced in the mind’s gallery of items the player feels sore about.

Since Scottish football became the Celtic-Dundee United show that’s changed.  A player who elbowed you last game will be running at you next time out.  This is the stuff red cards are made of.

There is a chance that we’ve beaten United into submission and that they’ll turn up in body, not mind, tomorrow, but if Jackie McNamara manages to convince them they are victims of wanton Celtic player’s face-on-United player’s elbow action, you can expect more reds.

Keep your cool, Celtic.  Nothing more than wanton hair ruffling.

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  1. Dallas/The Huddle

     

     

    In Curb, when Larry and Richard Lewis are in a scene together, there’s real comedy chemistry going on, mostly improvised too. Great show.

     

     

    But George does Larry better than Larry!

  2. Handsome hun

     

     

    Assignments waste of time.

     

     

    Found a yeti, a bigfoot, a Tasmania tiger and a pair of dodo .

     

     

    Handsome huns ,no no

  3. gordybhoy64

     

     

    00:31 on 21 March, 2015

     

    Delaneys,

     

    no bother mucker will get you there,

     

    unless you want a quick one in the HandB first

     

     

    ___________

     

     

    Pardon :))

  4. Dallas Dallas where the heck is Dallas on

    Roy Croppie, thanks for posting that Jimmy McGrory quote. When our greatest goal scorer revels in our team’s success like that it shows what a humble man he was.

     

     

    When Maley tried to sell Jimmy on the fly to Charlie Nick’s team, Jimmy’s comment, McGrory of Arsenal doesn’t sound as good as McGrory of Celtic. My favourite quote from a Celtic man.

  5. Delaneys Dunky on

    Gordy

     

     

    Nice one! Hope you got a full day out pass?

     

    You got a ticket? Eddie has a spare wi your name on it. :)

  6. Dallas Dallas where the heck is Dallas on

    The Huddle and Beatbhoy, thanks for the replies.

     

     

    The episode of Curb where Larry places an obituary for one of Cheryl’s late aunts in the local paper where the a in aunt is replaced by a c when the obituary was printed, had me in stitches.

     

     

    Let’s get our job done tomorrow.

     

     

    A good night on here without anyone throwing a ‘grenade’ in to upset the good feel to tonight’s blog.

     

     

    Good night all and sleep well.

  7. Delaneys Dunky on

    Sipsini

     

     

    Sewer brain. ;))

     

    Horse and Barge. The best Republican pub in Clydebank. :)

  8. Gerryfaethebrig on

    7 days ago I got poured out of CQN11

     

    7 days later I am now waiting on the future Mrs coming in from her wee night out

     

     

    Paradise was my honour, her’s was the wee social club her dad used too frequent, it takes all sorts to make this Eclipse happen

  9. Delaneys Dunky on

    Butsy

     

     

    Any tickets for Paisley. Loads in Clydebank looking

     

    You and I have 2 cold ales to share. Some time very soon.

  10. Delaneys Dunky on

    Dallas

     

     

    The Unity KSC Club liquidated unfortunately. Partick now.Liquidation means death I was taught in Economics at St. Tams. They lied. The freemasons that run Scotland moved the goalposts.

  11. “Sevco fans can kid themselves on all they like that we Celtic supporters are running scared. The truth is, we’re not even slightly concerned about the Return of the King. He and his colleagues are … dealing with the most unreasonable, unrealistic, unforgiving fans in footbal … Hell mend them. This is a perfect marriage of selfishness and ego, and they are going to collide like two drivers playing chicken, and who are too stupid or invested in the win to actually move the wheel.”

     

     

    http://www.onfieldsofgreen.com/faith-in-the-artful-dodger/

  12. Delaneys Dunky on

    Westies

     

     

    First post fae you I read thought you are awful but I like you.

     

     

    UTLR

  13. Quite creepy, no posts from 2:41 onwards on a Friday night!!

     

     

    Just read back about 6 pages worth, what a fantastic blog last night.

     

     

    My best keeper would probably be Boruc. For the first two years he was incredible. Sadly, his lack of discipline blotted his copybook for his remaining time with us.

     

     

    My best back four would be

     

     

    McGrain Elliot Reiper Boyd

     

     

    My midfield would be

     

     

    Lubo McStay Petrov Naka

     

     

    And my front two

     

     

    Larsson Lennox

  14. Best film: Shawshank Redemption.

     

     

    Best UK TV series: Any of the Blackadder programmes.

     

     

    Best US TV series: Frasier.

  15. colour blind bhoy

     

     

    I went for a very early night and woke up at 5:45 bright as a button but missed all the great stuff from last night sadly.

     

     

    Best flooring: Shagpile carpet :-)

  16. Colour Blind Bhoy on

    ht, sounds similar, have been up since 5.00am, love a long lie at the weekend :-)

     

    Good news is that in a few hours time we will be back in paradise and for me back in 407 after being decanted to the main stand on Wednesday.

  17. Nye Bevans' rebel soldier on

    Good Morning Timland.

     

     

    A glorious morning,a 3pm ko on a Saturday and a few post match

     

    beers in good company were I will enlighten everyone what we got

     

    right, and got wrong.

     

     

    Hamiltontim…..there is “something of the night” about putting

     

    chocolate on a hob nob,only saying like.

     

     

    mcvitiesfruitshortcakeCSC.

  18. HT

     

     

    Love your team.

     

    I’d put the Holy Jambo Corner Lover in goal. That would be my only change.

     

     

    Mibbee see you @ the Corner. Who knows mibbee Gordon will come up for it too?!?

     

     

    HH jamesgang

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