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.
1,215 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- ...
- 25
- 26
- 27
- 28
- 29
- 30
- 31
- 32
- »
twentyfirstofmaynineteenseventynine
11:12 on 21 March, 2015
____________________
Yeah….and to think that these two Titles were tainted by
the huns EBT-Scandal makes me all the sicker.
Anyway…guid tae talk – Hail Hail
Bedtime Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Tallybhoy, my first match was also in 1962; St Patrick’s Day, away to Airdrie. Lost!
What was yours?
Glass of red wine then time for the bus, 3-0 to the hoops :0)
Delaneys Dunky
Will stop by for a beer as well if that’s ok?
Won’t make it until about 1 though…..do you think you’s will still be there by then?
Help me with the positions here bhoys
Boruc
…. McCarthy….Rogan?
….
McGinn Lennon McCourt
Cannae have Judas,sorry ;)
Billy Bhoy from about half an hour ago
I will be at CQN Corner (God Willing) from about 2.15 onwards. Happy to collect your cash.
KevJungle
cheers mate, couldnt agree more
HH
Lennon n Mc…Mjallby..
Uber Huns of my acquaintance used to froth at the mouth re Jinky Johnstone.
Rarely mentioned by name but always got described in terms of ******* size, hair colour , religion and birth status..Bluenoses didn’ t like him cos he was great but would admit that he was great.
TTTT
Will never forgive Kilmarnock for the time wasting that day.Motherwell wanted to stop us winning the league so they scored.If Kilmarnock had done the same that would have been fine but to play the ball into corners when you’re getting thumped, different story.
SoT
The wee mhans in then!
Would Tully have been regarded as such by them?
Hail Hail CQNERS
South of Tunis
John White was a majestic inside forward.
A few pals and I dogged school on a miserable Wednesday afternoon to go and watch Scotland play Czechoslovakia at Hampden ( no floodlights then)
Denis Law got a hat-trick but the outstanding player on the pitch was John White.
He was a tragic loss to Spurs to Scotland and football.
That match was a qualifier for 1962 World Cup and Scotland won it 3-2 which meant they had to go to Brussels for a play off which was lost 4-2 in extra time.
Czechoslovakia reached the World Cup Final and lost 3-1 to Brazil.
Your old man knew a footballer!
Hail Hail
Lennon Mjallby
Still think for sheer bigotry Paul Wilson should be included, they gave him pelters (though in fairness the wee man was a real thorn in their side)
HH
Sorry, it was terntyfirstofmayninetineseventynine.
Wilson’s in,no probes,before my time,what position ?
OK Boots on, money flushed down the bookie’s toilet ( in other words horses picked ), daughter checked for weapons, offensive photographs, tazer guns and swear box, dinner prepared ( sort of ), matching socks on feet, pen pencil and other accesories checked, clean underwear, hat jacket scarf, car keys and ar, house locked, other children abandoned — i’m off tae the fitba!
theglasgowcelticway
Spot on, their support were a disgrace as was a certain Gordon Marshall
HH
Afore ma meds kick-in….when the feel sorry for wur selfs lists about who the huns hated coz of religion etc…did ‘any’ of the players mentioned suffer as much as Paul Wilson did?
Ah’ll choon in later…..Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
ON behalf of mini Jobo –
Gordon
Hinkel, Balde, Valgaaren (sp), Mahe
Naka, Wanyama, Brown, Lubo
Di Canio, Larsson
KevJungle
Choon in………………to the moon…………………
Rubicon
Home to Hertz 21st February.
2-2. Divers and big Yogi scored.
Had to do some research, because it’s a bit of a distant memory!
Caesar and Stevie Chalmers were the only two future Lions who played that day. Paddy Crerand also played.
I was eight.
HH!!
Lennon Mjalby
Up front
HH
twentyfirstofmaynineteenseventynine
11:22 on 21 March, 2015
____________________
Snap!!!!
Well said fella….when folk talk about ‘racism’ the colored-type…Elliot and, Walters always get a mention and yet – imho – the player who suffered more than anyone – Paul Wilson…rarely gets a mention.
Thank you again – Hail Hail
……oot.
There are of course many I haven’t seen, legends some of them, existing in the hinterland between rumour and bad dream, but here’s my alternative XI
Muggleton
Whittaker Thompson J. Rafael Moyes
Berget Galloway Hayes Boerrigter
Balde A. Virgo*
Adam gets the nod up front. He had to get the nod in this team somewhere, and there was too much competition at the back.
KevJungle
More than most, in fairness he just got on with it and slaughtered them a few times. Great wee player
HH
BRTH,
I’m dying to know. What do you do with the paper and pencil at the fitba??!!
And will that “ensemble” do for evening wear?? A wee Lourdes fundraiser perhaps??’!!!!
TBB
No place for Big Wullie Garner in there ?
HH
Boruc
….McCarthy McGinn Rogan
McGeady Jinky Lennon McCourt
Wilson Di Canio???
Neil Lennon player/manager ;)
Simpson
McGrain
Cesar
Connelly
Gemmell
Jinky
Murdoch
Lubo
Lennox
Henrik
Kenny
TBB
How about big Willie falconer in there now that would worry
the opposition and probably us as well.
H.H Mick
lennon n mc…mjallby.
I have no memories of Tully being a hate figure for Huns .His career was nearly over when I started going to see Celtic.My tenement back court wall had Tully ! painted on it.
TBB
That team would be the current Sevco offering :-))
Right I couldn’t pick a best seen 11, too many contenders have honoured the Hoops :-)
Very happy birthday to those celebrating today
TBB, wouldn’t have Galloway in there :-)
Now, team for today, must be easier
See this waiting for a 3 o’clock kick off its torture :-)
Hail Hail
TBB –
very harsh on my daughter’s earliest hero
Oooooh, Mikey Mikey….Mikey Mikey Mikey Mikey Galloway…
Derek McWilliams?!
Embdy remember him?
He made Willie Garner look like the Kaiser!
That’s Kaiser George(Connelly) btw.
HH!!
Before I head oot to Catania.
Uber Huns of my acquaintance hated Paul Wilson .Skin colour , school attended etc.Sadly a few Celtic supporters of my acquaintance were a bit hung up on his skin colour.
210579
The competition is fierce. I didn’t see Willie play for Celtic, but he’s behind a long, long line of dud defenders over the years.
Du Wei, McGugan, Baillie, so many others.
Felt sorry putting Josh Thompson in there on account of him being a kid at the time, but on balance, he oughtn’t have been anywhere near a Celtic strip, and his career since bears witness to that assessment.