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
- »
Who remembers Wayne Biggins :-( whoooft
The talented and highly rated Polish goalie is seen as one of the finest goalkeepers in present football.
But the former Celtic shot-stopper has had his piece of controversies. He was charged for allegedly making gestures to Celtic’s fierce rival Rangers’ fans and incensed them. He was eventually cautioned but that little effect, as he repeated the same gestures again when the clubs met.
He further garnered controversy when he displayed a t-shirt with “God bless the Pope” written on it along with a picture of the late Pope John-Paul II.
In 2007, he further increased his hatred among Rangers fans when he displayed a flag proclaiming Celtic as champions after a match against their bitter rivals.
;)) HH
ReTully
Story goes that Rangers were playing at Ibrox in the late 50s and with Celtic not having a game Tully was in his favourite watering hole the old St E nochs hotel. Rangers used the hotel to leave for games and invited Tully to join them as a guest.It is told that even hours later during the game some Rangers players were still laughing at the Tully patter
21’29”
South of Tunis
When I was a wee boy growing up in Glasgow, our next door neighbour was a blue nose called Dan.
Dan loved wingers – and his idol at Ibrox was Wullie Henderson.
He was always saying to me that Wullie Henderson was great – but that we (the Tic) had an even better one. Of course, he was referring to Jinky – they knew he was THAT good.
Like No Other
Another tip from the University of Life.
In the main I always carry my passport and a paper and pencil in the unlikely event of impending arrest at the hands of overzealous rozzers.
Now to be fair, most policemen and women conduct themselves in a proper and dignified fashion, however there have been occasions when the orders from those behind the desks have been questionable and on other occasions when individuals with a uniform just go way over the score.
So – there is always no harm in being able to prove who you are with a passport – the legality of which is that Ra Queen bestowes upon the bearer of same a privelege of protection in the name of her majesty’s government.
The pen and paper etc?
Have you ever seen the face of an approaching copper who might just be out to cause you trouble when you start the conversation, pen and paper in hand, with the words:
” Hello officer, before we start can I have your name, badge number, length of experience and the name of your immediate commanding officer, Thanks?”
Other than that I use it to write down the shopping!
like no other , you attending Radisson tonight ?
If so , look out for me – i’ll be the fish out of water that disnae know anybody .
Sanna
Jobo – road runner whoooft :-)
The Battered Bunnett, no Wayne Biggins or have you done the right thing by removing him from your memory lol
Brian Wittaker I agree with. However, in our 2 1 win at Ibrox November 1983, he shone.
His former Thistle team mate, Davie McKinnon was the stickies’ right back at that game. In one sticky attack, McKinnon stopped himself by putting his arm round Brian’s neck. Brian turned round aimed a kick at McKinnon and said ‘you’re a effen nutter’ to him. You could read his lips clearly in the highlights on Scotsport.
He also gave Sandy Clark the Sandy Clark treatment in the one tackle.
He also scored an overhead kick in a game v Hibs which I think was one Peter Latchford’s last games for us.
When Brian moved to Hearts the following year, John Colquhoun was playing well for us against the maroon balloons. Within five minutes of Brian coming on, he was sent of for horrible tackles on John. His first would have been a straight red card.
I never understood why Brian was signed in the first place but him winding up the stickies in that 2 1 game has always stuck with me.
Tim Tanium ,
a wee heads up. The Kano Foundation and Celtic got in touch with St Mary’s HT yesterday .
Although we can’t offer financial aid , we are going to bring some of the kids (as many as we can) along to Celtic Park to try and give them a smile and forget about the toe-rags that stole 3k from them.
Thanks for your thoughts .
Sanna
A before I go confession.
I have nearly always resisted abusing / insulting Celtic players but have to admit 4 failings-
Muggleton / Galloway / Bobo Balde / Willie Garner.
Jobo
One of the few examples where the quality of the lyrics surpassed the quality of the footballer…
The Good Ship Celtica ,
apologies for missing you late on Wed.
Thank you very much for the ticket .If i can ever return the favour , you’ve got my details .
Drop by our meeting point (top of Celtic Way on rhs) anytime between 1:45 and 2:30 if you can.
HH
Sanna
Cowiebhoy
We had some pants players in those days.Remember we had two ex army as trialists? think it was under Macari. One went on to play for Kilmarnock and had a reasonable career. Name escapes me.
Celtic, Celtic thats the team for me,
Celtic, Celtic on to victory,
They’re the finest team in Scotland, I’m sure you will agree,
We’ll never give up till we’ve won the cup and the scottish football league
They come from bonnie Scotland, they come from county Cork,
They come from dear old Donegal and even from New York,
From every street in Glasgow they proudly make their way,
To a place called dear old paradise and this is what they say.
Celtic, Celtic thats the team for me,
Celtic, Celtic on to victory,
They’re the finest team in Scotland, I’m sure you will agree,
We’ll never give up till we’ve won the cup and the scottish football league.
There’s Fallon, Young and Gemmel who proudly wear the green,
There’s Clark, McNeill and Kennedy the best there;s ever been,
Jim Johnstone, Murdoch, Chalmers, John Divers and John Hughes,
And sixty thousand Celtic fans who proudly shout the news.
Celtic, Celtic thats the team for me,
Celtic, Celtic on to victory,
They’re the finest team in Scotland, I’m sure you will agree,
We’ll never give up till we’ve won the cup and the Scottish football league.
MacNamara is in a win situation. It seems to me if you were ex player of Celtic.and u go and manage another club.which now is your bread and butter.you have still to be pro Celtic when your team comes up against us. In Jackie’s defence in the January transfer window 2of his best players were signed to another club.would we like that if Virgil and Denyar were punted in January. No didn’t think so.so come on cut Jackie a bit of slack.after all its job for his team to beat the opposition. Anyway saying all that I hope my team Celtic win against his team this afternoon.
It’s incredible to think that Jinky never won a POTY award.
Three Lions did:
Caesar, Faither and Bobby Murdoch.
Only two Celts won the award in the 70s – George Connelly in ’73, and Danny McGrain in ’77.
Paranoid?
Aye!
HH!!
TBB
I saw every game he played for us, and we lost them all. I believe it was only three mind you and in fairness he was part of our victorious 5s team.
Cowiebhoy
Biggins, thanks for reminding me of that lol
HH
TBB
I reckon that Ian Andrews might be a bit miffed at missing out on the keepers jersey?
Justin Whittle & Gary Holt were the two ex soldiers Luigi signed.
Bob Kelly signed a guy Paddy Turner because he looked like Charlie Tully
Celtic Park Live
Jerry
Great team.
I have been following Celtic for well over 50 yrs .apart from the usual favourite players that are written on here.2 players were Charles Patrick Tully.and Paulo Do Canio.so there hail hail.
Dallas Dallas
remember the Whittaker overhead kick (and his mad celebration) also his sending off in the space of 5 mins. He was a bit mental but I’d stick the likes of Dowie or Munro in front of him for the reasons you mentioned earlier
HH
starry plough
09:43 on
21 March, 2015
Turkeybhoy
Turkeybhoy
22.47
Awe Petal did you think I was talking about you, I was talking about Cifti from Utd but you feel free to indulge your insecurities on me…
Very sorry,I did mistake you for someone else,who was less than gracious about me living in Turkey.Please accept my deepest apologies,for my stupid lack of memory.
What position did Johnny Doyle play?
Excuse my age.
TMWT
You beat me to it with Andrews, though I still think Muggleton just about shades it
HH
Dallas Dallas where the heck is Dallas.
That’s the ones.Think Holt moved to England too and done ok.
It was demoralizing that they were buying four million pound players and we were looking at these guys.
Oh, how the worm has turned.
Lennon Mjallby
Winger, could change around with Provan
HH
Wayne Biggins is a curious player. Check out his career, and it’s remarkable. You might think he had some sort of magic wand in that, he played for teams in the lower parts of the English game, many of whom have since become top teams.
Burnley, Norwich, Man City, Stoke and Wigan, all struggling along in mediocrity, and since promoted to the English top flight. He had a fair old effect, qith a record of 1 goal every 3 games for these sides across 424 appearances.
His zero from 10 for Celtic ought to elevate him into the side, but he’s behind Cascarino and a considerable number of other shitey strikers in the running for places.
Boric
McGrain Gemmell
Murdoch McNeil VVD
Johnstone Dalglish Larsson McStay. Lubo.
Lennon n Mc….Mjallby
12:00 on
21 March, 2015
Jerry
Great team.
Aye……… nae defensive mids right enough but as the other side would be spending the entire game picking the ball out their net I wouldny worry too much
LennonMjallby
Thing about Doyle was I dont think they hated him anywhere near as much as he hated them. RIP Johnny Doyle
HH
Looking forward to the game today in what is turning into the SPFL version of baseballs World Series.
My morning perusal of the BBC sport website has revealed the top story south of the border is the Six Nations which enters its final day with every team able to influence who the champions will be.
BBC Scotland Sport webpage has very little coverage of todays rugby despite the tournament being heavily backed by license fee payers and instead leads with some non story about a Championship side who held a press conference where no interesting questions were asked.
BBC Scotland Football webpage also leads with the same nonsense from the championship despite some interesting top division games being played today.
Going for 4-1 to the hoops today.
cv
StartingEleven.Co.Uk
Out on a limb here guys but does anybody remember wee Bobby Carrol
even smaller than wee Jinky and Bob Kelly said would change our bad
few seasons around , think he lasted about 3 months.
H.H Mick
Remember Stuart Slater? the expected replacement for McStay. ” he’ll put bums on seats” and heads in hands too.