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
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- ...
- 32
- »
I see Astrya Hygiene are owed £61.27 by the dead team. I would like to see the evidence of that. That’s one the manky mob should contest on an “insufficient evidence” criterion.
My view on the verbals from Dundee Utd players and management. Sounds to me like, mentally, they’ve already lost the game. If our players were coming out with the same language I’d think they were making excuses. Maybe Jackie Mac thinks he’s creating a sense of injustice in order to motivate them. I think he’s just giving them excuses for failure.
I’m happy to hear them.
It does look like thems have had a look under the bonnet of RIFC and said aweeee Ffs man am out of this pitch, the silence if deafening, and pay day a week today as well, lol. A doin fro the totties cabbage an ribs on Sunday and they are Fryer Tucked.
Geordie Munro
14:00 on
20 March, 2015
“Did you see the kick off? United kicked off, Shifty got the ball. Broonie charged in and fouled him.”
Weeron,
The meal Cifci made of that challenge would put the world’s food banks out of business.
———————–
Geordie,
these are co-existing truths.
One doesn’t eliminate the other.
I don’t post often, and when I do, they go unnoticed for the most part. I am enjoying the fact that folk are engaging on this.
Broonie took the first opportunity to have a wee nibble at Shifty. I have no problem with that (though it was SO early that I thought he might get a yellow).
United doubled up on the (unfairly) booked Efe. I have no problem with that.
My point in all of this, is that I think much of the umbrage being displayed on the blog is not well considered.
You will well remember Alan Thompson taking regular liberties with Ricksen. Good pros rise above it and get their digs in without paying a price. The less clever ones end up getting a red card. In Ricksen’s case, it was sometimes a spectacular meltdown that any 3 year old would have been proud of.
It has always been thus……….
weeron – nail on head re: mcnamara. We took their 2 best players, he didn’t have youngsters ready to come in and play the same style as he’d set them up when Armstrong and Mackay-Steven were there, so he changed to an “anti-football” style for these games and he adopted a “no one likes us” attitude. We all know where that road leads!
JJHS,
Ah, you’ve reignited the Great MOTM Debate.
Celtic website gave it to Forrest,but Magners, the sponsors, gave it to Bitton.
How d’ye like them(cider) apples?
Tontine tim
Brazil v Hungary was the first live TV world cup game I remember watching. I supported Hungary as the underdogs and they were brilliant that night at Goodison. Bene and Albert ( European footballer of the year 67) , had great games.
My heart went out to Pele against Portugal. They knew he was carrying an injury and went out to cripple him.
I’ve loved Brazil ever since and the Aztec 70 was the greatest display of any team ever.
Btw it’s funny how some memories stick. Just before the the Brazil Hungary game I bought a picnic, a chocito and a bottle of tangerine from the ice-cream Van. Remember them?
Hh.
Thomthetim,
Phew.
I thought I was going mad :)
And change out of 2 bob.
Natknow….really good point….
Paul67 et al
Ronny’s team handled the cup ties well, all three of them. League games are different but with an International break coming up I am sure Celtic will want to win one more time before what for some will feel like a mid-term break. We are making progress now, and wont want to let up against the Arabs. Keep talking the talk and Dundee United could see themselves on the wrong end of a football lesson.
totaleclipseofthehuncsc
Nags…look away now and save your money:
Been told to back red danaher at 3 35pm Sedgefield and crown pleasure 8.35pm Dundalk. 5/1 and 6/1. Each way singles and each way double would be my bet. Not sure how strong info is but came to me indirectly from a decent source, but tread carefully if you indulge.
Good luck.
Weeron,
I’m in agreement with your main point. I want teams to dislike us just cos we’re too good :)
I’d like to see it again but I thought it was barely a foul, let alone a card.
HH
Did the SFA get Sevco back inthe SPL during the eclipse?
No problems with Jackie Mac for me.No chance to match us for player strength,so he has to do something.Loved him as a player,I know some on here did not.No idea why.Always gave 100%.Some on here getting a bit like the SMSM,hysterical.Its a mans game,and I have not noticed recently our team full of shrinking Violets.
Hoping to see McNamara continuing with his I.M.Jolly impression after tomorrow’s game.
Pass the altar wine Ephesia!
Hear that King has filed papers at court to try to get approved as a director. I presume if/when he loses, then Murray will try his luck.
I also hear that Michaela Tabb has resigned as a snooker referee. Any chance we could get her to ref Celtic’s games. She couldn’t do any worse …
JMac is a bit of a whiner. At least he’s whining for those that pay him …. unlike many ex-sevconians who seem to fight Sevco’s corner, more than the teams that employ them (including, not co-incidently, Sevco’s current manager of the month …)
Geordie,
You don’t have to be mad to post here, but,……..
Two things you’ll not see in the same week an eclipse, and a NOMAD.
BSR,
I like the warning on Twitter this morning.
It is dangerous to look directly at the Sun.
Similarly, with the Star and the Daily Mail!
mike in toronto…..
Well said….!
thomthethim
From ages ago – I am way to young for the George Connelly keepie uppie game.
Turkeybhoy
Nail on head!
Celtic’s two main central defenders Virgil van Dijk and Jason Denayer, have contributed 13 goals and 4 assists for Celtic this season.
I hope the Celtic support hear from Simon Donnelly again tomorrow after 5.00pm
Names that suit your job
Food hygienists
Sam and Ella
I was at the Dynamo Kiev game. Saw George do his half time cameo. 3-0 to us. Yogi blew a penalty straight into the Celtic end. I was stood with my dad in the other end. Fantastic night for a 9 yr old.
Jackie McNamara is employed by Dundee United and he is professional enough to appreciate who pays his wages.
I haven’t agreed with many of his comments in the past fortnight, but McNamara clearly thinks this is the best method to try and get results against us.
Compare and contrast with people like Alex Totten, who used to chuck the towel in three or four days before his team played Rangers in Liquidation.
Chairbhoy,
Yes.
We have a saying here about the ‘hurler on the ditch’.
Quite easy to snipe from the side lines. I would have loved to have seen their faces when they actually took their first peak beneath the bonnet of that basket case of a club.
Árd Macha
bsr. Agreed.
bournesouprecipe
15:05 on
20 March, 2015
Celtic’s two main central defenders Virgil van Dijk and Jason Denayer, have contributed 13 goals and 4 assists for Celtic this season.
———————————————–
Yip – who needs centre forwards when you have multi-functional centre halves?!
Bournesouprecipie
15:01
Weren’t you like ten years above me at Holy Cross???
marrakesh express
14:39 on 20 March, 2015
And change out of 2 bob.
_____________
You sure it wasn’t gingie bottles you bought them with :))
Mike in YYZ,
Michaela Tabb??
Yes please. Might even increase crowds :)
HH
Thindimebhoy, A good friend of mine whose name was T. Bones was a butcher. Absolutely genuine.
McGowan’s hardly been in the door at Tannadice, 2 months. Probably never met Zig and Zag. So it’s no a pro-arab thing with him.
BGX
14:39 on
20 March, 2015
Natknow….really good point….
—————————————————–
We’ll see how it pans out tomorrow but I think we have a big psychological advantage already based on what I’m hearing.
Geordie Munro
15:17 on
20 March, 2015
Mike in YYZ,
*ha ha there used tae be another punter on here that used the YYZ tab and he lived in Kitchener/Waterloo.
YYZ isnae in TO or Kitchener, it’s in Mississauga. TO’s IATA code is CYTZ and KW is YKF.
pedanticcsc