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
- 8
- 9
- ...
- 32
- »
I used to like Jackie Mac. Mostly because of this picture -http://tinypic.com/k3oemw.jpg
And the fact he seemed a nice guy.
I’m indifferent towards him now. HOWEVER – I’m glad he doesn’t show any bias towards Celtic in his comments, as he is not a Celtic man anymore. His loyalty lies with DUtd. And so they should be.
Would he not be classed as a souptaker if he acted favourably towards us?
I have more respect for someone fighting their corner, instead of pacifying the fans of the club he used to play for.
5-0 tomorrow BTW.
bournesouprecipe
15:01 on
20 March, 2015
thomthethim
From ages ago – I am way to young for the George Connelly keepie uppie game.
******
Of course you were. You would still be cycling around your place of residence, with your scarf tied to the handlebars.
I have just received word that CQN legend, Noel90, is jetting in to Carrickfinn on an unofficial State Visit, then jetting out again on Sunday, just like the GSL.
Apologies for deas link, here goes
http://tinypic.com/k3oemw.jpg
Thanks to everyone for the kind e mails about the proposed trip to Dublin at Easter next year.
If anyone else is interested in coming over and would like to be kept in the loop, please drop me a mail at;
dublin2016@mail.com
BMCUWP,
Thanks, I have returned your mail.
HH,
Clogher
Ciftci at it now. Can the compliance officer cite a whole team??
Dundee United forward Nadir Ciftci says he has come to accept that “most” refereeing decisions made at Celtic Park are going to be in favour of the home team.
The Turkish goalscorer believes Celtic players are not always held accountable for their behaviour, citing Scott Brown’s challenge on him at kick-off in their Scottish Cup clash on Wednesday night.
Ciftci is expected to be in the starting line-up when the two sides go head-to-head for the fourth time in two weeks on Saturday and believes Ronny Deila’s side will always have the upper hand with match officials on home turf.
“It doesn’t matter what I think,” Ciftci told STV. “Even when anyone outside Scottish football says – and they have said – that the game with Scott Brown was a bad challenge – nothing happens. Nothing happens to the players of Celtic.
“So we’ve got to deal with it. When you go out to play against Celtic and especially at Celtic Park there are going to be loads of decisions which are not going to come for you.”
He added: “Most of the time it’s going to be against you and we have to be up for that. You have to be ready for that and it doesn’t matter what I think because it’s not going to change. Nothing is going to happen.
“It doesn’t matter what I think or what other people think because it’s never going to change. So you’ve just got to deal with it, create our own luck on the pitch and ignore when the referee makes his decision on the pitch.”
Personally, I’m not too bothered about McNamara’s views of the last three games. Anyone who has seen them must realise that Utd have had four players sent off ,three for violent challenges,with another two somehow miraculously staying on the field after committing assaults.He’s making himself look rather silly.
thomthethim
I should have known you’d remember that ;-)
There a beach somewhere in Turkey missing it’s donkey…
McNamara, Donnelly, McGowan, Paton & Ciftci all questioning the impartiality of referees.
Where’s Tony McGlennan?
Ciftci. . . Such self-awareness.
http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=ain't%20that%20a%20kick%20in%20the%20head&source=web&cd=5&ved=0CDAQtwIwBA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DhuKSm0tAvhs&ei=CEoMVZayOYGK7Qbo4YDICw&usg=AFQjCNFg5k7Y0lnorJLVFZG8SvkX8cT8cg&bvm=bv.88528373,d.ZGU
‘Oh my name is McNamara I’m the leader of the banned’
Bournesouprecipe
where were u seatd Wednesday?
i was row 7 just behind the dug-outs…pitch level viewing. Sureal yet interesting at same time.
bournesouprecipe 16:14 on 20 March, 2015
“Dundee Utd have had three go’s at Celtic on the trot, and tried every trick in the book,
– shame they’ve enlisted the Sevconian press for the fourth.”
I’m sure the Sevconian press willingly volunteered to do the job.
ray winstone’s big disembodied heid.
” Your Shearers”
I had a memorable encounter with a rabid Shearer lookalike in a Milngavie boozer on the day the Deady Bears lost to Berwick..The encounter began with him noticing a smirk he didnt like..He was slow and stupid .
Has Paton been charged for his assault on Anton yet???
Anto tweeted that he had been the victim of a “sly elbow in the face by someone that has nothing about them”.
Paton of course lied “I have ran across him and I don’t know if he thinks I have meant to hit him but he has lashed out and he has caught me on the side of the face.
“These things happen in the game. I stepped across him and I don’t know if I have caught him with my leg or my arm, I honestly don’t know but it was certainly not intentional.”
Anyone who has watched the highlights will have seen that Paton’s elbow was both intended and cowardly. At least Broonie will have 2 opportunities to extract a wee bit of pay back (if he is that way inclinded) on Saturday and when the Scots play Norn Iron
ruggy
Not my normal seat FS3 I think row 5. Did you see Paul Paton crowd baiting?
Steinreigned
Indeed, but it’s interesting Paton for example has the MSM ear so readily available.
I don’t think McNamara’s answers in the STV interview are that bad. It’s the questions that are bloody ridiculous.
bournesouprecipe 16:34 on 20 March, 2015
One Bhoy’s ‘interesting’ is another Bhoy’s ‘predictable’.
Has Lorraine Kelly blamed Kafflick schools yet?
bournesouprecipe
16:41 on 20 March, 2015
Has Lorraine Kelly blamed Kafflick schools yet?
——
Sun and/or Daily Record tomorrow
I would think our Manager takes great pleasure
filling out the team sheet and starts with
Gordon . . . Brown . . . Johansen!
This I think before he takes any variables into consideration.
T
ps unless of course there’s injuries or suspensions.
clogher celt, email sent re Dublin 2016.
HH bruv
Parks on the list!
Dundee Utd and the SMSM are singing from the same hymn sheet, united by a common bond……….hatred and resentment of Celtic.
Anyone connected with DU who is willing to have a pop at us (which is most of them) is being dug out for slanderous headlines. Just like the so-called newspapers they print, it’s all black and white. Everything about DU is honest and good, while everything about Celtic is dishonest and evil.Quite simple really.
Impartial journalists are as common as Dodo’s doodoos
Just go out and batter these muppets tomorrow Celtic, that’ll finally put their gas in a peep!
bournesouprecipe
16:22 on
20 March, 2015
thomthethim
I should have known you’d remember that ;-)
*****
You recalled it so vividly that I could almost swear that I was there!
#lesbiciclettesdu?
bournesoup…
yeah, likewise FS3 row 7..
I clocked him…. the guy is a proverbial w*nk stain.
I missed the Stokes incident though. I caught the aftermath. It was obvious though Paton had a dig when no one watching.
I could see it coming. 5mins earlier Paton and Stokes were exchanging verbals, and in hindsight, i just knew the wee stain was going to do something.
Mightily impressed with John Kennedy though. Did you see him out on the touchline, pointing towards McGowan.. “I’ll burst you ! ” … Big J.K won my respect (even more so) there and then.
SoT. How did it end up? I hope you did a Sean Fallon on him.
Yeah Ronnies under pressure Jackie unlike you who’s not expected to achieve anything and is doing a sterling job of that. Wee arse
glendalystonsils
Impartial journalists are as common as Dodo’s doodoos.
____________________________________-
The impartial ones are scared for their life in case they get un-wanted mail and the likes.
HT,
That’s kinda a paraphrased version of what the bould Tom Boyd said after the stooshy on Wednesday night.
Great advice :)
HH
http://sport.stv.tv/football/clubs/dundee-united/314585-ronny-delias-comments-suggest-a-man-under-pressure-says-jackie-mcnamara/?
Please no ever ever mention Jackie for the Celtic job. Not a nice little man. Shame i thought he was a good guy as well.
finishedwithme.csc
KLV
Burgas Hoops
Aye, you would have to be a Salman Rushdie to journo in Scotland impartially.
The ould orange Fatwa would be in full stride.
Worked in IT dept in Edinburgh, network guy there called Kerr, took me a day or so to work out who it was when they referred to Wide Area.
Well I thought is was funny !!
ACGR,
I mailed Clogher Celt, Dublin is a must.
Still disappointed I couldn’t make Belfast :((
GM
I’ve had enough of their constant bitching, the gloves are aff :-)
ray winstone’s .
I did martial arts – he didn’t – it ended with him on the floor and me hotfooting it out the door .I wasn’t old enough to be in the boozer.
kevinlasvegas
It’s quite sad actually.