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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3 games. 7 goals for 1 against (and that was due to cheating).
D.U. has hardly had a shot on goal far less on target, and we’re supposed to believe it’s somehow down to bias from referees.
The more this shower whinge whine and bleat the more stupid and impotent they seem.
I really want Celtic to trounce them tomorrow, and I hope the team keep going even if the game’s been put to bed.
every one of them are ignoring the fact that their keeper should definitely have been off in the first minute. Was I just imagining that tackle ? I’m a wee bit worried about Clancy tomorrow, I believe he went to St Aloysius and every game Ive seen him involving Celtic he has over compensated for being a perceived Tim. I’m only a wee bit worried however as I think we’ll give them a right humping
HH
ruggy
I agree, and posted on Wednesday, AS did well to avoid lashing out *until he did*
Would love to see John Kennedy as a Celtic managerial great, sometime in the future.
Jackie is the manager of Dundee Utd and not Celtic.
He is naturally under a lot of pressure after a poor run of form eclipsed only by that of the mighty Sevco.
He is doing his best to do what he can to improve his teams chances of winning or even getting a draw tomorrow.
I think we should cut the guy a bit of slack. There are worse than him to be annoyed with for sure.
I don’t know the area well being a southside bhoy, but I always thought Milngavie was a hun enclave. I believe Gregor Stevens used to live and frequent the local boozer(s).
And Bravo for decking that hun.
In the mid to late 60s, after the arrival of Jock Stein, Celtic played in a good number of League and Scottish Cup finals. One abiding memory of the build-up to those finals was that it was customary for the squad to spend the week camped up in Seamill Hydro on the Ayrshire coast.
Following the previous Saturday fixture, the players would have the rest of the weekend to themselves before reporting to Celtic Park early on Monday for the coach trip to the coast where they would train, eat and sleep together and would not see their homes or families until Saturday night after the Cup Final.
As a youngster I always found this approach to be thoroughly professional and felt it gave the team an edge over their less well prepared opponents at Hampden.
I mention this because of the reports of Scott Brown’s little indiscretion last week in the build-up to the League Cup final. I make no comment on Brown’s behaviour as it has been done to death, but it is clear that in 2015, Celtic FC do not follow Stein’s example of taking the squad away for the week. In fact the very idea of the squad having a day off in the days before the big game would have been unheard of during the Stein era.
I am not criticising the club, Ronny or the team on this. I merely remark on the difference in approach from 1965 to 2015 as highlighted by the Broonie incident.
We won the cup very comfortably, so no real issue as far ad I am concerned.
Just raising a point.
Hail Hail.
SOT in his prime….
http://www.geeksandcleats.com/2014/11/remember-bruce-lee-birthday-video/
Burnley
He is acting like a fud. whingeing whining and hostile.
No excuse for him
Burnley78
Desperate, because he’s on a losing run that started before the Celtic humpings,
rent a quote, and sad only because he’s a Jungle.
Aided and abetted and foxed by Sevconian press
Simple CSC
sipsini. The incomparable Bruce Lee who was the best martial arts man I ever saw but who always made me smile every time he opened his mouth.
Bhoys
I posted last month about my dad passing away – I’m really struggling with it at the moment – I could be laughing about him one moment and in a mess about it another . I can’t get my head around it, but that’s ok. The one thing that gets me through it is the many people who’ve shared their stories of grief on here, some of them very very difficult. I know there’s a future. Sorry to be sad on a Friday and in honour of the great music maestro of cqn Friday evening’s – my dad’s favourite song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-UmzAPgcfQ
-hewho’smonikerusedtobeanspflmanagerbecausehelovedhimasaplayerbutheshouldknowwhenhe’sbeenbeatenfairandsquarecsc
I think it’s because he’s started to go a bit baldy.
Guy on Coach Trip image of SA…@Getagrip..
Re McNamara, only game we’ve played against them were he’s not hammered on about biased refs is the one we lost 1-2 at Tannadice, funny that ! I know he has to stand his own ground and dont for a minute expect any favours from him , but he’s come across as a right whingeing wee git this season and I’m sure Im not the only one who’s getting really pissed off listening to it
HH
Name Change
You never really get over it, well I haven’t since I lost my dad anyway, but eventually you learn to live with it after you understand and accept that he would have wanted you to. It took me ten years to get to the bottom of that.
Hail Hail,
KevinBhoy.
i’vehadtochangemyname. Fantastic version of this song which I first heard sung by The Corries.
I believe it is Canadian in origin.
Sincere condolences on your loss.
ivehadtochangemyname
Sorry to hear youre still struggling with it mate, have lost both my parents to long ilnesses and was devastated, didnt think I’d get over it at all. Time however has dulled the blow to an extent and Im lucky enough to have three great kids who have helped enormously. Keep thinking of the happy times friend
HH
ray winstone’s big disembodied heid,
I was too young to go to see his films but my older brother did, bloody nightmare he would practice the moves on me when he got home.
No wonder I put my dirty pants and socks in his pillow slips..;)
I have just listened to the McNamara interview. Don`t know what all the fuss is about. He doesn`t like an opposition Manager being critical of his ( J.Mc`s) players; he does not think there has been anything particularly bad in the three games; he would like to talk about tomorrow`s game and not the ones which are now in the past.
The article then hand picks and highlights some parts with the objective of making angry the Celtic Support. Quite successfully judging by many posts on here.
Four games on the trot will inevitably lead to some personal feuds on the pitch but the MSSM`s desire to exaggerate these and cause ill feeling between the two sets of fans will only work if people respond in the fashion that Media would like.
JJ
ivehadtochangemyname
Losing your ole man is a sore one.
TakeCare CSC
Went to Sacred Heart School .Pirn Street Brighton I’m sure there was a guy called Bones.and his old man was a undertaker.
The only place where Mc.Namara should be doing his pre match talking is in his team’s dressing room.
No matter how leading the questions from the SMSM are,they can be answered in a straight bat way, dodging anything controversial.
JMc.N is capable of doing that.
Instead, he condemns referees and accuses another manager of bad behaviour, whilst ignoring his own players inflammatory comments.
He has justified my long term view of his character, that he has no class.
He is talking the Fergie/Mourinho talk. Talk which is criticised by all right thinking people.
For me, Mc.Namara always had the ear of the Press.
During those years, when he was in limbo at Celtic Park, his name was never out of the papers, telling us what a great Celtic servant he was.
I never bought it then and never bought it since.
…and that’s me in a good mood!
twentyfirstofmaynineteenseventynine
Keep your head up mate, I still have bad moments and it was 3 years ago. It does get easier though.
Anyone on here collect old celtic tickets?
Just moved house and was going to bin old mainly 1980s ticket stubs.
Lou macari testimonial is oldest I think, rapid Vienna away (went on glasgow uni bus) and Manchester (home game was pay in), neutchatel away (unfortunately but eventful trip organised by Celtic and left outside park head). Loads of Scottish tickets some full tickets from when helped run a bus and had spares.
The only thing that bothers me about the carping and selective memory of DU management and players is the possibility that if the players start wanting to ‘hammer’ them tomorrow, as well as the fans, in order to dish out a lesson to them, they may not play to do what we need to tomorrow, namely, win.
However, I’m sure Ronny will ensure that they know not to let DU’s mind games affect them.
1-0 would be just fine.
i’vehadtochangemyname,
Luckily I’ve still got my dad, my ma passed away just over three years ago, still sore but I just try to think of my ma’s special smile.
It gives me a lift when I’m down. Hail Hail
JMac can’t help being a greetin faced wee nyaff. That’s just the way he is. What he could do is not run to his meeja pals to show his dislike of our manager, and this goes back further than the current series of games, and stop showing the humility of jim Jeffries when we beat them by playing better football.
bournesouprecipe
17:30 on
20 March, 2015
Burnley78
Desperate, because he’s on a losing run that started before the Celtic humpings,
rent a quote, and sad only because he’s a Jungle.
Aided and abetted and foxed by Sevconian press
Simple CSC
=======================
Agree,I think he is feeling exposed and dis-appointed by his Boards decision to sell
players and he is deflecting his frustration to us aided as you said by the ever eager press.
Could do with an old head to give him some advice re his outpourings,that said he is 41 as opposed to Ronny Delia who is 39 and is a newcomer to this environment.
Good Evening Timland.
Deary me, DU really don’t like us very much,maybe it’s all
the second prizes,now their stoking it up through the ever
obliging msm,Stokesy should tell the msm what Paton
called him.
Another week in the salt mines ends. Flat Cap and greasy overalls swopped for silk boxers and de aul Hugo Boss/georgie o mahony suit. .nice steak, glass o red, Dublin s fair city. Oh yeah
Jackeens rule
Ivehadtochangemyname.
Cracking ballad, treasure and hold on to the memories son.
Ray winstone.
Never touched the nag honest, not physically anyway, just a 10 spot to win, hey ho!
Hail hail.
The Herald reports Jackie McN. saying that Delia is inflaming the situation. I haven’t seen a single remark by Ronnie that could be interpreted that way.
Jackie McN. is displaying the subliminal xenophobia that is so common in Scottish football. They hate to see a foreign manager having success. If John Hughers or Mark McGhee was the Celtic manager, there would be no snide comments from McNamara (or McInnes) – he would want to keep in with his pals on the managerial merry-go-round.
No they most definitely don’t like to see a successful foreign manager in Scotland. The only exception was the puffed-up liitle egg nog.
And just like on Wednesday William Hill not offering odds for a red card in our game tomorrow. Cowards:-)
Btw we should cut Paton a bit of slack. With all the media pressure he’s put under in Scotland for choosing to play for Northern Ireland instead of his country of birth, it’s not surprising his comments and behaviour!!!:-)
The biggest kick in the goolies for mcnamoaner will be another defeat then sliding down out of the top 6
excath
Agree, he was exactly that, and there is naivety involved.
The backdrop to this, is the fact that the original referee was effectively sacked for the replay by another referee that went on to ‘miss’ the Czierniak and Paton red cards.
Meanwhile Celtic triumph quietly.
Evening everybody.
Jackie was, in my opinion, a fine servant to Celtic. It was refreshing to see him in MO’N’S teams as hewasn’t the standard physical player normally utilised by Mart.
We have bigger enemies than the wee squirt.
7 9 caps,
Not sure that accusations of xenophobia are appropriate but Scotland certainly likes to support the old boy network.
Bfdj, calling Celtic them on Clyde…my how thems are a hurting.