Anatomy of a Cup winning goal

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The reason Paulo Bernardo had the freedom of Hampden to push forward in the last minute was two Newco central mids, Diomande and Wright, took themselves out of play.  Diomande initially did well, splitting the Celtic midfield open with one of those priceless 20 yard forward passes.  Unfortunately, for the opposition, Scott Wright let the ball roll under his foot.  This was the last touch a Newco player had of the ball before Butland picked it out of the net.

With Wright in no man’s land, Alistair Johnston gave the ball to Callum McGregor, however, Diomande’s instinct was to win the ball back and he rushed McGregor, which is never wise, as McGregor passed around him to Bernardo.

With two central mids missing, Newco were already in trouble.  Bernardo picked up the ball inside the centre circle and was immediately fouled by the third central mid, Nicolas Raskin.  Raskin made the right decision to foul Bernardo, but his execution was ineffective.  When Bernardo bounced off the turf, the Belgian must have known the risk ahead.

Others would have accepted the foul but Paulo sensed the opportunity.  As he turned to face the Newco goal, he saw the blue sea back away from him, with an empty 30 yards to progress into, he know what he wanted to do.

His shot was 25 yards from the goal line, four yards outside the right-hand post and went right at the centre of the goal.  That means it travelled 26.25 yards.  We always look for moments of brilliance to settle tight games but more often than than not, they are decided by who makes a mistake.

Goalkeeping is not easy.  Bernardo thrashed a thunderbolt past Butland earlier this season and the keeper knew to expect a venomous effort, but 26.25 yards is enough for a topflight keeper to get the ball safe.  Instead, as he did fatally in the league at Dingwall last month, Butland returned the ball into play.

I have some sympathy for the Newco defensive line at the goal.  Their one mistake was not actually keeping that line.  A makeshift central defensive partnership split, one ahead and one behind the fullbacks.  This created the space for Adam Idah to pinball right, then left, then forward to attack the lose ball.

With Idah set to pounce, Butland was on the deck.  The keeper had one decision to make: try to get to the ball, or spread himself.  He chose the former and Idah’s shot went below him into the net.

We’ll analyse the game more generally tomorrow.  In particular, we’ll discuss how Celtic could have been more ambitious in their passing in the first half.  Perhaps the reason they didn’t, is they carry experiences like Diomande, Wright and Raskin went through yesterday.  Ambitious passing inevitably leads to turnovers, which can be dangerous.

Still celebrating, speak later!

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  1. !!Bada Bing!! on

    Borussia Dortmund are taking 511 staff members to CL Final at Wembley next Saturday, all expenses paid,class

  2. Shows the relative position of each club, that they now consider a narrow defeat to be a positive.

     

    Hopefully, a good summer and we allow our manager to strengthen the squad as he requires.

  3. Tom McLaughlin on

    GLENOWEN

     

     

    When did Celtic see a narrow defeat as a positive, other than Celta Vigo 2-1 Celtic?

  4. I opted to get the Herald this morning to get a bit of satisfaction reading about our win. Hadn’t reckoned with Matthew Lindsay. In his opinion his beloved lot from Govan should have been presented with the Cup. We were definitely also rans.

     

    That kind of blinkered nonsense is why I gave up on the daily Herald a long time ago.

  5. The Herlad chases the hun dollar……………..hell mend thum.

     

    Anither scoddish daily in terminal decline.

  6. Re. Harry Hood stuff from previous article:

     

     

    Many years ago , I was at a party ( In Barmulloch) which Harry also attended, He changed his original suit TWICE ! . ie THREE suits ! We all had one each at the time and felt that Harry was a millionaire :-))

  7. ParkheadcumSalford

     

     

    The Herald,the paper that has 2 obituaries to Hugh Adams,!!

     

    media arm of Sir Hunner of Pence,the knight who ended original rangers in 2012.

     

    Not been the same since it stopped giving the price of cows on page2.

     

    A deceitful rag.

     

     

    HH

  8. it

     

     

    PARKHEADCUMSALFORD on 26TH MAY 2024 3:34 PM

     

     

    I opted to get the Herald this morning to get a bit of satisfaction reading about our win. Hadn’t reckoned with Matthew Lindsay. In his opinion his beloved lot from Govan should have been presented with the Cup. We were definitely also rans. That kind of blinkered nonsense is why I gave up on the daily Herald a long time ago.

     

     

    *and that is why they originally went under and will always be on our coat tails.

  9. When does the transfer window “slam ” open does anyone know please

     

     

    Great to be Celt, eh

     

     

    On a funny thing I saw today at a garden centre was a wooden sign stating marriage was like a pack of card. at the beginning it’s Diamonds and Hearts, after a few years it’s Clubs and Spades, made me laugh anyway

     

     

    Best to all Celts everywhere

     

     

    KINGLuBO

  10. SCULLYBHOY on 26TH MAY 2024 3:42 PM

     

     

    Thanks for that pic. The two guys at the head of that line never shirked a challenge in their lives – proper ‘hard’ men in the true sense of the word, but never dirty on the park. Lundstrom would sh!te himself if he came up against them.

     

     

    Oh, just how champion do I feel?

     

     

    Ave Ave

  11. bournesouprecipe on

    How many excuses can Clement come up with ? – they should have a statue of limitations 😂

     

     

    Shirley csc

  12. What is the Starz on

    BSR

     

    they already have a Statue of Sir Walter….they don’t need no steenkin Statues of Limitations!!!!

  13. For me Butland has looked suspect for a couple of months now , any shot on target looks as though it has a decent chance of getting through him. Another bottle merchant.

     

     

    Getting Paulo & Adam signed is a no-brainer.

     

     

    HH

  14. glendalystonsils on

    EKBHOY

     

    I agree , and I think that once their future is settled with Celtic , they will get better and better . I just hope their parent clubs aren’t silly about the fees just because they’ve had a successful season with us .

  15. Well, I never had any doubt no not even all week and especially when I woke around 4:00 am in the morning, I did have to get up early as I had a friend coming over to do some remedial work for me, and although he asked me for a time I pushed back on the afternoon as I wanted to get job done aqap, at around 9:45 am, 2:45 hunden time he was gone so I had a quick peruse of CQN just to see the team selections, right away I noticed the hammer throwers plus tinkerbelle in their line up and immediately thought we were back I the days of captain thugs shearer and greig plus forsyth, hynd, the rev watson and others of that breed, and then settled down tae watch the manure/city gemme

     

     

    For someone who from the time I was allowed tae go tae these games alone I only missed around a handful of them and that was due manly to our first time livin over here, but now like more than a few of my ilk I cannae bear them, in fact I have an acquaintance that sits round his back when the game is on and only knows the score by the roar, or lack of, from his neighbours, but then he does live in a Tim stronghold, I have turned intae my da, god rest his Tim soul.

     

     

    Now the fa cup final was very entertaining and interesting, and for once I was hopin manure would win although I have preferred city for many many years just getting a bit fed up with peps theatrics and tantrums, plus I do feel for ten hag as he inherited a pup, and no offence to the slab who does have one of my hereditary Fermanagh family names but all I can say here is WTF.

     

     

    Anyway, I was NEVER tempted to come back on CQN tae check the sore or performance but havin a busy morning contented myself with cleaning up outside as well as myself, I even kept the audio down just in perchance they mentioned hamdump, so when the final whistle went down there I turned my attention to this forum but as soon as I read about the long grass thought even though our board have took them to task they just cannae help themselves, the tentacles of the ludge are far and wide.

     

     

    It was a looooong read btw and I was contemplatin penalties when we grabbed the winner and believe me if that read was long well so was the following 15 minutes or so but eventually our class prevailed.

     

     

    Now I have no doubt if cheaton hudnae overstretched his remit at swinecastle with the artist formerly known as fraudgers, Blessed Brendan, no longer bitin his tongue we might be sittin here gutted at that brussel sprout and his treble, but as the song says “some came from the land beyond the sea, from Boston and New York but the boys who beat the Black and Tans were the boys from the County Cork:

     

     

    And it was our born and bred “absentee landlord” from the rebel county who once again intervened sending our board reps complete with a top class kc to take those charlatans at hunden on, now I know there was a lot of weepin and gnashin of teeth at our “weak minded” board lettin them aff the hook when two surnames although resigning was allowed tae stay on until the end of the season and then the clown bar’s most famous supporter once again reffin our next game, I deep down knew we had them by the proverbial short and curlies and our double was back on again.

     

     

    I have always thought on Europe as a lost cause now, particularly the Big Cup especially after watchin the mighty Bayern getting totally robbed in the Bernabeau without hardly a whimper, but what’s to stop us having a go at one of the lesser ones, I do know all about corporations and their 25 year plans with 5 year reviews and cost benefit analysis and can see that stayin in front of any incarnation of the huns is were we have been since getting in front after almost goin breest up around 30 year ago, but it now seems that DD has once again intervened so we might be in for another ride, else why would BB have come back as its not as if he needs the money and doubtful he will ever get a big job dawn sarf.

  16. So much criticism of Jack Butland… the ball swerved, even though only a little it’s enough to make your intended save difficult; he improvised as best he could, and got a strong hand to it. It was unfortunate for him that it fell the way it did. If a defender had been there and cleared it there would have been nothing to talk about. But Idah pounced perfectly, gambling on a rebound, and hammered it home.

     

     

    The whole move was something that had been lacking throughout the game; precise, fast, accurate passes, great driving run and shot, and a fine finish. Knew that was game over then, we controlled the last few minutes really well.

  17. McPhail Bhoy on

    !!BadaBing!!!

     

    Yes it is for real, Tom English must know in his heart of hearts that he wrote garbage.

     

    Luckily the record books will show Celtic won the Cup, when nonsense , soothing articles like this will never be remembered

  18. Tom English was the same who announced Claymon as ‘the real deal’ after their 3-3 win over Celtic at ibrox a few weeks ago.

     

     

    Sad wee individual.

  19. Claymon weekend might get worse if his old team lose tonight as it would mean rangers would not be seeded in the play off round if they do even get there.

  20. If Brugges are second in their league then they would take the seeded spot along with likely Benfica.

  21. bigrailroadblues on

    Good evening all from the Brazen Head. I may celebrate just a wee bit more. Be disrespectful to the Celtic not to. 🍻🍺

  22. BURNLEY78 on 26TH MAY 2024 5:44 PM

     

    If Brugges are second in their league then they would take the seeded spot along with likely Benfica.

     

    ____

     

    Even if they are beaten, it looks like they will win the league on goal difference. Will the huns gamble, as usual, in terms of acquiring players to try and qualify?

  23. Gene – Leeds offered nothing against a dire Southampton side- it’s like the footballer has been coached out of the football!

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