It’s the battle of the Lennons at Celtic Park tomorrow with Danny enjoying the best run of form in his managerial career. St Mirren are on 20 points, joint with St Johnstone, who they beat in Perth last month, and have already taken a point from Ibrox this season. They are a technically sound team who will be more difficult to create chances against than Dunfermline were on Wednesday. They can also play a bit.
Team formation will be enormously important for Neil Lennon. This is the type of fixture he would previously select a 4-4-2, with two wingers, giving width to the game, but leaving a central two outnumbered by opponents who inevitably pack the middle of the field. If Celtic persist with this strategy they’ll need to tighten up in the middle.
There is an interesting subplot to this weekend’s games. Earlier this month there was a daunting 12 points between Celtic and Rangers. A win for Celtic tomorrow would see that gap shrink to 4 points, with Rangers playing their game in hand away to Kilmarnock at lunchtime on Sunday. As well as playing for three points tomorrow, Celtic have the opportunity to put pressure on Rangers.
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Lurgan53 – Where you in Madchester during the Hacienda years? Great city for music.
Houl yer wheest – Fenlon was a good footballer all the same,as was the Dundalk Hawk.
Can you remember a Donegal Bhoy,Tony Gorman that also once played for that vermin? That fella could strike a ball alright.
I think Donegal packed the midfield – much to the admiration of those unfamiliar with Gaelic football.
They were terrible to watch.
They made few friends.
They won bugger all of note.
Lurgan 53 says:
25 November, 2011 at 18:46
Tiny Tim.
You’re right.
It can’t be easy to listen to the nonsense Neil Lennon has to put up with.
But that’s his lot – and its the lot of every manager in the SPL or elsewhere.
He needs to learn.
————-
NL is treated the same way as every other manager in the SPL, by opposing teams fans?
BCC
I think Gorman was the first Catholic to play for them. But I thought he was a Dub.
TinyTim says:
25 November, 2011 at 18:42
You are right in one aspect, Neil was wrong to react as he did and he acknowledged this at the PC today. However, to suggest he runs to a Steward or Strathclyde’s finest, I cannot agree. What exactly the Supporter(s) did or say nobody seems to know.
Neil, has played the game and took some stick and then some from his own and away Supporters, especially when he played for N.I. My point is that he should know by now that Supporters will voice their opinion, which they are entitled unless they are personal or dare I say racially aggravated.
Hindsight is a great thing but it would appear to have been a reaction to a single or few Supporters. Neil could have approached them at the final whistle especially as we won and invited him/her/them to meet with him a later date and talk to them about their views.
No having a dig or wanting to start a debate mate, just my views.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Lurgan 53 says:
25 November, 2011 at 19:17
Def Donegal mate.He used to score goals from 40 yards out for them.Frightening power.
Thomthetim, no you must be thinking of cheeky Vimto :>)
bournesouprecipe says:
25 November, 2011 at 19:15
That’s not what I’m saying.
And the incident we’re discussing involved his own fans.
I believe – for his own good – Neil needs to learn not to react.
That’s it.
Sion Quick News
After all the Hoo hah ,-The Court for Arbitration in Sport has announced that-
It is currently unable to make a judgement —
Case is very complicated.
More time is needed to explore the many complicated issues.
Might require further evidence
A further statement will be made in approximately 10 days time.
regarding lennys mini spat with a fhan
the fans were probably just a wee bit nervous that a very one side game could end up with points dropped and it might be fair to say that lenny was also a tad nervous too
who can blame them. but just remember that many celtic fans have already walked away and those that remain are unlikley to be “johnny come lately types” – and just like lenny probably all wanting the very best for celtic
a wee breeze in a teacup methinks
Evening bhoys, still warmish and definatly hun free.
Belfast CC
I glad you realised that Pat Fenlon ain’t a hun, a good Tim is Pat.
I think he will do ok with Hibs, a very hard man to please, when he was with Bohs he had them playing some decent stuff, In saying that he was spending money the club didn’t have, but he did give the kids a chance.
Another Tim as a manager in the spl, jeezo, I see a summit comming on………….
Lurgan 53
Oh that’s good, I’m glad that’s not what you were saying.
Evening folks,
You know what I liked about Celtics shape in the first half (2nd half different story – players lost their shape resulting in manager making sustitutions reverting back to 442)
442 is 2 dimensional – it took Europes elite and Lovenkrands to crumble Martin Oneills preferred 3-5-2 formation, it took Kenny Shiels of Kilmarnock to crumble a 442.
His 2 banks of midfield – defensive and attacking totally nulified flat banks of formations.
We had a back 4 – however Ledley was one of them, meaning he was breaking quicker than half our team.
That added a 3rd dimension to our right side – gave the opposition bucket loads to think about, freeing up extra space on the right.
Our midfield had Kayal deep, with Ki and Commons in front – almost playing toward the right and left, meaning we had enough numbers in the middle of the park.
Forrest was then roaming around – in front of their bank of 4 defenders and behind their bank of 4 midfielders.
It added a whole new dimension to the team – and because of that line up it was almost as if, at times we were playing the wonderful cream of the cream of football – triangular passing.
It was more by hook than crook – where Ledley was, Commons, Forrest and Stokes / Hooper in non flat bank positions meant we were in staggered positions causing triangular passing.
Its definitely the way to go – it wont work in some games, however if we got good enough at that system we would have to worry substantially less about what the opposition have – because we would have so much of the possession.
To be honest its the type of formation / system which has me crying out for some form of foreign assistance – from the guys who were brought up on that particular diet of football which is probably outwith the capability of a management team all graduates of 442 and 352.
however, if Lennon persists with this formation, I for one will take ny hat off to him.
(It will leave me with only one other bug bear to moan about – player attitude and fitness, il not know where to look!)
I meant to say Ledley gave the left side a 3rd dimension
THE EXILED TIM says:
25 November, 2011 at 19:21
He is still a Linfield hero to this day though.
I agree that more and more SPL managers are now trying to send their team’s out to play football,as oppossed to the likes of Butcher,McCall and Tin Can Alley.
See there are two ways of playing football – the Celtic way,and the hun way.
The hun way has ran it’s course.
I hope Inverness get relegated.
Vmhan♣ who Supports Neil Lennon says:
25 November, 2011 at 19:20
Thomthetim, no you must be thinking of cheeky Vimto :>)
share
Ah, Vimto, the poor man’s Tizer.
I see Hibs have made a sectarian appointment today.
Will Special Branch be questioning Rod Petrie about his ulterior motives in appointing an….. Irishman!?
Don’t want to be a doom merchant but after seeing the weather forecast for tomorrow, I wonder if the game will be on tomorrow. It has been horrendous here at times today. It looks like being even worse in Glasgow tomorrow.
I’m Neil Lennon (tamrabam) says:
25 November, 2011 at 19:21
Exactly…
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Just received an e-mail from BBC re: ongoing appeal to BBC re: their sectarian defamation at the cup final. BBC Scotland have prepared a 33 page defence of their actions! Included in their defence of the term sectarian is recent accusations of “illicit chanting”; a newspaper article from the SNP MSP Joan McAlpine (who she?) stating it was disingenuous to differentiate between political and sectarian singing (ehhh??); requests by celtic to stop singing certain songs (no mention of the S word). You couldn’t make it up. All they had to say was sorry we got it wrong. Well done the other 26 guys who complained about decisions to drop parts of the complaint at last stage ( i ran out of energy) going thro their contributions makes excellent reading.
bournesouprecipe says:
25 November, 2011 at 19:23
But your point?
If you have one that is.
Parkheadcumsalford says:
25 November, 2011 at 19:29
When was the last time a game at Celtic Park was postponed due to a water-logged pitch?
SoT
You’re some fellow for reporting the gen. Top chap. IMO of course.
When will the olives be ready for harvest btw?
TBB
Bournesoup.,
Been trying to e-mail you for the past half hour, but My OE is acting up.
Getting a lot of CPU Use warnings.
I’ll have to kidnap a local ten year old to explain that to me!
BCC
Aye that just goes to show how messed up in the heed them huns are.
I don’t think anybody will be relegated this season btw, given a choice I would keep Aberdeen, Hibs and D Utd and liquidate the rest, that would be fun
Lurgan 53
My point is NL is not treated the same as any other manager, which is precisely the way your post read, but you’ve clarified
it.
Good mhan.
thomthethim
Could be at this end Virgin Media, back email to you, no rush.
From the playground: The BBC thunk they are not biased against Celtic cause Mr Whyte thinks they are biased against him:
Accusations that BBC Scotland is institutionally biased against Celtic Football Club and/or its fans
There is no basis in fact to support a view that BBC Scotland is institutionally biased against Celtic Football Club and/ or its fans (or, indeed, any other club and/or its fans). However it is not unusual for BBC Scotland to be accused of institutional bias by either or both sides of the Old Firm divide; nor is it unusual for such accusations to be made by both sides simultaneously. For example, in the Herald newspaper, Mr Whyte is reported as follows:
“There is a clear anti-Rangers bias at the BBC, and there has been for some time,” he said
Glenbuck…
That’s very interesting but I think we aren’t going to get anything sensible from the Beeb now.
Lazy journalists will rely on the scottish ‘offensive’ behaviour panto routine to obscure the issue…..
Bournesoup,
I got your mail, plus attachment. Thanks.
On the Commons and Paddy debate:
You cannot really compare them as they are two different styled Players.
Commons in my opinion is the Player we have been missing. He is the link Player, a Team Player who will create and score chances himself.
Paddy, I have to be honest I am not his greatest fan. However, there is no doubting he is a very talented Player. Where he differs from Kris is he is a lazy Player not lazy lazy. He is a unique Player that is more a lone star, a bit like Paulo without the pace.
Wednesday in my opinion was the wrong time to introduce Paddy to the frey. He did not create that many chances for his Team-Mates, why it is not his style, simple as that. He is the type I would introduce when we are three or four up, a David Fairclough type Player.
In my opinion and the way we were playing on Wednesday it would have been better to introduce Samaras at the start of the second half and brought on Paddy later.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
There is no one comes close to Paddy for distribution in that midfield, except maybe sammi
THE EXILED TIM says:
25 November, 2011 at 19:34
I can read the hun like a book mate.I know their every wheel and turn.
The hun is not for changing anytime soon.Why should they? To protect the status quo is in their best interests.
But don’t act all shocked and surprised at the behaviour of the hun,and that goes for the very top Masonic to the hun on the street.
Der hun will always revert to type,and attack those that they deem to be a threat to their percieved and abnormal sense of superiority.
To try to reason with them is futile in the extreme.
I am dismissive of them,and i more or less tell them to go away and give my head peace.
Contempt is the only feeling that i have for them.
Re Billy Fenlon
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/local/fenlon-still-has-love-for-linfield-14719194.html#ixzz1ekRirQo5
BelfastCityCelt says:
25 November, 2011 at 19:27
Desy Gorman was from Dundalk
Good Craic, Good Tunes
bankiebhoy1 says:
25 November, 2011 at 19:40
The probably will do and the landscape for us has changed unbelievably since the final. But the complaints process is their to be exhausted. We will see what the Editorial Standards Committee decide. Judging by the guys’ submissions v’s BBC Scotland’s tabloid hotch potch defence I would hope their will be a small victory achieved.
Glenbuck
Not read it yet. But you have confirmed my suspicions of what it woul include.
MWD