Do you remember the Green and Whitewash season? In 2003-04 Celtic dominated the league. After drawing their opening game away to Dunfermline they won their next 25 consecutive league games, beating every team in the league home and away. Across all competitions, they beat Rangers five times in four league and a Scottish Cup meeting.
This was as dominant as a team could get but there were vulnerabilities. Not only was Henrik Larsson out of contract, much of that team were in the twilight of their careers. Paul Lambert, Neil Lennon, Alan Thompson and Chris Sutton would never command the same on-field fear again.
The team that completed nine league wins in a row on Wednesday night could not be more different from the 03-04 vintage in one important aspect; only four are older than 23-years-old and none of them are veterans: Brown, 26, Samaras, 26, Mulgrew, 25 and Ledley, 24.
With an average age of just over 22 years this team will continue to improve for years; we can see evidence of progress. James Forrest has made a huge step up in form from last season. Victor Wanyama is almost unrecognisable from the player who arrived in the summer. Big Fraser, 23, still young for a keeper, inspires a lot more confidence than he did last season, and the baby of the team, Adam Matthews, is a scarcely believable 19-years-old. He’s so new to this environment you have to wonder if even the lad’s father knew he had a performance like Wednesday night’s in him.
Ki, 22, Stokes, 23, Izaguirre, 25, Kelvin Wilson, 26 and Mikael Lustig, 25 all fit the same profile. They are a squad full of improving players with the appetite you only get when your career is in front of you.
Rangers, and the rest, should be very afraid. Wednesday night might be as close as they get to the coattails of the young Celts.
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Neil Lennon Abbot of Clonmacnois – I’m sure 90% of that ball was over the line. Didn’t hear Zagallo greetin about it!
stephbhoy:
i was only mentioning hooper, due to the news surrounding him atm.
im that confident in our scouting atm, that im not worried about anyone
leaving.
this club is finally getting a lot of things right. and the fans will return..
as a consequence of that…..
Ibleedgreenandwhite
Just for you
Charlie Pishin himself
Hail hail
Estadio
Davie try this
http://youtu.be/LUXIpeEoIGk
Estadio says:
30 December, 2011 at 18:42
Ibleedgreenandwhite
Just for you
Charlie Pishin himself
Hail hail
Estadio
___________________________________
Ha ha ha ha ha
Hail hail
Not very good at posting links. I wonder if somone can post a link from Phil Macs FB page about a Ghost story from a reliable poster who was at the game on Wed night with his granddaughter.
Gave me goosepimples, worth a read to make up your own mind.
From the website cybertims.
HH
Secret cameras have revealed that just after the Rangers’ team was announced Charlie Mulgrew’s wean gives his reaction
Out of the mouth of babes….
Hail hail
Estadio
With the angry mob bombarding the LL with demands for CM to be tried for doing an Aluko maybe we should be raising concerns about mcGregors fly kick at Hooper as he runs past him at the dodgy offside call- after all mcGregor has form for kicking out after play has stopped
Good to see big Fraser getting praise.
Been saying for a while he’s growing into the jersey.
And boy does he keep growing.
lets hope so
Big Fraser will know he’s arrived when up_over_goal stops selecting Zaluska in his matchday selection.
Of course he may continue to select Zaluska, for whatever reason, long after the guy has left Celtic:o)
Estadio says:
30 December, 2011 at 18:50
==================
Brilliant, even made the wife laugh haha
HH
Re CM so called dive
it is 66min in on the link from the previous page .
If that is all the can come up with ……you really have to feel sorry for them
NAH YOU DON’T
hope the hurt only get’s worse in 2012
hail hail
So obvious really.
Zaluska IS up_over_goal!
Teuchtar ár lá, Bournesoupresipe
Enjoyed the pics of Gorbals, brought back many memories. I used to run a team called Govnhill Utd named after the Govanhill bar. I was on top deck of 106 bus when it passed the the St. Ninian’s church when it was on fire. I could feel the heat through the glass from the flames. Pics are superb.
Happy New year to all, what a wonderful week.
am out of here, have a good night guys
cathach says:
30 December, 2011 at 18:59
Alright my friend?
Apologies only got your Christmas Eve e-mail on the day of the game, would have been good to meet up with your Son. Perhaps next time.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Celtic_First says:
30 December, 2011 at 13:30
Logically, a generation of domination looked inevitable. Rangers were technically insolvent years ago, which is why David Murray had to get some friends of his (DM Hall) to sign off on a book value for the Brox of £120 million. That was September 2003.
That wasn’t sustainable and Rangers were clearly in urgent need of remedial financial action.
Instead, Rangers kept cooking the books and spending money they didn’t have. This brought them trophies that they had no right to win, but it has also brought them to where they are today, on the verge of extinction.
Madness. Utter madness.
Disagree strongly !!!!
Delightful. Utterly Delightful
hail hail bhoys and ghirls
Beram out for a month now – genuinley worried about that guy – he seems to be made of chocolate, SuperJoe cant slot in to his proper position so thats a good positive
dont see where this new guy Lustig is going to fit in with Adam Matthews all but having the right back position sewed up
hope Izzy gets a run out on Monday
genuinley excited as this team while winning 9 in a row has a few more gears to go up yet – JCGE
Young Rory Donnelly chose swansea- good choice and good luck to the young red
Another greetin H
superjoe CAN slot into his proper position not cant!!!!
Another greetin Hun on Snyde,,,,my god they love using the word Dignity dont they??
Hail hail
Just heard one hurtin knuckledragger on snyde trying to brand CM a cheat ,I thought I recognised his voice and checked facebook ,Think this is the same guy in his younger days watching the cup final all those years ago when we took their throw in and scored .
http://youtu.be/NYO3bt9zxFQ
hail hail
Awe Naw
I see what you did there.
KINGLUBO says:
30 December, 2011 at 18:13
You are very kind but I can’t take any credit for the website as I just posted the link. It belongs to the folk who produce a cartoon comic strip for the Guardian. They also write a blog on their website. Some really good insigtful stuff on there and tey seem dedicated to shedding light on the outragous behaviour of cheating fat cats and politicians.
Have a great new year.
Hail Hail.
Lubo.
antrimkev says:
30 December, 2011 at 19:07
I agree with you on Adam Matthews, that he has the RB position his own. However, I believe he will be gone in the summer to the EPL his likely destination. Just what I hear.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Evening all,
Seems to have by-passed a lot of the Horrible Undignified Neds that Rangers have two extra points that they shouldn’t have (penalty won by Aluko against Dunfermline).
Incidentally, a great duck by Aluko on the post to as Joe’s header whistled over him – wonder if Aluko will be slaughtered in the sports pages?
Cathach
I don’t know much about the St Ninian’s fire but I do know who struck the match that set fire to Alexander ‘greek’ Thompson Caledonia Road Church at the back of the Brazen head. (1965)
Hail hail
Estadio
fergus
Even if that was recorded as fun that lad has real problems.
And a crap old wooden chair to his right side.
Neganon2 16.38
Fud or current bun….!!!!!
Snake
Paul’s unequivocal statement is good enough for me.
There is not a shred of hard evidence to support your claims.
Think we are all being a bit one-eyed about mccullouchs tackle on kayal. Healys tackle was a definite red card for me and while i think mccullouch is a scumbag in this case both he and kayal led with the studs into the tackle. Both players had their foot on the ground and connected with the ball. That is never a red card and we would be disappointed if one of our players got red carded for it. Incidentally I think Lafferty should have got a red because he had a number of fouls during the game. Also his tackle on matthews was very similar to one forrest got a red for.
Greenlion2 says:
30 December, 2011 at 17:39
if you have a spare 23 minutes 33 seconds. The last 101 goals against the huns
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnphuMb1IrM&sns=tw
————————————————————————-
Mo Chara, many thanks great goals,
67Heaven … I am Neil Lennon..!! Tick Tock !!
Id rather be a fud than a hun
Great article, Paul 67. If we can’t have fighting words like that on this great but partisan website then where can we have them?
I’m still worried about this season, though, not because R*ngers are very good but because of the dark forces at play in Scottish Football. We have a better team than they do, of course we do, but we always have, or at least since Minty’s bubble burst. We were better than them in 2003, in 2005, in WGS’s last season, when we threw it away, and we were much, much better than them last season. And I’ll go even further, even if I risk being laughed at on here… as shambolic and rudderless as Tony Mowbray’s team were, they were still better than those across the water. The problem is being 10-20% better than them is not enough… if it was then we’d now be going for 12 in a row!
But your point remains… this young team might be Quality Street Gang mk II and soon no amount of honest mistakes will be enough to halt them.
ElDiegoBhoy says:
30 December, 2011 at 19:14
It might even be a young Mr Leggett
hail hail
Evening bhoys, going to be cold again tonight, but hun free as ever.
Lubo/Aldersley Avenue
Happy birthday bhoys.
Paul67
I was hoping for a different reply from you earlier, but I expected your reply, hey ho.
I watched the 2nd half again today (thanks kit)
I must say I am buzzing about young Victor he was immence and made his presence felt in the midfield ,he was never intimidated in the slightest .
IMO he will go on to be the biggest jewel in the young guns crown
hail hail