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.
914 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- ...
- 15
- 16
- 17
- 18
- 19
- 20
- 21
- 22
- 23
- 24
- 25
- »
Bjmac it says ” learn from your mistakes” eg wilo window
You had the same boring tune 4 years ago, 3 years ago , 2 years ago, 1 year ago
Guess who was wrong. You
Your sort of surrender talk gave the Huns 3 in a row
just finished watching a Bourne film …….. that bhoy is good.
CQN Bourne did ye ken the a night with hmmmmmm Beyonce was on tonight? I was gonnae put it on the blog, but eff that i was keeping that to maself!
:¬)
V
HH
BadaBing
That would be a great deal for both clubs. Barry B needs a new start after recent blotting of copybook and Ki would be more suited to EPL…
The money would also buy SPL standard Forwardd and Defender.
Bannon would be like Commons who I suspect will also depart ( sadly- as I really rate him)
Barry B good mates with Chris McGuire and my workmate’s son so I usually get snippets from him that are usually on the money…
Weebobbycollins
That’s what I hoped might be the case- a reference to a previous discussion. Thanks for clearing that up…
BT next time im at the game bring yir da in, i’ll gae ye it!
ach ok well
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATucV4Ugqsw
Aplogies to PAUL67 for not using the link creator but its naw gonnae do any damage methinks.
for you and family BT
V
HH
vmhan
god bless you sir..
KTF
angelgabriel
yes indeed, sir
i love old guys like that
every time i come across these guys at the game, my heart goes out to them – they’ve stuck with it thro thick and thin and they have knowledge far deeper than we so often understand – i just love hearin what they’ve got to say – i think there is a phrase of sorts that goes somethin like the young should remain quiet in the presence of the old (in order to learn wisdom) – i found that to be the case with me old dad, now passed – he would relay memories of such as Neil Mochan and maybe Jimmy Delaney, if i’m not mistaken
and yes, you are correct too regarding Big Vic !! the young champion has been “different class” – i wonder two things about him – first, does he have any friends as good as him who may like to join our squad ? and second, who spotted him for us ? – i want to buy that person a lovely pint !!
loved U2’s New Year’s Day on the full-time whistle AND the sight of the rfc fans slither off out it a seething rage of departure on the 1-0 scoreline – well actually, that makes me sad
such sadness as we have ever experienced at the hands of these poor fools in our lives here
oh aye, and finally, regarding movie recommendations…. i watched Joan Of Arc on Yesterday Channel earlier – was no bad (strange channel for it to be on), watched The French Connection last night with Roy Scheider and Oscar-winning Gene Hackman – no bad – Napoleon’s Waterloo was on the other night – was ok – tomorrow (or later today, i suppose)…recommended movie is…Yesterday Channel 1966’s A Man For All Seasons at 10pm (will clash with the bells) or earlier in the day at 310pm on Film4 1951’s The Lavender Hill Mob with Alec Guinness or 1961’s The Guns Of Navarone at 445pm on BBC2……all of these are about 5,6,7 out of 10 in my book….which is decent, i suppose
pirates carribean no2 is on also – no so fussed wi that
hope you find what yer lookin for
TC
:)
Hitchcock’s movie Rear Window is also on, but at 10am on More4 – a classic ah’ve seen a good few times, nearly as good as 12 Angry Men with Henke Fonda
SydneyTim
You will know I share samevreservations about Lawwell…
You are correct that Jan Window complacency has cost us 3 SPL titles but even I can’t see this one going wrong now that we are at the Hun denouement re tax case.
I give limited credit to Lawwell if we win this title because in my opinion it is 1 from 4 when 4 from 4 was easily attainable.
I have however eased up on moaning about him because we are in the place I always wanted to be Top of SPL looking down on a dying RFC. PL could have done much more to accelerate this but the point is we are here at last hopefully.
This is an odd Jan window because there is near consensus that we dont NEED to strengthen -we can even sell without weakening the team significantly.
For the first time in about 4 years I feel relaxed about the destiny of the SPL trophy…. Barring a disaster it’s coming home to Celtic!
BT
met yer owl fella the other night
was lookin swish in his big JF jaiket
he nick it fae wee jimmy forrest ?
:)
grt to see him
SydneyTim says:
31 December, 2011 at 01:59
***************************
How you doing sir? I know youre getting close to the bells and I would like to wish ye all the very best for you and yir family in 2012.
I don’t always agree with you’re posts……..(I cut n pasted that from another planet Celtic) but then again when I read back I don’t with mine either :¬)
Sydney Tim in 2012 please keep telling it as YOU see it, the reason being cause I think it makes the blog, as does the opposite view, if ye ken whit a mean?
Vinny
HH to ye
TC
he loves the hoops more than anybody I know…
still a crabbit bit git though… o))
CultsBhoy
Neil says he’s after a CB and a CF
hope gets them !
am not so relaxed as you
ah’ll be relaxed when we’ve won it
Dunfermline next up
that’s all am keen on at the moment
more of the same from Scott Brown would do – he was awesome on Wednesday – really put in a shift
BT
he’s actually a really nice big fella !!
a genuine dood !!
you must have inherited your mother’s side
haha
Anybody good with car electronics?
I have a Toyota Celica ( I thought it was pretty close to CELTICA), I was driving hame from Port of Glasgow yesterday and all of a sudden the emergency lights came on, not normal warning lights or the like, it was both signal lights for left and right flashing at the same time ?????
Its an intermittent fault as it stopped for a while and then started again, tonight the car is parked outside the house, and it went off agin on its own, I tried everything within reason and its still the same, I’ve been on the bevvy so not going to do my disconnect the battery option (too drunk and accidents happen then).
ANY ideas?????
Sensible answers and the craic type answers will be taken with some gratitude :¬)
Vinny
HH
BT if youre still there pal?
V
HH
Top Corner,
Guess what, after having been there I watched it again thanks to you and oh yes we won.
Bada did you tell me that story in the farm earlier or did I spend too much time with stella again.
Off to bed now, and god bless.
HH GMB
Evening all.
Just watched The King’s Speech for the first time.
Really buzzing about it.
Geoffrey Rush and Colin Firth were exceptional in it.
Working with great actors is really thrilling, and much easier.
TC
its the tyre in me makes me like my mother… o))
V
HH..
night bhoys..
Vmhan
i dunno much about cars but found this…
it might give you an idea…
link
Re The old supporters,
Have an old chap Mr Gilmartin is his name who always talks to me when I am washing the cars . I stay in a cul-de-sac at the end where Mr Gilmartin has a garage. Allthough through his 80+ years his licence has gone but his family still keeps his Fiesta in his garage. Every Sunday he used to walk up to check his car was ok then have a long conversation with me on his way back. Used to love his stories allthough througth the twilight of his years the stories were often long and repetitive.
Mr Gilmartin still lives in my street but seldom comes out now and has his carers.
I am sure he liked me because I always had the hoops on or something, allthough the street has about 80% tims.
Not only was he a wise old Celtic Fan but also played for Celtic under Jimmy McGrory and often told me tales about the wages and bonus’s etc. The ole Tic didnt win much in those days. But knew he was very proud to wear the hoops.
Kinda miss those old chats and really wish I paid more attention to him.
A true gent.
HH
Palacio67
Your affection for him is there in your writing.
And your care for his memory.
Well played Palacio67.
Gentlemen, Peter Lawwell may not have been without fault regards our failure to win any of the past three flags, but credit where credit is due, don’t forget all those honest mistakes.
Seven Past Niven
Rascar Capac says:
31 December, 2011 at 02:48
==================
Thanks RC
I never did check the stats he had in the hoops,
But something told me I did’nt have to.
Hail Hail
Some of the greatest moments of the Celtic v Rangers. You might need to put a couple of extra beers in the fridge.
Humbled by the Hoops
BT
So I was getting a lift up the road (fae the Port) by a high heid yin in the Green Brigade, picked up a young Greenock bhoy innaw, anyway we went over the Erskine bridge which was a strange yin for me as Mr T the driver never goes that way, anyway he picks up a bhoy n lassie fae Clydebank and back over the bridge and up to the Glasgows Holy Ground.
*******************
BT I’m saving the rest of this as I have a wee story to tell, not to the level of our Estadio JF TBB et al but its mine and I’m saving it for another day.
The reason I’m cutting to the quick BT is that Bertie Auld came up and Jinky and then the original Holy Goaly, any way I said I knew him very well and I was lucly enough to be in hi company at a CP do (it was the Getting home Kano do), anyway BT the Green Brigade did say to me, can we get the holy goaly in for a visit to the GB? I said I’d pass it on but I’m kinda naw happy that he’ll be the oldest GB’er and not me grrrrr, then again I wisnae a LL so fair does :¬)
Vinny
They started talking about the Kano 1000…….. well that perked my ears up because I was part of the CQN’ers who originally talked about trying to help KANO (MARTIN KANE fae Springburn and now Perth Australia).
I said I was involved at the start when Ramie posted his extremely heartfelt post on Celticquicknews that, simply speaking touched us all in so many ways. There were many CQN’ers who wanted to do something to help at that point, we all had our own thoughts on that and discussed it on CQN.
Oldtim67 and our dearest Pablophanque who has sadly left us, oh and another who may be lurking but has stayed away for a while Jinkysbhoy, those lads done some amazing stuff on they’re own, loads of people responded and donated football tops and Celtic pictures, but we all never really knew how bad KANO was, Martins family and Ramie I think at that time never knew the full picture because it was such a rare illness, something that could happen to every one of us…… that got you thinking? Well
Palacio67 says:
31 December, 2011 at 02:39
A wee suggestion would be to visit him, I’m sure he would be delighted.
SydneyTim, in the past few years I have posted on a number of subjects, praised and criticised our club – unfortunately I have witnessed no contribution from you which does anything other than criticise, not constructive criticism, simply negativity and criticism – you must be a joy to live with.
But VMhan is right in a way, the world does need people who view things as negatively as you. It serves to remind me how lucky I am that I can see positives in everyone, despite each and every one of us having failings – I wouldn’t like mine pointed out to me every day (although the wife does a pretty decent job in that respect:-))
I’m sure your a lovely guy in the flesh, it just doesn’t come over well on the blog, when all I ever seem to see you contribute is something negative against Celtic, whether that be management or players. Go on say something positive – we’ve just had a 17 pt turnaround and beat the huns!!!
A genuine Happy New Year to you and yours!
hh
bjmac
PS Does the sandwich board say “The end is nigh”? Are you Mayan?
Mikael Lustig first official interview
My above post was to BT partly…. and I meant to save the rest ,but it reads like rubbish as its cut n pasted by mistake all over the shop.
I need to get tipd from Estadio…….
scroll by :¬)
V
HH
ßjmac ♥ Kano 1000 °¿° says:
31 December, 2011 at 03:06
====================
Your Right I should visit him, allthough I know he is not lonely, he has a decent sized family and my neighbour visits him a lot bringing him soup etc.
Walk by all the time with my Granddaughter, and give a wave in whenever I see him.
But you are right
HH
Kitalba, not long to go for the you and you’re Aussietims and indeed the Celtic diaspora……………..
Its a pleasure to be in you’re company just for a wee while mi amigo.
I wish you and the family all the best for 2012.
ps
My wish is an SPL trophy with a cup as a topping (I’m naw greedy!)
Vinny
HH to ye K
Palacio67 I would like to meet that mhan before he passes……. do yir stuff pal.
V
Vmhan
Me and some bhoys wish you likewise
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gc1G7aCpSsI
Off now to watch the match again, then bed.
Hail Hail to all
Palacio67 when I go up the Port cemetery, I always look in and say a prayer for Terry McCabe, that was some Celtic mhan that….. everywhere I went he had the Port Celtic flag, QPR, Seville, Glesga, St Mirren…….. he was some lad that.
Vinny
kitalba says:
31 December, 2011 at 03:23
Vmhan
Me and some bhoys wish you likewise
**********************
Thanks amigo, that was good pal.
V
HH
Vinny, twas me and ole Tel who got the origional flag. Ole Tel managed to let the Shaktar fans borrow it, but the buggers never returned it.
Loved Terry, he was one of the family, heard him sing a reb son at Wullies wedding in 1980, picked me for the Shammie Pool team at 16 and travelled together in The Tom Williams Bus from 94-03
Great times
And a true Celt was Tel
HH