Sunday’s League Cup final comes just one day shy of a year since Celtic last won a trophy, the Scottish Cup, season 2019-20. That day we celebrated the Quadruple Treble, in the knowledge that the run would end there, as we were eliminated from a domestic cup competition for the first time since 2016 earlier that month.
We celebrated that penalty kick decider against Hearts at home, with the Hampden stands empty. It is two years and two weeks since you and I have seen Celtic win a trophy in the flesh: that memorable League Cup win over Newco in season 2019-20. Celtic were poor that day but we had the fortitude to go the extra distance and get the job done.
Celtic eliminated our main rivals in recent seasons, St Johnstone, in the semi-final. This leaves the field open for Hibernian to become the third most successful Scottish club over the last decade, behind Celtic and St Johnstone – if they win on Sunday. We should not take that motivation lightly.
Hibs sacked manager Jack Ross after the club dropped into the bottom half of the table. A home win last time out over Dundee sees them remain in 7th spot, a point behind Aberdeen and 2 off both Motherwell and Dundee United. The latter sit fourth, in a European spot, giving Ross scope to believe he was hard done by.
Celtic pummelled Hibs 1-3 at Easter Road in October but that was the last time the Edinburgh side have lost more than one goal –they have played 8 games since. They are nothing if not strong at the back. During that run the humbled Newco in their semi-final at Hampden and only lost to the same team due to a late penalty. Most concerning of all, this is the biggest test since Referee Head Crawford Allan’s post-re-refereeing Celtic games regime started. It demeans our game that we have to hope referee Don Robertson is not influenced by his boss.
There is a truism: if you are good enough to get to a cup final, you are good enough to win it. Despite all the positivity around Celtic right now, we face a team who have genuine credentials to win the cup. But with Tom Rogic on the field, what chance do they really have?
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The new Scots Law of Defamation in 2021.
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The Defamation and Malicious Publication (Scotland) Act 2021 (the Act) became law on 21 April 2021.
The law has been updated to reflect the digital age, in which individuals can broadcast their views to the world in a matter of seconds via social media.
Defamation is defined under the new Act as the publishing of a statement which has caused, or is likely to cause, harm to the reputation of another.
Well lets see what’s being banned at 12:15, assume it’s on BBC Two
Mad Mitch from earlier
The Covid briefing by the FM is being broadcast on the BBC Scotland channel – channel 09 on Freeview. Also on the @scotgov twitter feed.
Kick off 12.15
Repeating for effect — Issue that has been exercising my mind for a couple of weeks …
The efforts of Team TFOD2.1 / SMSM to de-legitimise our results.
Full court press to develop the narrative that we have been lucky / we do not deserve to be winning.
Every goal is either questionable / lucky / down to an opposition mistake.
The smallest anomaly / glitch / faux pas — even 5 minutes before is highlighted.
To develop a narrative that we don’t deserve our goals / our victories.
At its worse there is an element of dehumanisation involved.
We are not worthy of the results were are getting and our league position is false.
You can guess where this is going in these pandemic times.
Biggest takeaway from all this is the comprehensive nature of the efforts.
Everything and everyone is involved.
The moon howlers start the ball rolling and the SMSM have to respond to that narrative.
Some respond all to easily and run willingly with the ball.
Not sure where this is all going to end.
But we have the paradox of the SMSM efforts surrounding our games.
Our goals are gone over with a fine tooth comb / hugely energetic media analysis including MIB real time analysis from a selection of SKY commentators.
Our injuries / opposition tackling / the assaults on our players are glossed over and forgotten about.
Not a great place to be — either for us / the SPL / the media / the country.
All of this reminds me of what happened in the US after the elections of 2008 / 2012.
GOP diehards / closet racists could not / would not accept that BO had won.
2008 — BO couldn’t have won because he was not US born / The Birther movement was born.
2012 — BO only won because of the votes of illegal immigrants / he lost with real Americans.
To me there are parallels with us today.
TBB @ 12.11
Not guilty regarding the request.
But thanks for the info — will try and watch it.
Not sure what is going to happen next.
CoViD19 — Let it rip strategy is not going well.
Hospitalisations from a new variant on a well vaccinated population is very troubling.
St Mirren Covid outbreak, Wednesday’s game in doubt, i can see a shutdown after this weekend
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Not-Jacinda needs to get off the TV.
The cod expert delivery is shameful.
Failed lawyer trying to look relevant.
Not good.
Grandstanding is not a good look.
Bada
With the injuries we have stopping football after this weekend may not be a bad thing!
Tam rogic is the best midfeilder celtic have had in years.a genius.he was ruined under previous management.nobody is anywhere near him in Scotland 🍀🍀🍀🍀
Waffle / waffle / waffle — wasting oxygen just keeping her face on the TV.
At some point she must tell us something new …
Not Jacinda is totally hopeless — totally out of her depth.
Sunday Post level of leadership.
What has she actually told us?
Essential steps — when will she get round to it?
Answer the question …
Waffle / waffle / waffle.
No plans to cancel or restrict football matches but she asks people to use common sense and stay in the hoose. So anyone with a ticket should really give their ticket to me.
She says she would cancel everything if she had the money to compensate but Boris won’t give her any more money , he sent her away (Jimmy Crankie cap in hand)
Can’t wait for Sunday’s game.
Not just for the usual reasons.
I’ve kept my powder dry for a bit but, privately, I have now reconciled myself to the LOW probability of seeing our beloved Celtic team in the flesh on 29 December and 02 January.
If we were taking CoViD19 seriously we would be stopping the football now.
Madmitch
If hospitals start being overwhelmed then further lockdown measures will be introduced.
MADMITCH
out of interest..who do you prefer to lead??
CS injury — the sole of the foot into his stomach was the more obvious piece of violent conduct.
The elbow was flailed out in an aggressive manner — just a case that the timing was off and it was by his side when it came into contact with CS.
Cheap shot by the RC player.
The blow from the foot elevates it into sending off territory.
The intention was there just a case that the timing was off.
Hibs are undoubtedly a genuine threat and will be very motivated. Their season will be a success should they win on Sunday so they’ll give absolutely everything. Corner kicks seem a logical attacking option for them.
It’s another challenge for us and so far we’ve risen to every single one. I’d like to see more attacking options on our bench on Sunday just in case we need them. It’s all there for us. I’m looking forward to it, winning trophies is a habit we need to get back to.
GENE on 17TH DECEMBER 2021 12:56 PM
Madmitch
If hospitals start being overwhelmed then further lockdown measures will be introduced.
###
By which time it will be too late.
The Man from the Daily Mail got his facts wrong again in the FM questions, made a complete @rse of himself ! Not a big fan of Nicola (because of the Salmond lies) but she dealt with him superbly well.
G @ 12.56
If you want to hit the duck you have to aim ahead of the duck.
If we are taking CoViD19 / Omicron seriously then we should be doing all we can to limit its spread.
This has the look of Cheltenham 2020 all over again.
Football should be stopped to help with the firebreak.
A case could be made for the SLC final going ahead but league football should be halted.
SLC Final = event / get it done and dusted.
Anyone who attends is Typhoid Mary for a week / until they take 2 LF tests.
Normal life vs CoViD19 measures.
MADMITCH on 17TH DECEMBER 2021 12:35 PM
At some point she must tell us something new …
Not Jacinda is totally hopeless — totally out of her depth.
Sunday Post level of leadership.
——-
There is never anything new to tell unless the real experts who are advising Westminster say so – then the SNPcult leader will receive such information suitably ‘tartanised’ by her army of SPADS & cleared by her politburo.
I have neither like, nor, respect for Sturgeon, however I take heed of what she spouts because she is First Minister, and I obey the law.
Obeying the law is important for the individual as breaking it can bring serious consequences.
I implore certain individuals to take heed of my first post on this new article. supposing the word used was “paedo” – I think the consequences of deformation are quite clear.
If someone repeatedly (over 30 times) says/prints something about you that is patently untrue, it is deliberate defaming. They are saying it because they want it to be true and to cause damage to you, in order to deflect attention from themselves.
This is my first and final reference to this matter on this forum.
MADMITCH
Did the FM knock you back when you were younger? That’s some obsession you’re carrying there.
If next week’s (more so the following week’s) infection and hospitalisation data is as horrendous as some project?
I’d be inclined to support suspending the football two weeks early.
EPL meeting on Monday to discuss “options” – from that I think we can assume the SPFL won’t make a decision on this any quicker.
Purely parochially a pause ….
Gives us more time to overcome injuries.
No way league will be called after just 18/19 games played with Sevco in lead.
If they can restart on schedule after the winter break should be surmountable to extend the season by 3 weeks to cater for postponed games (no World Cup this summer)
There are no real experts in the public health bureaucracy — just a number of leaderless / rudderless hobby horsers pushing their pet theories / research areas to the max.
2 years ago we had the herd immunity mentalists calling the shots.
Then we had the JCVI do nothings not wanting to vaccinate school pupils.
Both viewpoints were wrong but we had to live with them until a grown up could get their voice heard.
These are limited one club golfers providing advice that the politician’s don’t understand.
There are more rounded alternative voices but they are outside the magic circle of greasy pole climbers / water cooler experts.
BACK TO BASICS – GLASS HALF FULL on 17TH DECEMBER 2021 1:13 PM
I suspect politicians have backed away from stopping the football (which would be an unpopular move) because they reckon circumstances will take their course and football will be suspended anyway due to the number of players affected.
An approach as cynical as it is cowardly.
dearie me
TMcL @ 1.09
Not really my type.
And I certainly know that I am not hers.
Back in the day / teens it was unrequited love for supermodels / fast movers was more my style.
Until one fateful day when they feigned a limp so that I could catch up.
MADMITCH on 17TH DECEMBER 2021 1:16 PM
There are more rounded alternative voices but they are outside the magic circle of greasy pole climbers / water cooler experts.
Who? Name names….
ONIL @ 1.21
Memory is failing me but …
The WHO guy — Costello?
The Alternative SAGE group.
The bloke Pennington.
I read with interest the pros and cons of the vaccine debit played out here and in social media…..I tend to stay away….but my sister is a nurse in a general hospital that has only 6 ICU beds …..she Normally works with the stroke and cancer care patients ……she was down on Tues with presents for the pups ………we were talking about covid and I said how many patients is there with covid…she said 8…3 in ICU……the 3 in ICU weren’t vaccinated….a 57 year old woman was quite ill ….a nurse from.ICU had told my sister that the woman had told her she had been scared to get the vaccination because of all the stories on the Internet!!!!!……I have never got into the debate because it seems very black and white with most people……I don’t go on places saying I’ve been vaccinated you’re mad if you don’t….I think that’s what everyone should do …just stay quiet …the people who are dead against vaccination should just stay quiet as well but honestly they seem to me to shout the loudest!!…….that 57 year old would probably have been fine with the vaccination and most probably not ended up in ICU …..crazy times……..
ONIL @ 1.21
So you are happy with the establishment expert viewpoint / output?
Who were given jobs because they would not rock the Tory / ConDemNation austerity boat?
Not for me.
BRIAN F
He wasn’t the only one
well done kyogo ,winner of europa group stage goal.