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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I got booster this morning, was in and out within five minutes. Will have a few drinks later tonight🍺🍺
MADMITCH on 17TH DECEMBER 2021 1:25 PM
Thanks…..
Shutting down after this weekend (aside from any covid transmission consideration) would suit us. Allows time for our injured many to recover, new signings to integrate and more time with Ange on the training pitch.
Take the politics elsewhere ffs
Judy pointing at the sky with diamonds
https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/pa7
ERNIE LYNCH @ 1:18pm
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.
————
EL – cheers. Could be persuaded by your hypothesis to SOME extent.
But, respectfully, don’t agree entirely.
I don’t believe throwaway lines uttered publicly are anything of the sort.
Leitch allegedly expressed concern about Sunday?
FM now saying today I can’t force you by law but it would be better if you stayed away? (not her exact words BTW)
Home games at Ibrox this Saturday, midweek and Boxing day?
Call me a cynic but I suspect “someone” will call it effective from, oh – wild guess? ….
…. 27 December?
First thing on Monday, the club should propose an early start to the winter break. 😉
So if we are going to call it (to a point well made by a previous poster)
Wrap it up this weekend or just after.
Won’t happen though.
Bureaucracy (Government AND Football) moves slowly in a crisis …
…. but, to be fair, this is an improvement on the glacial speed in “normal times”
i assume everyone who is calling for firebreaks and circuit breakers are already self isolationg or staying away from any public place like shops etc so they dont infect anyone
VTD @ 1.25
To me it is all about progressive / collectivist / constructivist politics.
Unfortunately we live in an individualist world with identity politics on the rise.
We are now seemingly all an island to ourselves with an online personality that owes nothing to anyone else.
Progressive / collectivist / constructivist politics means acting as a group to save the individual.
We all take one step forward so no one is left behind.
It has worked no matter what the papers say.
Vaccinations through the ages was one example of this type of thinking.
It was tough but in general the message got through.
I am no liberal so compunction to me is better than body bags.
Probably a bit old school but the uber rationalist in me thinks that it is worth it.
We are in a desperate place — plus we cannot find / deliver a way out.
Desperate times call for desperate measures.
However that is not where we are now as a society and that will mean more people will die.
I blame the Daily Mail / Hippies / Maggie / Ayn Rand / Facebook.
Rampant individualism has huge costs.
No changes announced, ! …….. the Rainjurz are playing
GREENPINTA @ 11:12
——
I don’t think anyone is coming for the anti-vaccine people. However there is strong empirical evidence that suggests that unvaccinated people get much sicker with Omicron, and that the vast majority of new hospital admissions are unvaccinated individuals.
When you are fighting a war, and I submit we are now in the midst of the first biological world war, all strategic decisions have to be based on available evidence, evidence that will change incrementally over time.
“Experience without theory is blind, but theory without experience is mere intellectual play. All our knowledge begins with the senses, proceeds then to the understanding, and ends with reason. There is nothing higher than reason”. IK
We have almost two years experience of this plague, We are understanding more each day and able to form reasoned responses to it. Vaccination is a reasoned and now proven response. Human behaviour is another. It would be utterly irresponsible for any government, scientist, or, health professional, to ignore what medical & scientific data is revealing.
During wartime there are restrictions placed on individuals to protect society as a whole. An example could be ‘blackout’ restrictions during the Blitz in WW2. People still had a need & right to light, but showing it could be guide to enemy bombers and put an entire community, hundreds, or, thousands of people at risk – therefore individual rights had to bow to the greater good.
There has been no public ‘witch-hunt’ against anti-vaccine campaigners, however their stance is being overwhelmed with evidence & reason. I sincerely hope that they will take this on board… for all our sakes.
Big Judith a positive ray of light
MADMITCH
Still quite an obsession though.
Any word on the injury crisis at the club and who is fit to play
D :)
I’ll come back on Sunday for the fitbaw.
Ciao.
TMcL @ 1.47
She is nearly as hopeless / useless as PL.
That is how bad she is.
Not an obsession just a desire to see improvement / a quality job.
https://twitter.com/BunbegB/status/1471465132622495749?t=qjfhWGPZW5c5Ln4bgXcH_g&s=09
Well done 👍
David- AP said no new injuries, too early to decide on Kyogo, Forrest…..that’s the way it should be, ive never understood managers telling the opposition, who isn’t going to play.
MadMitch on 17th December 2021 1:40 pm
To me it is all about progressive / collectivist / constructivist politics.
Unfortunately we live in an individualist world with identity politics on the rise.
That is the funniest post I’ve read on here in ages :-)
From the poster who spend hours on here every day making rabid personal attacks on other posters and politicians. Absolute belter.
Tories pumped, English cricket pumped, mitchiepoo being a diddy, I’m having a great day :-)
MADMITCH
From earlier:
“Not really my type.
And I certainly know that I am not hers.”
Perhaps you could learn French or take up tennis.
😉😉
LETS ALL DO THE HUDDLE on 17TH DECEMBER 2021 1:39 PM
i assume everyone who is calling for firebreaks and circuit breakers are already self isolationg or staying away from any public place like shops etc so they dont infect anyone
###
I don’t think you’ve quite grasped how you slow down the rate of infection on a societal level.
JHB on 17TH DECEMBER 2021 1:46 PM
You should be on the telly
I agree with every word reality v speculation
However those that do not want to be vaccinated are only part of the problem
Those that do not test regularly are potentially just as culpable
67ECW
67ECW
VB @ 2.00
From what I have heard she is into people who own / have possession of a Vulva.
Back in the day I was a fan of Swedish motors so you never know.
Unfortunately the S60 is long gone.
What a diesel motor though — still miss it.
So I think I am safe.
No BoA love shack either.
On the football v Covid debate
An early break would not be too bad a thing for Celtic given the schedule and our injuries
So there is absolutely no way wee Nichola will put a halt to any football until the break
67ECW
Long time reader. Time to contribute.
No Hun.
First Celtic game; 1964
Favourite player: King of Kings.
Best game attended: Leeds at Hampden 1970. (Too many Oldco games to mention).
Pet hate: Scottish MSM.
Hail Hail.
BLAKEY on 17TH DECEMBER 2021 2:21 PM
Welcome. For now, but lets see how that goes.
Just so we know what kind of character we’re dealing with here, if you had a slice of bread and some cheese how would you make it into a hot snack, and what would you call it?
BLAKEY
welcome aboard.
Bada – Thanks.
D :)
Prestonpans Bhoy – Good mhan getting your booster.
D :)
Ernie
That sounds like an entry check into the Larry Graysons. Let me get back when I work out the codes.
Blakey
to vax or not to vax ..
Dat is de question
LETS ALL DO THE HUDDLE @ 1:39 PM
i assume everyone who is calling for firebreaks and circuit breakers are already self isolationg or staying away from any public place like shops etc so they dont infect anyone
———–
LADTH – reasonable challenge (IMHO).
Personally am staying away from social stuff (went to Betis match admittedly – first game attended in a while) and a weekly mega shop when the store is quiet.
General uneasiness rather than any insight is driving my behaviour.
c. 4-5 weeks ago(?) got the impression quite a few European countries seemed to be smelling the coffee and beginning to tighten up?
Equally got the impression that England was looking at Johnny Foreigner’s actions with its usual disinterest and/or disdain.
Kinda took me back to the beginning of this whole thing.
Warning signs and all that.
🤔
Football will not be stopped while Rainjurs are leading the league.
They will play the game against United irrespective of the obvious riks.
However it may be stopped in the 85th minute if we are leading on Sunday.
ZIGGYDOC1 on 17TH DECEMBER 2021 1:38 PM
First thing on Monday, the club should propose an early start to the winter break. 😉
———————
No, Celtic should state that no early break is required, we’ll get one then 😃
Risks
EUROPEAN CUP WINNERS @ 2:14
——
Non-testers are, as you say, also part of the problem.
This pandemic is upon us and we must act to overcome it – ‘ignore it and it will go away’ is not a coherent strategy. We are not, I believe, on a ‘slippery-slope’, we can do certain things in a reasonable time-frame to overcome this blight – but will we, or will we prevaricate until we reach the slippery-slope, as we have done with climate change?
To imagine that this pandemic is a one-off event that will fizzle-out and we will be untouched forever more is pure fantasy. We will eventually get on top of Covid and effect a return to some kind of normality, however what we experience & learn this time around will need to form the basis of our response next time. We must also reach out to the wider and poorer world, the spread of Omicron from South Africa at breakneck speed is testament to that – we are not safe until everyone is safe.
If we don’t trust the scientific & medical experts, what is the alternative.
BLAKEY
“No Hun.”
YOU’RE A HUN! :)) “Don’t worry, I’ll get you, Butler!”
por cierto