Brendan takes an early psychological lead

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I listened to Brendan give due credit to St Mirren at the weekend, and then to the granular analysis of his comment that they were the best Scottish opposition we have faced this season, and recalled an old story.

Archie Macpherson, a good friend of Jock Stein, told me that Jock would make sure he controlled the headlines in the week ahead of playing Rangers. He set the agenda by giving the media ready-made material.

Brendan’s assertion was not fanciful. Whatever has gone on in St Mirren’s season, their recent wins over Hibs and Ayr United, and their performance on at the weekend, they have clearly turned a corner. They were unequivocally better prepared for Celtic Park than most of the Premiership teams who have visited this season. If it was a stretch to say they were the best, at 56 minutes into the game it didn’t feel like one.

Kilmarnock (conceded 6), Motherwell (5), Newco (5), Aberdeen (4) and Hearts (4) were each clueless at Celtic Park this season, so there is a degree of accuracy in manager’s observation.

The Rangers Stein faced is a different proposition entirely from that which Brendan Rodger’s will be up against on Sunday (literally), but Brendan has taken an early psychological lead, whether he needs it or not.

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332 Comments

  1. thetimreaper on

    20,000 fans already inside Stadio San Paolo and still 5 hours to kick off! Napoli v Real Madrid!

  2. !!Bada Bing!! on

    T29-We need to keep playing same type of teams we currently play in CLQ’s,it might help us when you have your own co-efficient,and not your countries’…..’

  3. !!Bada Bing!! on

    Embdae any reliable sites for Florida Theme Parks? Any advice gratefully received….( might regret that line…)

  4. geordie munroe

     

     

    Well no actually. Big difference between a guaranteed place and the possibility of not qualifying.

     

    Especially when it looks like that the decision was made by BT.

     

    See !!Bada Bings!! previous post.

  5. jude2005 is Neil Lennon \o/ on

    GREAT PIC OF MY FAV CELT BOBBY EVANS PAUL. NOT MANY GOT PAST HIM!! IS HE STILL WITH US??

  6. thomthethim for Oscar OK on

    JUDE2005 IS NEIL LENNON \O/ on 7TH MARCH 2017 4:00 PM

     

    GREAT PIC OF MY FAV CELT BOBBY EVANS PAUL. NOT MANY GOT PAST HIM!! IS HE STILL WITH US??

     

     

    ***

     

    No, Bobby died a few years ago.

     

     

    He was my first ” favourite Celtic player”.

  7. !!BADA BING!! on 7TH MARCH 2017 3:54 PM

     

    T29-We need to keep playing same type of teams we currently play in CLQ’s,it might help us when you have your own co-efficient,and not your countries’…..’

     

     

    ___

     

     

    The coefficient is good news

  8. Shakespeare for Leicester?

     

     

    Much ado about nothing, if you ask me!

     

     

    *Exits stage left*

     

     

    HH!!

  9. Phyllis Dietrichson on

    !!Bada Bing!! – are you looking for review sites or for ticket prices sites?

  10. Geordie Munro on

    Celtic Mac,

     

     

    The new ruling was announced last August. I don’t know how much say bt had in it.

     

     

    Obviously it has went from a slight chance of not making it to always making it. But the scores this year of the qualifiers (something like 18-3) suggest there’s not much change in that regards.

     

     

    The big question is how Italy managed to wangle a place in top 4.

     

     

    What have the Italians ever done for us?? :)

     

     

    HH

  11. !!Bada Bing!! on

    PD-Ticket prices sites mate,loads of them available, and not sure of any good deals on them,going for a fortnight in June.HH

  12. !!Bada Bing!! on

    THOMTHETHIM FOR OSCAR OK on 7TH MARCH 2017 4:09 PM

     

    Any sign of Caixinha at Glasgow Airport yet?

     

     

    If he is ‘jetting in’ from Qatar,the huns will expect him to provide his own kerosene…

  13. embramike supporting Res 12 on

    The semi-final between Celtic and Rangers, at Hampden, kicks off at noon on Sunday, 23 April.

  14. 50 shades of green on

    !!BADA BING!! on 7TH MARCH 2017 4:12 PM

     

    PD-Ticket prices sites mate,loads of them available, and not sure of any good deals on them,going for a fortnight in June.HH

     

     

    #####

     

     

    I have always used Attraction tickets. Com, good service and ready to use tickets not vouchers .Also going for 2 weeks in June.,

  15. Geordie Munro on

    What is the official reason again for almost all of our Hampden semis being a Sunday??

     

     

    HH

  16. embramike supporting Res 12 on 7th March 2017 4:18 pm

     

     

    The semi-final between Celtic and Rangers, at Hampden, kicks off at noon on Sunday, 23 April.

     

    ————————————————————————————

     

    Knew it! Knew they’d put it on my birthday. Better tell the other half to cancel all the surprise birthday party plans she’s probably not made for me.

     

     

    P.S. it always rains on my birthday so take a cagoule to Hampden…

     

     

    And speaking of Shakespeare earlier…it’s his birthday too that day. Hopefully the Sevco defence will be performing The Comedy of Errors in his honour.

  17. Geordie Munro on 7th March 2017 4:19 pm

     

     

    What is the official reason again for almost all of our Hampden semis being a Sunday??

     

     

    HH

     

    ———————————————————–

     

    Game starts before pubs are open?

  18. Jimmynotpaul on

    Champions league places.

     

    The new set up has a big effect on Celtic.

     

    Our route, the champions route, now only has 4 places rather than the current 5 a 20% reduction.

  19. weebobbycollins on

    Bada…”my mate’s singing is so bad, deaf people refuse to read his lips”…Norman Collier

  20. Geordie Munro

     

     

    Refer me to the date of that decision and confirmation by UEFA.

  21. embramike supporting Res 12 on

    Talking about live TV coverage, I notice that tomorrow’s English Premier game Man City v Stoke is being televised live against UEFA Champions League matches but Scottish FA couldn’t show recent Hibs v Hearts Cup replay because of a clash with UEFA Champions League matches ?

     

     

    Again, rules for one and different rules for the other, or someone couldn’t be arsed making a case for it ?!

  22. Bada – we are going at Easter and bought ours through Attraction Tickets Direct. Enjoy!

  23. Celtic Mac on 7th March 2017 4:45 pm

     

     

    davidopolous

     

     

    And St George. Or are you trying to keep that one quiet?

     

    ————————————————————————————

     

    Aye, I was trying to keep quiet about him and Roy Orbison!!!

  24. Dallas Dallas where the heck is Dallas on

    Jimmynotpaul, I hope you have been attack free of late.

     

     

    I bumped into Mr McInally earlier today , he was in good frm.

     

     

    He was telling me how he rates Scott Sinclair as our most important player in our team.

  25. 67 European Cup Winners on

    GEORDIE MUNRO on 7TH MARCH 2017 4:19 PM

     

    So the other semi can ruin the pitch making the Sunday surface a bit of a mess

     

    This suits the poorer footballing team

     

     

    67ECW

  26. Jimmynotpaul on

    Embramike.

     

    My understanding is English authorities will be fined for doing this.

     

    They are prepared to accept the fine. Scottish authorities were not prepared to be fined.

     

    I don’t know how much the fine is though, perhaps someone else can help with the amount.

  27. geordie munroe

     

     

    For some reason I thought that the four team guarantee was just a proposal last year, but you are right it was already decided. I’m guessing there wasn’t a vote including all UEFA members.