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Business end of the season is insight.

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By on CQN BLOG & Comments

It was not pretty, but for the second time in 2024 Celtic subjugated St Mirren in Paisley and eased into the Scottish Cup quarter finals, where they will face Livingston at home.  We now have the potential of three games in Glasgow to win the cup, a prospect which should focus minds.  Hampden has been as profitable a venue as Celtic Park for nearly eight years now, we’ve won 24 out of 25 visits.  No team has ever had a better Hampden record, including Queen’s Park (renamed Cathkin Park doesn’t count).  The business end of the season is insight.

Brendan Rodgers decision to play Adam Idah up front with Kyogo in a withdrawn role played out perfectly.  Luis Palma’s 15th minute cross behind Idah was perfect for Kyogo to run onto.  The ball had plenty of pace on it, allowing Kyogo to divert its course from 18 yards into the net.  Had he been playing as striker, he would not have been in position for this cross.

With the continuing absence of Reo Hatate, pulling Kyogo back one position gives us an added option.  It was also refreshing to see Idah get involved in the physical side of the game early on yesterday.  This is a quantity we have been without for a while.

Six weeks ago Joe Hart’s suitability for the second half of the season was being debated.  Joe can go weeks without making saves that have any consequence on the end result.  Since then, he has made outcome determining saves against St Mirren, Hibs, Aberdeen and Ross County.  The keeper will hope for a quieter period in the weeks to come.

Stephen Welsh and Liam Scales are not the dream team in central defence, but both have particular strengths in the air.  With Idah also in the side we look far more comfortable defending set-pieces.  On a park like that in Paisley, defending the air is particularly important.

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  8. scullybhoy on

    Big Jimmy on 12th February 2024 3:52 pm

     

     

    SCULLYBHOY on 12TH FEBRUARY 2024 3:49 PM

     

     

    >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

     

     

    I hope you are keeping OK.

     

     

    HH

  9. garygillespieshamstring on

    Turkeybhoy

     

     

    Last hun game, Maeda was played mainly on the right side with Palma on the left.

     

     

    I was saying before the game that Maeda should start on the left to keep tavpen pegged back and I was a bit peed off that he was not on the left side.

     

     

    I felt that Tavpen had a bit of a free run due to Palma not working back enough.

  10. Tontine Tim on

    PARKHEADCUMSALFORD on 12TH FEBRUARY 2024 12:58 PM

     

     

    Thank you, Celtic. If anyone is wondering why I haven’t posted recently, it’s quire simple really. I have great difficulty reading, never mind contributing to CQN. Besides that, way too many have been so overly negative.

     

     

    *I know the feeling on both counts, having diabetes I suffer from dry eyes tae, as for the negativity well there are some on suggesting that there are nae hunterlopers and only Celtic supporters post on here, IMHO they are the huns who were notably absent after our hard earned victory and being a Sunday I doubt they were all too busy working.

     

     

    On Saturday afternoon I watched the highly entertaining Nottingham Forest/Newcastle game, at one point the cameras zeroed in on the celebrating away Toon support and that took me back tae away games I had went tae when we were all penned in the gether, might NOT have known each other but had the same outlook, as TB once said, “They’re there and they’re always there, and God bless every one of them”, aye that was us.

     

     

    I recalled one night leaving Fir Park after a tough game where we had won 2-1, this was the Saturday after we had walloped Benfica in the Big Cup so there was a full house that dreich afternoon, the wee steel men centre gave big Billy a torrid time and after he equalised lauded it over our support who replied with DOB suggestions, that same wee mhan would go on tae be one of our finest strikers.

     

     

    As we left the ground that night exulted with the win our support started tae sing “Celtic we’re gonnae carry that league carry that League a long time” paraphrasing a Beatles song at the time, this was our support at its finest.

     

     

    Anyway, Saturday night I picked up a book Mrs. TT had got me for Christmas called “Celtic Without Fans” written by a young Dumbarton lhad, well younger than me, its about the history of our support going back to the early days with anecdotes of some of the trials and tribulations that they would get up tae just tae see the bhoys, including walking tae the Kingdom of Fife for John Thomson’s funeral.

     

     

    While reading it I thought they can come on here and try and break our spirit but we are children of a fighting race, whether Scottish or Irish, and they will never break us, while they let their team die our support stood up tae be counted especially in the aftermath of the Raith penalty kick game when the sales of shares were a bit sluggish we flocked tae the cause making it a huge success, tae quote the Bunnet “Being a Celtic supporter is not always easy, but it is always worthwhile” and “As Celtic fans, we can be proud of ourselves and what we have achieved in our life, because what we have achieved has been achieved on our own merits. We haven’t had to join any secret organisation in life to get where we are today, and that’s important to you.”

     

     

    So, on Sunday morning I had a new lease on life as I once again got up tae follow the bhoys, “we are Celtic supporters faithful through hand through”

     

     

     

    The first important trophy I seen Celtic lifting was the Cup in 65. I was 15. I had been watching for about 6 years.

     

     

    *aye me tae only 2 years older than you at the time.

  14. scullybhoy on

    THE PRINCE OF GOALKEEPERS

     

     

    Fullname: John Thomson

     

    aka: The Prince of Goalkeepers

     

    Born: 28 Jan 1909

     

    Died: 5 Sep 1931

     

    Birthplace: Kirkcaldy, Fife

     

    Height: 1.75m

     

    Weight: 10 st 8lbs

     

    Signed: 1 Nov 1926

     

    Position: Goalkeeper

     

    Debut: Dundee 1-2 Celtic, League, 12 Feb 1927

     

    Internationals: Scotland

     

    International Caps: 4 caps

     

    International Shut-outs: 3

  15. Fred Colon on

    Not my area of expertise but is anyone familiar with easy to use “text to speech” software that may assist PARKHEADCUMSALFORD and others with the same challenge ?

  21. Gene on

    Fred

     

    If you highlight the text you get the option of ‘read aloud’ – might be behind the 3 dots

  22. Big Jimmy on

    SCULLYBHOY on 12TH FEBRUARY 2024 3:53 PM

     

    Big Jimmy on 12th February 2024 3:52 pm

     

     

     

     

     

     

    SCULLYBHOY on 12TH FEBRUARY 2024 3:49 PM

     

     

     

     

     

     

    >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

     

     

     

     

     

     

    I hope you are keeping OK.

     

    ……………….

     

     

    I am reasonably okay mate, thanks for asking.

     

    I havent been out since my DA’s funeral nine days ago, but I plan on having a few beers before the end of the week.

     

    All the best and HH Mate.

  23. Gene on

    Reading back – 65 final was the first trophy I saw us winning – 15 at the time

     

    I’d being going regularly to parkhead since 12.

     

     

    Winning the big cup within 2 years was astonishing

  24. 418 on

    Maeda is being mismanaged by 2 successive Celtic managers who both got Celtic’s arse kicked up and down the CL and other European competitions.

     

     

    Maeda is a bustling striker.

     

     

    Would Chris Sutton, John Hartson, Henrik Larsson, Moussa Dembele, JVoH, etc have looked the part playing out wide?

     

     

    In fairness…I recall David Hay playing Mark McGhee and Brian McLair as wide player’s in the LCF in 1986 vs the huns with Mo Johnston as our main striker as these tactics were necessary as Tommy Burns who was our left back at that time got injured in the midweek European Cup tie vs Dynamo Kiev.

     

     

    This then meant moving the ball winning, workhorse, tough tackling, midfield dynamo, Murdo MacLeod to leftback and totally fcking up the whole balance and stability of the side.

     

     

    Mark McGhee and Brian McLair were like a pair of hun skelping workhorses in that game playing out wide, with McLair scoring a wonder goal from a Roy Aitken long ball headed down by Johnston at the edge of the hun penalty area for the on running McLair to blooter into the roof of the net at the Celtic end for a glorious goal.

     

     

    Unfortunately the huns won the trophy by a dodgy penalty 1-2 and David Hay said after the game which was drowning in mibbery that…

     

     

    ”Celtic should apply for entry into the English to get away from these anti Celtic referee’s.”

     

     

    Or words along those lines.

     

     

    Good bless David Hay.

     

     

    Talking of the great David Hay…if we had a shrewd and cynical minded manager then Liam Scales would be new David Hay like Steve Clarke has almost transformed Keiran Tierney into in a Scotland jersey.

     

     

    Do we have to wait until Steve Clarke becomes the Ireland manager before we see Liam Scales in his true light?

     

     

    Liam Scales is our best centre half imho.

     

     

    If Brendan put a midfield shied in front of Scales like Neil Lennon did vs Barcelona ettc etc etc with a defensive centre half duo of Efe Ambrose and Kelvin Wilson…then £30 million for Liam Scales would already be all of the talk.

     

     

    Mr Stein wasn’t an open book that everybody could predict…that’s one of the many millions and millions and millions of reasons that the Great Jock Stein and his Lisbon Lion’s are immortal.

     

     

    Daizen Maeda CSC

     

     

    oot.

  25. Gene on

    Big Jimmy

     

    My son’s horse just ran in the 4 o’clock at catterick – Floeuer – sadly it pulled up when running well – apparently a bleed.

  26. Big Jimmy on

    MCPHAIL BHOY on 12TH FEBRUARY 2024 4:26 PM

     

    Big Jimmy

     

     

     

     

    Gum shield by the looks of it, same as Hatate, not sure why they wear them

     

    ……………….

     

     

    I think GERRY CREANEY wore a gum shield back in the 1990s for a while ?

     

    My mates and wondered how he could SHOUT for a Ball etc ?

     

     

    HH

  27. garygillespieshamstring on

    Big Jimmy

     

     

    Must have been his gum shield that kept getting caught in offside positions.:)

  29. Turkeybhoy on

    Well,the Maeda fan club have answered.The general consensus is the answer I did not want,basically” He runs about”.He does indeed.

     

    For me he does not contribute enough,on a consistent basis,to be given a start.Sub,no problem.

     

    To his backers,really watch him next game.

     

    To WITS,I really hope he does.

  30. Big Jimmy on

    GENE on 12TH FEBRUARY 2024 4:36 PM

     

    Big Jimmy

     

     

     

     

    My son’s horse just ran in the 4 o’clock at catterick – Floeuer – sadly it pulled up when running well – apparently a bleed.

     

    ………….

     

     

    Sorry to read that, I do hope the poor horse is okay.

     

    As much as I love Horse Racing, when ever a Horse falls. I pray that the horse gets up pronto and is okay.

     

     

    Beautiful animals, so HARDY but Fragile at the same time.

     

    God Bless them.,

     

    HH Mate.

  32. Weebobbycollins on

    “For me he does not contribute enough,on a consistent basis,to be given a start.”

     

    “To his backers,really watch him next game.”

     

    This from the guy who begged us to sign Vasilis Barkas…:-)

  34. Burnley78 on

    Apologies for the confusing post on earlier thread. Of course I meant year 2000 and not 2020 saw us looking back at 3 trophies in 12 years.

     

     

    One other inaccuracy though is that we have won 39 trophies in the 24 years since then. Despite the horrendous mismanagement we seem to read about.

  42. setting free the bears for Res. 12 & Oscar Knox on

    Since I downloaded DuckDuckGo for Safari, I can read CQN a lot more easily but any links to Twitter or downloaded Twitter messages come up with an “oops” message. Is there any simple solution to this?

     

    I can still receive Twitter on my phone which doesn’t have DuckDuckGo but it’s easier to read on the laptop’s bigger screen- any suggestions welcome

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