Two early goals by Gary Hooper and Victor Wanyama were enough to overcome Dundee United at Celtic Park today but a cracking strike by John Rankin early in the second half ensured the table toppers had to fight all the way.
Anthony Stokes had an early opportunity to test Pernis in the United goal with a free kick, as is often the case with Anthony’s free kicks, he struck the defensive wall. United had the best chance of the opening exchanges after 7 minutes but Fraser Forster denied Garry Kenneth at his near post after a goalmouth scramble. The visitors kept the pressure on for the next few minutes but were to concede soon thereafter.
Thomas Rogne cleared his lines with a defensive header which Stokes won with an aerial challenge and reacted first to prod the ball forward to an alert Gary Hooper. Hooper made the most of the space available, opened his body and placed an immaculately measured shot inside the right post to put Celtic ahead.
Five minutes later Georgios Samaras earned hearty applause throughout the stadium for a robust challenge on Willo Flood before forcing Pernis to turn a shot behind. The resulting corner was played short to Izaguirre who through a deep and high cross into the box. Victor Wanyama was first to react and seemed to have jumped early but he somehow managed to hover a millisecond long enough to be level with the ball when he met it before propelling it high into the top left corner of the goal.
Shortly before half time Stokes had another opportunity from a free kick. John Rankin broke early from the wall, raised his arm and blocked inside the penalty box. Referee, Winter, penalised the player for breaking the wall and ordered a retake, not a penalty. Stokes had two opportunities to make the points safe within a minute of the break. He met a Mulgrew corner on the six yards line with a glancing header that went narrowly passed the far post. Pernis then denied an excellent Stokes strike with a fine save.
The Celtic defence had not lost a goal in eight domestic games before today and could do little about the goal that put United back in the contest. John Rankin struck from 26 yards, the ball clipped the inside of Fraser Forster’s right hand post and bounced in. Shortly before the hour mark John Daly had Dundee United’s best chance of the game but Forster was equal to his header.
Georgios Samaras had Celtic’s best two chances of the second half. The first a diving header from a Matthews cross which was saved by Pernis. The second a cross from Matthews which Samaras pulled down with his chest before shooting over.
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starry plough says:
14 January, 2012 at 20:36
Yes he was good, and he is good.
Thought the other scorer was MOTM personally. was sitting right behind that goal when he heided it, fantastic goal, a real peach.
I’m on discussing something (again) that is relevant, with fellow supporters. Do we gamble good for better ? I’m sure that question is in Neil’s head too. Would Southampton be bidding without some inkling ?
hamiltontim
Couldn’t agree more, he’s the only ‘hold up’ penalty box striker at the club.
It’s all paper talk, because we are not a selling club, and they know it because it’s the opposite of Ragers.
It’s all invention because they are desperate to sell Jelavic, and are trying to even it up, I wouldn’t discuss
a sale, let alone discuss it’s merits until it materialises.
I fully expect it won’t.
hamiltontim
who out of the loanees are back in Jan ?
Pirri, who played for Real Madrid against us in March 1980, says Mallorca played well, but gave up too much possession, especially when Real Madrid were playing two at the back. They could have tried to keep the ball a bit more and attempted to exploit it.
“Real Madrid were lucky,” he says, “but they got lucky because they took risks and went looking for it.”
BCW
what makes you think that lenny will sell Hooper /
as for a prospective purchaser
maybe they are just chancing their arm …
TC
are you the mini beautiful one, now ?
haha
BIG-CUP-WINNERS says:
14 January, 2012 at 20:53
Same deal as yesterday but let me ask you a question..
Why would Gary Hooper sign for Southampton??
As we said yesterday who is the mystery proven scorer we are gonna sign to take Hoops shirt??
Gary Hooper knows what it means to score for Celtic and so do my neighbours when he does!!!
Keep the players, build the team, return to Europe…
McMoizart…He sits and waits for devine intervention…and like a coiled asp reacts when the predator within advises another Aluko (pay to play) star guy type offers zero resistance the pleasure his club and he the prospect of fear and loathing at close quarters an interminable six month contract based soley on Jellatits and alaister getting Jabba to really really pumping up the already inflated price of a failing gangster to dignified return ratios.
Sally McMoist….The thinking man’s composite of pure Ned.
HH
Lads wee ?, how many honest mistakes have they had in the last month.
starry plough
precisely
HT
Let them go for free then, at least that gets them off the wage bill.
Instead of asking for say 100k accept 10k, prudence mi amigo.
Well thanks, had a good day with the in play, also made a few bob on the huns, the heart don’t come into it, they are a shockingly bad outfit.
fan-a-tic says:
14 January, 2012 at 20:46
You’re right, winning this league is paramount for the support.
The bid if real etc, is a lot of cash, real money that Neil could gamble with. I personally think he will, his success in the transfer market will encourage him to chance getting better.
Just back fae the game (well 90 mins ago), I thought it would be a fairly tight game and it was although the two early goals made me think I had it wrang and it was gonnae be a barrel load. We done the necessary, its what champions do.
Great to meet the Derry no1 bhoys n ghirls and Ohits before the game…….some great craic! Well done for the donation Ohits , yir some bhoy!
Vinny
ham
Atchoo Ta lol
I think we could worse than get Rudi Skatcel for cover. Just to see us over the line. Wont cost us anything.
bournesouprecipe
What you were saying about CQNers who should know better than to discuss made-up bids by the Scottish press – wasn’t it Lennon himself who came out today after the match to confirm a bid had been received from S’hamton for Hooper and rejected?
So there is a promotion-chasing club who want him and who may well come in with a bigger bid (as is customary in this window). Celtic will have a decision to make (I hope it’s a no, but there’s a debate to be had here, I think).
BCW
For every Hooper we have Murphy and Bangura …i`m sure Lenny thought that they`d be better
happy for him to gamble ?
i`m not
the transfer market is a rough place ….yes we have done well with some players ,others have been dreadful
keep our good players
Bourne
I want to win the title, if that’s to be achieved then Hooper has to stay.
PFayr
Can’t help you there I honestly would be guessing.
….PFayr says:
14 January, 2012 at 20:55
Neil has done well in the market. With the money on offer (?) he may feel that he could get 2 or even make Forster permanent keep Wanyama or some other target. I’m sorta in two minds, but if Southampton have bid 4 or 6, that’s a lot to be chancing, it’s a massive amount of cash eh ? It just makes me think that some encouragement has been whispered……….
Even if it is £6m…
Lenny said on radio they had turned down a second offer (didnt say how much).
Unless GH was desperate to go and Celtic had a viable replacement already lined up it wont happen.
Tell all the huns you know
they were top of the league for 2 hours
and now there no!!!
Celtic undefeated in 11 Spl games, that’s the news Bhoys, that’s the news…
THE EXILED TIM says:
14 January, 2012 at 20:59
These guys have contracts they don’t need to go anywhere that’s part of our problem mate.
THE EXILED TIM 1932
And what does TBO have to say?
BIG-CUP-WINNERS says:
14 January, 2012 at 21:04
6 mil is a lot of cash and you think we are going to get two new players and buy FF and replace Gary Hooper, alright dream on…
HT
I know it’s a problem but that’s what PL gets the big bucks for, it’s his ball park.
Most of the players I would imagine want to play, unless we have given them stupid big money deals.
It worries me that the likes of Hoops might go to satisfy the past failures.
……………………………….
BobbyM
She only knows what she needs to know :>)
Philippe Montanier was just on Radio Nacional. He spoke very well, although with a strong French accent.
He took over as manager of Real Sociedad in June. They have just kicked off against Valencia.
His name rang a vague bell, so I checked him out. He played more than 300 games in the French first and second divisions, then as manager, he led Union Sportive Boulogne to the first division for the only time in its history in 2009. Before he could take charge of them in the top flight, Valenciennes had come calling, asking him to take over from Aberdeen legend Antoine Kombouaré when he left for PSG.
He did the Valenciennes job until moving to Real Sociedad in June.
None of this is as remarkable as what I’m going to tell you next. Philippe Montanier was a goalie. He is 1.78 metres tall. He is the same height as Beram Kayal.
Starry Plough. Not just undefeated. It’s eleven SPL wins on the trot.
Posted on the previous thread:
We keep on hearing that Rangers must be saved because the whole of Scottish football depends on them. This isn’t an O** F*** thing though – no-one was suggesting Scottish football would suffer when Celtic’s future was in danger in 1994. So because the health of Scottish football depends on Rangers, the rules must be bent beyond breaking point to ensure they are still around. We had extension-gate in 2008, when the season was extended solely for their benefit, with the SFA offering to postpone the Scottish Cup Final for them. We’ve had three seasons of Honest Mistakes since then, just to ensure they got the CL money on which their survival depends.
It’s really just a sporting manifestation of the financial maxim that certain banks are, “too big to fail.” These banks, because they are too big to fail, must be protected by the government. The government must step in and bail them out when they make investment and lending decisions which backfire to such an extent that they face oblivion. If the government doesn’t step in to bail them out, financial armageddon awaits.
Former Chairman of the Federal Reserve, Alan Greenspan, famously remarked that, “If they’re too big to fail, they’re too big.” From wikipedia, “One of the problems that arises [from too big to fail] is moral hazard whereby a company that benefits from these protective policies will seek to profit by it, and take positions that are high-risk high-return, as they are able to leverage these risks based on the policy preference they receive.”
Greenspan’s position is that any bank considered, “too big to fail,” should be broken up, or reduced in size.
That quote could have been written for the Huns. For over 20 years they have spent other peoples’ money, and for nearly a decade defrauded the taxman, safe in the knowledge that they are too big to fail and if needs be, the government (or in this case the SFA/SPL) would step in to bail them out. They have been bailed out for the last three seasons, or “The Era of the Honest Mistake,” as they are surely destined to be remembered as when the history of Scottish football is written in years to come.
Now the football authorities are preparing to bend their own rules well beyond breaking point, to ensure that a manifestation of Rangers can continue in the top flight, “for the good of Scottish football.” The problem of moral hazard therefore remains. The Newhun FC will already be too big to fail the moment they are admitted to the SPL.
So Scottish football stands at a pivotal moment – we can cut Rangers down to size for the good of Scottish football, or we can give them preferential treatment, “for the good of Scottish football.
A lot has been made recently of the need to use, “sporting integrity,” to fight the plans to admit Newhun FC into the SPL. I think two other terms are equally as important, and I personally will be utilising them at every opportunity:
1) Moral hazard
2) If they’re too big to fail, they’re too big.
Scottish football will find a new equilibrium minus the Huns. It may take a while. It may mean taking one step back to take two steps forward, but in the medium to long term, it will prosper. Newhun FC will eventually make their way into the SPL, but it will have been made clear to them that Scottish football does not depend on them, and their interests will never again be allowed to override the interests of the game as a whole.
Admitting Newhun FC straight into the SPL will not save Scottish football. It will destroy it.
Bigjie. Thanks for highlights canny watch them now as iPhone won’t play, but will watch later
We rely on you when setanta ignores us
Kirkie are you ex st Ninians
So am I :))
ST
CF
I see Sociedad have Vic’s brother on the bench.
Well, if they don’t want him…..
TET
Would that be the same Peter Lawell who arranged to make the funds available to sign these players in the first place :))))))))))))
starry plough says:
14 January, 2012 at 21:11
Starry read my contribution again…… slowly even……..
Can I just point something out Starry………I’m on here just trying to discuss this supposed bid and determine if it’s a good or a bad thing, with fellow Tims, nothing more, nothing less.
Now personally, I’m leaning to the idea that 6,000,000.00 could be a real key to develop the squad and be of medium term benefit to a club that in terms of revenue generation is experiencing barren times.
That’s it, discussing football with supporters nothing else.
up_over
I think the press also said another improved bid had been made, when it hasn’t.
A bid is not a bid until it’s accepted by the Celtic Board as far as I’m concerned, whether you me or anybody else think xxxx amount is acceptable in inconsequential and therefore a waste of time.
Bids are made for Celtic players ad nauseum, sometimes we are told, sometimes not, I don’t think Henrik Larsson played for seven magnificent years without the board rejecting something?
Southampton are a no mark, sleeping town club, who won’t pay the required Jellylegs type inflated figure, that would prompt our board to sell Gary Hooper.
The press will need to do better, unless I’m much mistaken, besides that, a sale for any amount of money would be difficult to justify if the unthinkable happened to the league title come May.
up_over_goal says:
14 January, 2012 at 21:02
*********************
I heard Lenny going on about that on the radio, he confirmed that a bid was made, I don’t think he mentioned the amount as the broadcast was breaking up, the panel did mention £4mill, I guess thats about half of the amount required. If we sold one of our two strikers, we’d need to sign another two as we’re short of a striker at present.
I just can’t contemplate the board gambling and failing again….. they couldn’t could they?
Vinny
Celtic_First says:
14 January, 2012 at 21:17
Exactly spread the news, the Bhoys are back in town and let the transfer windae junkies get oan wi’ it!!
This team is going places!!
SP
11 league wins on the bounce.
Top of the league.
And the chance to bring players in.
What’s not to like.
HT
Unfortunatly it is :>)
He has to back the manager though, in saying that the backing of TM was over excessive.
SFTB
Correct. McDonald Mariga Wanyama is on the bench for La Real, on loan from Inter. They have been under the cosh, but if they could nick a goal, I think Montanier will bring him on.
Imagine if we had the two of them.