Yes, Newco players cheered hearing they would face Celtic in the Scottish Cup semi-final. Manager, Graeme Murty, earlier explained the legendary status awaiting those players who deliver the club’s “first” major trophy, so chances are they will have to beat Celtic at one point.
Murty has twice taken his team to Celtic Park and left with a point, moreover, Newco eliminated Celtic on penalties at the same stage of the Cup two years ago, after a 2-2 draw.
Make no mistake, this is a perfect draw for Newco. Celtic will have the league title secured well before the cup final, allowing Brendan Rodgers to rest players in preparation, should they progress that far. During those final weeks of the season, Newco, Aberdeen and Hibs will fight-out for positions 2, 3 and 4. They will not have the luxury of planning ahead for a final. If you need to beat Celtic, better to face them before the final.
Anyone who thinks all Celtic need to do is go through the motions to win this semi-final, or this weekend’s game at Ibrox, needs to be reminded of trips to Rugby Park and Tynecastle. We have had our warning shots.
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Hail hail
Very quiet today? ….
http://celticbynumberscom.ipage.com/cutting-corners/
Despite 10 corners against Greenock Morton Celtic couldn’t score off one. Are they making the most of their opportunities?
Paul 67
Exactly.
HH.
No mercy, in among them from the off, let’s put this sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet to bed!
TheWire CSC
The Cup game is 5 weeks away, worry about that later. On Sunday we play a team with Halliday, Bates, a guy from Hamilton and a guy who can’t get a game for QPR amongst other diddies. We are the Champions, we’ve 8 days to prepare and focus and we’ve scouted them so we must have a plan. Their antics will inspire us as will their overconfidence. Apply ourselves as we can and we will outclass them.
Good Lord
that 2-2 semi final was only 2 years ago! Seems like much longer.
Carthago Delenda Est
Write it out a hundred times bhoy
Not too fussed about all the Sevco noise.
I won’t go to the Bigotdome nor Hampden.
I do though hope we put them firmly in their place by showing them to be the second rate outfit they are, with two comfortable victories.
Two victories will confirm Sevco as being the irrelevance I believe them to be.
Two victories will see the current triumphalists desert their cause.
Two victories will see the beginning of the end for them, as season tickets will be hard to sell as eternal failures.
The pressure is all on Sevco, they have to get something from these two games to survive.
In Brendan I trust to ensure that pressure is too great for them.
Personally I’d take no less than a draw at the Bigotdome and a semi final triumph, leaving them forever potless, but two victories, well that would be nice.
Eurochamps67
Paul67.
No team is infallible, in 1967 we went through the League campaign without losing a game,except for Dundee United decided to beat us twice,these things happen, it’s the nature of the game, I’m of the mind that Celtic will improve every game from now on, and go through the rest of the Season unbeaten, I may be wrong but that’s what I feel, and it’s only my opinion after all,
And that goes for the SC cup as well.
Can’t fault the Sevco players for cheering – it will be a big game for them against a team they consider to be rivals.
Correct re complacency, Paul. Never any excuse for it. Hopefully the Sevconians will believe all the MSM hype about themselves and play a bit more openly than Kilmarnock and St Johnstone.
Enjoyed the third goal on Saturday. Getting the ball forward quickly and using width.
Wonder if we will go with the two up front next week. Think it could give them problems they haven’t had from us before.
Re. Corners – We seem to have lost the ability to deliver a decent ball into the box from either side of the pitch.
We are failing most times to clear the first man. This could bite us if teams left a player further up the pitch to pick up any clearance. A tad frustrating to watch.
Celtic have a clear week of training ahead and I expect A LOT of work will getting done this week. Performances must improve, however, this Celtic team has delivered in every single crucial game we have played domestically since BR arrived.
As for the Deady Bears? Well, let’s face it; they have done well recently compared with the omnishambles of the last couple of seasons. For a team that seemed like they would never win 3 games in a row ever again, they have now won 6 on the trot. They should feel good about themselves. But always remember…pride comes before a fall.
I am anticipating a repeat of Samaras Sunday…
Interesting article on our success rate from corners . other than Griff (who I would prefer to see getting on the end of corners) our delivery is poor .Even Armstrong ,the last time he played, was sending in these high floaty corners that the keeper gobbled up every time. We need to practice the proper technique.
GlassTwoThirdsFull
Hopefully the Sevconians will believe all the MSM hype about themselves and play a bit more openly than Kilmarnock and St Johnstone.
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Exactly my thoughts. The baying hordes will demand that their team attack – afterall they are on the march to catch Celtic. They will expose themselves (eugh, put it away guys!) and will be vulnerable to our pace. Murty didn’t get his two most glorious draws in the history of football by all out attack, but attack is what the entitlement and arrogance of the Peepul will demand. Apparently, we are “there for the taking”.
Blantyretim.
Would your old man come to the 25th May party, I forgot to ask you, and as I’m struggling to use my mobile, I thought a wee note on the blog would be okay.
On Sunday I fully expect our team to be pressed very high up the pitch which has proved effective for our opponents on previous occassions.
I can’t see us going 3-5-2 but if we did I guess it would probably be the following:
DDV
Ajer – Simounivic- Compper (Hendry must be considered also and not sure where we are with Boyata)
Forrest – Kouassi – Brown – Ntcham – Tierney
Dembele – Edouard
Subs: Bain – McGregor – Roberts – Sinclair – Defenders from above – Rogic and Musonda
That is quite a defensive but strong midfield with Kouassi being the anchor to allow Brown to do his thing at Ntcham to do the creative work.
If we win the midfield battle and can keep their full backs defending then we can see Dembele and Edouard hammer away at their back line and goals should come.
It’s one hell of a talented pool of subs to pick from if we needed to up the pace and really bring the game to them in the second half.
“Celtic will have the league title secured well before the cup final”
Sound the Complacency Claxon!
Should we lose our next league match, our lead will reduce to 3 points, albeit with a game in hand.
That is thin ice, the kind apt to encourage recidivistic refereeing of the honestly mistaken variety, let alone induce self-doubt amongst our players.
The only match which matters is the next match. Count me in with Cato and his cronies, Cathage-wise.
Could easily swap Sinclair for Edouard in that starting line up
Kouassi wont be anywhere near it imo.
DAVID17
Thanks for your reply earlier!
McGregor will start on Sunday, BR always picks him for the big games. McGregor for Rogic and Edouard for Sinclair will be the most likely changes from Saturday’s team. Gives us options from the bench with Sinclair, Rogic, Musonda, Roberts, Kouassi and Hendry
Celtic scored against Sevco from two corners last season. Both corners were taken by Scott Sinclair, Moussa Dembele was the scorer on both occasions.
DAVIDOPOULOS
I think they have only won 5 on the trot, 2 of those victories being against lower league opposition. They were comprehensively beaten by Hibs who played them off the park in their last defeat.
Has South of Carthage posted his choon for the day yet? Always worth the wait.
Brendan has always described Scott Sinclair as a goal scorer and a player who wants to score in every game. That wasn’t the case on Saturday against part-time pros, not more than one blocked shot in 45 minutes. Clear to me he’s hampered and nursing some muscle weakness. Hope the next few days provide a bit of recovery time. A vital cog in our winning teams for two years.
Don’t think we should play Dembele next week.
I know it’s only Sevco, but the lad is only 15…..
eddieinkirkmichael
Maybe, I thought it they had beated Partick, Ayr, Hamilton, Hearts, St Johstone and Falkirk. Could well be wrong
I haven’t got excited about a corner for year’s because as the number bhoy proves under two percent. Last time we were a threat was when heed heed played for us. I did my own stats at the time and that was under five percent
Celtic have been poor all season long with the occasional good preformance thrown in for good measure. We have not been so good because most of our attack minded players have been injuried for long period.
If we are to improve we need those guys to stay clear of injuries and to find their consistantly. That said we have played about 14 games more that every other team, have won the league cup, are still top of the league by 6 points with game in hand and are in semi-finals of the scottish.
There is to subtext that renders the headlines silly and the hysteria a tad sad, but sevco fans are same as other fans and like to dream. We shall find out next sunday who wants it more and that will determined the outcomes.
A stronger push by sevco might actually be the worse thing for them as it may lead to the celtic board to push back. Oh and the celtic have the mess to do it without fetality
HH
1-1 at the weekend, 8-0 in the semi once all our injured players are back and match sharp
For me what has changed since last season is we are not pressing the other teams for the ball as much as we did last season.Currently we are allowing teams to hold onto the ball quite deep into our half and then we are trying to hit them on the break. We need to get back to pressing for the ball much higher up the pitch we cannot in my opinion afford to sit back at Ibrox and invite the Rangers to come on to us as they have the front players to hurt us. I would love us to win on Sunday but the fact of the matter is we dont need to a draw would be as good as a win Brendan has to pick the correct team and it wont be an easy choice.However,in Brendan I trust. H.H.
I did think of that Gary67 re. McGregor.
I don’t always think having him and Forrest in the team works that well if we are not regularly in possession. I am a huge fan of both players and they are great going forward.
I think from previous games we just need to win our battles in the middle which then lets us play in a more attacking fashion.
GuyFawkesaforeverhero on 5th March 2018 1:08 pm
Has South of Carthage(Tunis) posted his choon for the day yet? Always worth the wait.
While your waiting get your dancing shoes on.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gCWOb7V-b0&list=RD3gCWOb7V-b0
A lot of talk about winning the midfield, who are these midfield battlers that the huns have???
Windyass, Holt, Goss, Cendelmas,Jimminy Cricket, you could drive a bus through their midfield:))
Gary67
Think that’s how I would go too.
With two up front we will need a solid three in midfield. McGregor better than Rogic defensively. Rogic, Sinclair and (hopefully!) Roberts ready to come on if needed.
Choon for the afternoon from a cold n wet -South of Carthage
https://youtu.be/iSIEebXB6fU
SOUTH OF TUNIS
Nice choice for a sunny but cold pre spring day here the snaw is all but gone:))
Even some wee flooooors popping oot!
Bring on the Carthaginians
So midfield of Forrest, McGregor, Brown, Ntcham and Tierney or are you going 4-4-2 or 4-5-1 with Tierney dropping back and bringing Sinclair into right wing and Dembele up front on his own?