You get to know those sitting near you at Celtic Park, even if only on nodding terms, but yesterday at Murrayfield, we were mostly sitting among new faces, but despite no previous camaraderie, we found a common bond when we considered Craig Levein’s likely response to his teams heavy defeat.
Hearts were poor, very poor. While Celtic were well below par for half the game, Hearts failed to lay a glove on the champions. Then when Celtic took the lead, the league leaders (for now) could neither muster an attack nor hold a defensive line. Any self-respecting manager would hold his hands up and admit as much, but not our Craig.
“A penalty that never was and we had a good goal chopped off”, was the consensus of how Levein would react, which, turned out to be only partially accurate. How that team are top of the league defies explanation. They were only good at getting in the way of Celtic players and occasionally assaulting them off the ball (pun intended).
Celtic’s indifferent start to the season, and potential for a third consecutive treble, were both on display at Murrayfield. The first half was notable only for its lack of penetrative play. Scott Sinclair, who replaced injured Eboue Kouassi on 26 minutes, produced the only serious attempt at goal during that period. Celtic had lots of the ball but were inhibited going forward.
When Callum McGregor (not best in a wide role) moved to the deep lying playmaker position he is most effective at, in the departure of Eboue Kouassi, Celtic improved. But the real improvement came when Ryan Christie replaced Olivier Ntcham at halftime.
Celtic then had a midfield anchored by McGregor, with Christie, Tom Rogic, James Forrest and Sinclair ahead. Lots of tidy ball-players but without an enforcer. It was a risk, but it worked superbly. We have looked ponderous so often this season. Not every game will be suitable for such an attacking formation, but Celtic were a joy to watch.
Despite playing only 45 minutes, Christie was clear Man of the Match. His dart inside the box 8 minutes after the break won the penalty, then his shot was fumbled by Hearts ‘keeper, Zlamal, to allow James Forrest to make sure, but the third goal, a side foot shot to the top left corner of the goal from 22 yards by Christie, was the highlight of the game.
Celtic could easily have had a penalty in the opening period, when Kieran Tierney was scythed down inside the box after crossing, then Hearts tactic of throwing everything in the way of the ball should have seen another spot kick, when one defender blocked with both arms, but these details were irrelevant as Celtic cut Hearts open at will late in the game. This, despite Craig Levein detecting heavy legs in his opponents.
Well, Craig, we can only wonder what a well-rested Celtic team would do to you.
And it’s Aberdeen in the final again. This is the fifth season they have been the last team to make a contest of leagues and cups against Celtic. They have lost their way this year and the league is weaker as a consequence, but we can take nothing for granted.
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Excellent performance and result yesterday…
Great to see performances from ghuys that have had questions asked of them – a fine way to respond…
Pity those chaps that have been ready and willing to give Brendan their advice after some poor performances and defeats couldn’t find the time to post regarding our Murryfield Maulers…
You should come on and take your bow, Brendan has obviously been listening;))
BSR…
…Good point about the Dembele money, I’ve added it to the Armstrong money And VvD 2nd Tranche and we have a pretty penny…
I believe with confidence returning we can give a good account of ourselves against the Red Bulls. Europe after Christmas is a huge ask now, especially as the Red Bullers met each other during the deciding ties…
Hail Hail
Just looked at a link on hunmonkey media, a lot have rumbled Huney G
I’d like to see Kerr McInroy get a chance. Really liked the look of him against Man Utd in the summer. We’ll never know if these guys are good enough if we don’t give them a chance. Can’t be any worse than some of the signings we have made.
And they just keep on coming…..
http://alturl.com/pzp5c
Hail Hail
Matt
When does the ball grabber get cited? Not like he’s denying it. All over the papers that it was just a wee joke, something that apparently happens all the time.
Guys
I don’t want to be a kill joy, but what is happening with the letter/statement our board put out about the semi final draw.
In it, it said we had been discriminated against, well Celtic what are you doing about it.
Always call a bully out or for ever be in thier sights.
Do it after winning the Murrayfield tie, and from a position of winning.
Now bring on Dundee
Hail Hail
D. :)
And one last question for today . . . what is the Glasgow rumour mill saying about Griff? Having just signed a bumper new contract deal, back fit and playing and with a clear run at first team football . . . he disappears off the radar once again with a mystery injury. Brendan saying he has no idea when he will be back or what might be wrong with him.
Sounded very vague when asked about him over the weekend.
Deniabhoy I was thinking that myself.
When is he getting cited by the compliance officer, no wait 3 referees have to sit and judge the incident and need a unanimous vote before its passed to compliance officer, what another shambles.
Of course being an SPFL run cup it probably has even different rules.
SFA/SPFL get rid of them all and start afresh.
I honestly think/ no I know, I could run Scottish football better than these blundering cheats.
HH
D. :)
Deniabhoy….. BR article on Celtic news now saying he is back at club and going to step up his fitness regime, but doesn’t know when he will be fit enough to play again.
Glasgow rumour mill is Griff and BR had an argument after Griff punched a hole in a wall and BR told him to Get To Feck and don’t come back…… What I heard..
I do love the Griff but he needs to be fit and not full of shoite.
D. :)
I thought the much maligned, (on here), Mikael Lustig was excellent, again, yesterday.
The last four games I have attended a Celtic match we have hammered the Hertz, humped the Hibs, annihilated Aberdeen and humiliated the hun.
Lustig instrumental in each performance.
Eurochamps67
Glasgow rumour mill exclusive…..Griff and Morales shacking up together and intending on bringing up their love child as a transgender trogladyte who will devote her/his life to mastering the art of strictly come dancing and become Glasgow’s answer to Mother Theresa as he/she erects a ricketty racketty bridge over the Clyde creating the rising sun of a new dawn as all faiths, genders, football fans and lovers of simon cowell indulge in a feast of free love on the abandoned Dixon blazes wasteland.
Other than that, facts seem to be fairly thin on the ground.
More news as it develops.
Hail hail
Matt
GlassTwoThirdsFull on 29th October 2018 3:11 pm
McInroy skippered and scored for the reserves in a 4-0 win today. If Kouassi and Ntcham are both missing on Wednesday then there’s a fair chance at least one of our youngsters will get a chance, McInroy or Henderson?
AULDHEID,
Read your response to my comment in the previous article.
Karma is indeed just the job.
Can we expect Res 12 be given an airing at the AGM shortly?
MS
that’s a fabulous rendition of the old folk classic !
David66 – thanks for the replies. The Griff’s situation is a strange one. After getting a new 4-year bumper contract, one would have hoped both sides were happy. The guy should now be living the life of a model pro athlete, fully dedicated to maximising his potential in the few short years he has left in the game. Instead time and time again, he comes off the bench, clearly carrying extra weight and is needlessly caught offside time and again for being too lazy or unfit to get back.
Hard not to conclude Griff is, and I’m being polite, a bit of a ned. His on the field antics against sevco amuse us, his off the field stuff is cringeworthy including his social media behaviour. He is probably a poster boy for many but I just feel he is letting the club and himself down.
Agree 100% with this…….
MADMITCH on 29TH OCTOBER 2018 1:13 PM
RC is one to grow this season.
He seems to be a blue collar version of SA but with more — much needed — intensity.
He wants to play no matter the opposition or the attitudes of others.
Consequently we need to give him the game time and the responsibility to grow
What a weird response to yesterday Jesus G gave us!
I’m solely to blame versus the only reason it happened was the players are shipe!
Is that stress – is that leadership limitations- is that someone who knows they’ve been fed a whole loada hooey- is that someone who knows they can feed the hordes a whole loada hooey and get away with it ?
Weird day at hunsville!
Was thinking, there are 12 teams in the SPHell.
Are there any players in all other 11 teams who would get a game for us.
Answers on a postcard. Can only really think of one possibility, Shagger McGregor, very slim(not him), his chances.
KINGLuBO
On a lighter note,
Robin says to Batman, what’s that up my bum, Batman. Cock Robin
Gary67
Yeah – Henderson could be a decent shout too. Seems to know how to sniff out a goal.
Wondered if McInroy could be an option for the Broony role longer term. Not an easy role to throw a young player into (Busquets is one of the only ones I can think of), so might need to play him a bit further forward to begin with.
I see Brendan has spoken again about Leigh today and it looks like it is the same old story. Can score goals but . . .
BR:
“I’ve no timeline on it. Hopefully, he can get back soon.
“If you play for big clubs you have to be in top condition and you have to work very hard to get back to that.
“We work with the players who are fit, ready and available. The ones that aren’t, we do everything we can to ensure that we get them back as quickly as we can.
“So we hope that Leigh can be back because he is a very valuable player in our squad.
“He is a guy that can score goals, but it’s more than that. There are other elements to our collective philosophy, with and without the ball, that everyone has to be ready to participate in.
“So he is rid of his calf injury, but he has to really work on getting himself back to some level of fitness to come back in again.”
KingLubo – Shagger is a top keeper, best in Scotland, but what a despicable man he is. A hun in everything he does. Just like Goram.
Up next Dundee ,last time I seen any of them the lost 4 goals from set plays to high flying livvy, SO,
Get yir shillings on Celtic to score fae a corner on Wednesday night.
H.H
Bada Bing @2:34
Spot on mhate wouldn’t touch him with a barge pole HH
!!BADA BING!! on 29TH OCTOBER 2018 2:37 PM
Adi
Cheers. Feckin joke if they get 50 split.
MACJAY1 FOR NEIL LENNON on 29TH OCTOBER 2018 12:04 AM
DELANEYS DUNKY on 28TH OCTOBER 2018 11:55 PM
You called it right about Mc Lean who had gone under my radar. Displays all the hallmarks of a bitter hun.
*that’s because he’s a 36 year old nobody who managed 4 games and zero goals for deidco before mcurine dumped him.
He then bounced around the minor leagues his longest spells being with Sheffield Wednesday when they were a League 1 side and Plymouth Argyle where after 2 seasons in the Championship they were relegated to League 1.
He had an attitude problem with Argyle, must have been the green strips, and went out on loan, his home team the calvinists had him for a trial but mad vlad vetoed any move for him.
He bounced around again and had a short spell with the sheep before ending up in Perth. He had 6 seasons there but only scored 47 goals, not that great for a forward.
His only claim tae fame there is that he was one of three scabbies that refused tae applaud the Scottish Champions onto the field after successfully winning another title.
He is now back with his 2nd favourite side and again in the short time there bad mouthed our club prior to a European game and grabbed one of our players by the hips and haws laughing it off as part of the game.
In this day and age where anybody, especially a hun, gets a game for the national side this dumpling has never progressed by the under 21s.
So far after 15 games this season he has only scored 5 goals while wee willie winkie, 5 years his junior and a full internationalist with 68 games and 20 goals, in only 7 games for them netted 4 and they got rid of him. Hmmmmm.
Lets hope big Efe sorts him out on Wednesday.
Sleekit G the thug from The Mersey will be gone by Christmas or just after the January windy.
I predict he will cite not getting the players he wanted, thus walking away.
In other words the reality will kick in that these bunch of cheats and charlatans that run Sevco are full of shoite.
HH
D. :)
McLean has always been an Uber sleekitness Hun.
One of the things that endeared Ralston to me was that on debut (if memory serves) up in Perth he gave the bam more than as good as he got.
When I’m head of global sports ethics, anyone who is the victim of nutgrabbing like that will be allowed one free punch in return.
It will of course be enacted retrospectively for that bassa.
I note also with interest that karma played an intruiging role in the cqn naysmith leg break debate.
HH jg
JOBO BALDIE on 29TH OCTOBER 2018 8:31 AM
….I’m also delighted that Aberdeen have saved us from the non stop ‘Old Firm Final’ build up that would have raged non stop for the next 5 weeks. The less times we have to play Sevco the better for me….
————–
Said the same to Wee BGFC last night – very glad to avoid the pro-OldFirm hype and the associated poison and bile.
==========
MACJAY1 – from early morn – understood, and not needing said.
HH
BGFC
Onward to Dens Park.
MELBOURNE MICK
So are we still in crisis ?
Is Rodgers about to be mutually consented.?
Just asking for a friend of mine who has a bet of £49 with a guy called Peter who is very tight with money
WITS
A good ghuy such as you are deserves a reply to that.
We are no longer in crisis but we are still in a slump.
Rodgers will be mutually consented if PL agrees .
JJ
DENIABHOY on 29TH OCTOBER 2018 4:18 PM
KingLubo – Shagger is a top keeper, best in Scotland, but what a despicable man he is. A hun in everything he does. Just like Goram.
*Ironically neither started out as huns, it must be the govan water that does it.
In the late 70s a new star emerged at hades, derek ferguson. He had made his debut at 15 in a testimonial and a year later was in the 1st team, one for the future, more so than durranty, fleck and chauncey.
Still in his teens he was named motm in the slyme game where we had 7 yellows, a Parkheid kafflick red carded and a dubious penalty given against us with 6 minutes to go.
We were fined 5 grand for the cards and Davie Hay was fined 350 quid for comments about the mitb, this was increased to 600 for further comments about the same breest bearer in another game. Davie also said that if he had his way we would join the english league the following day.
Anyway deek’s star was rising, he was a far better player than his wee brother, and he was fast-tracked into the international squad gaining two caps against Malta and Colombia.
And then he was loaned to Dundee, it was fairly obvious he had no future with the huns eventually being sold to the calvinists.
Wonder why they got rid of such a talent. Hmmmmm.
After yesterday’s two games — couple of issues regarding on-field behavior.
SMacL — Cheap shot Vinnie Jones stunt caught on camera.
AMcG — Cheap shot elbow into the chest of an opposition forward.
Will this be laughed off as silly boys / banter or will the SPL get serious?
Scottish football is currently a big enough laughing stock but this could take it to a new level.
Will these issues be highlighted on RS / ST tonight?
Just read on that pillar of truth and justice, the BBC Scotland football site, that Hearts’ MacLean is facing a 2-game ban for his plastic hard-man Vinnie Jones cameo yesterday involving Kouassi Eboue’s genitals.
This was news to me: “An act directed towards the private parts of a player on the field is now being considered an act of ‘brutality’ by UEFA.”
So when that thug Naismith stamped on a prone Scott Brown’s groin in an earlier game……? Or was that just a bit of a laugh as well?
GG
Thank you for the tutorial on linky things in the previous thread – just read back.
Will try it out when I next have a few glasses of wine. So expect a coding/linky train crash in about 3 hours….
TONTINE TIM @5.07.
For what it’s worth -I remember him telling the readers of the Glasgow Hunald (via an interview with Graham Spiers) that he was forced to leave in consequence of being bullied by Souness and responding to that builying by publically calling Souness “a ####### idiot”
Just wondering if anyone can help … what’s the proper etiquette when you are in M&S at the Fort and you bump into Jimmy Bell :-)