This time last year the league was in the bag, as it is today, but we had Champions League football to look forward to in the coming days, and would ultimately go on to win the Scottish Cup. The Champions League is always going to be a hard place to measure progress for a club seeded in pot 4, last season it was hard enough to Benfica, a pot 2 team who were eliminated by Celtic but still progressed to the Europa League final.
Domestic cup performances for Celtic is a more accessible measuring tool. After home defeats to Morton (good grief) and now Aberdeen we may well ask, what went wrong?
It was evident from early in the second half that whatever match plan we had was not effective, and despite the introduction of fresh faces, the performance didn’t improve. Aberdeen defended outside their box very effectively, making it difficult for Celtic to play the kind of passes which Samaras released Stokes with to score early in the game. Forrest found red shirts blocking his path whenever he got going. Commons had a day when nothing sparked. Possession was cheaply conceded throughout as Celtic continued to ask the same question of the Aberdeen defence.
While we are playing in in impoverished Scottish football Aberdeen represent the strongest possible opponents. They are second in the league and were the last team to score against us on merit. Yesterday wasn’t a fluke result, it was deserved and marked the progress of Derek McInnes’ team.
So where does this leave us? Celtic remain imperious in the Premiership, the fact that they’ve not tasted defeat against a weaker team there, or conceded in 11 games, is historically impressive, but against the best of the rest, there are question marks, as there will be for Champions League qualifiers.
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BSR.18.56
What you mention is correct but please tell me how they
rig a draw with a young wealthy Celtic fan live on TV picking
the balls out a glass vase ?
Angelgabriel
Haven’t a clue but Rankers at home to Albion was a stick on – as is Aberdeen v Dundee Utd/Aberdeen semi
Any of our experienced betting Bhoys tell me the likely odds on predicting all 4 semi finalist and the cup winner – guarantee the bookies wnt be offering anything like the true odds
Awe_Naw
We closed half the stadium, because the ‘shrewd’ board knew there was no demand, subsequently with the stay aways now firmly established the team was already a goal down to a hungry ‘best in years’, Aberdeen club.
They even had pre prepared banners to jibe the empty stadium, and yes it affected the players, whose heads were down.
We were even outsang with repetitive Lennon Lennon GTF and had to endure the C … word and Paedo chants that rivalled only the Sevco singers.
The season ticket base is irrepairably damaged.
While I’m on, we couldn’t even sign the griffmeister before the five o’clock deadline to give him a runout last week,it’s a long time since Peter was the sharp suited man . Cork celt if you’re tuned in,back in the eighties my brother was teaching in clonmel so we trooped down to see him only to be greeted by the st Patricks day parade.on the 24th of March .the weather was dreadful on 17th so they had the gig a week later,a Sunday luckily enough much to the delight of my dad’ didn’t have to go to all this trouble for us ‘says he nice welcoming committee though.only in Ireland !
bournesouprecipe. It will be a poor state of affairs if when we welcome back Fergus at the start of next season the stadium is half empty.However,its very likely.thats what will happen.H.H.
angel
I don’t know, but can you rule it out given the level of cheating already exposed?
The funny thing is they will be roundly thrashed by any SPL side especially Aberdeen, and
a hand picked Barry Cook or Wille Collum
I agree it’s not really important to the Celtic today.
HH
Everyone can have an opinion on Resolution 12. The truth will only become apparent by the action Celtic take and results achieved by that action.
Could the rigged draw conspiracy theorists please explain how Sevco were drawn away to Dundee United in the Scottish cup last season?
Its not the point of was the draw rigged.
It the overwhelming mistrust of the SFA and those running the game is this country that
goalposts will be moved to accomodate sevco at every turn.
Ogilvie is not just a laughing stock in a position of influence to celtic fans now but go onto the websites of other clubs and see for yourselves that nothing and I mean nothing that him and his cohorts do or decide will be looked apon with disbeief and mistrust.
For flip :)) sake even the sevco fans dont trust him and his partners(I kid you not),
IMHO the game is doomed in this country without change at the top NOW.
It is time now for the board to ban opposing fans of any clubs who sing offensive songs at our stadium, but don’t hold your breath, por cierto
Don’t know if Mulgrew was injured yesterday but I think we missed him in midfield. Now that Ledley has gone Johanson will have to find his feet quickly.
You can dominate possession as much as you want but when you have little cutting edge up front then you will not score many goals.
Barcelona don’t play with any forwards but let’s be honest here we ain’t Barcelona.
I’m surprised Pukki didn’t play yesterday but then again I was more surprised that Stokes did after failing to play in Derk for a tap in last week. He should have been dropped for that alone.
What message it sends to Pukki when he has a good match and then is dropped for the next two. Strange man management!
What is lacking in our team is simple; there is no semblance of a striking partnership and there hasn’t been one all season. We continually overlook talent within the Scottish arena that knows how to play, and more importantly score, in this country. This is not rocket science. Really it isn’t. Whether the guy can do it in Europe is immaterial. We currently have guys who cannot do it in the domestic league, or do it so infrequently, that it makes no difference. The management team said we needed a physical presence up front but we allowed Jon Daly to go to a third division team. This is a guy who knows where the net is and found it regularly in the top league. Sometimes you don’t need to make a profit on a player if that player can supply you with what you desperately need. Under our current system Moravcik would not be signed and to be honest that is what our team is screaming out for. Experience and someone who has been round the block a few times.
Over the last three years we have had Bangura, Murphy, Rasmussen, Lassad, Mikku. That was simply money down the drain. We do not even have a realistic back up but then again we do not have a realistic first choice.
We quickly need to work out how we want our forward line to play, within the overall pattern of the team, and then buy someone who fits into that pattern. The days are over for ‘projects’, the support have had enough of it and are being scunnered by sub-standard players.
There is no point in Peter Lawwell, and I’m actually a fan of his, saying we could spend £8M on a player when it is clear to everyone that there is no way we are going to do it. It is patronising nonsense.
So the bottom line is look within Scotland and buy somebody who is going to do the business whether it is Bill MacKay from Inverness or a another player who is regularly outscoring our forwards. As I said above it is not really rocket science.
Morrissey. Fella I cant help but think your flogging a dead horse. H.H.
Yesterday’s closing of the top tier will be the norm next season. They will try to sell all STs for lower section and only open the top tier for European games. CP will have a domestic capacity of 34k and even then we won’t fill it.
Sad but inevitable, they have lost a large section of the support.
John O’Neil
17:24 on
9 February, 2014
Who cares about the Morton result? The league cup is a waste of time and energy. Didn’t NL play some young players that night? We lost. People scolded Neil and the club for the result. Play the young guys and lose and you are in big trouble.
The League Cup is a waste of time. Reminds me of some Huns who used to wonjder why big teams like THEM should have to play in it. Today THEY would give an arm and a leg to win it.
I also imagine that it is a waste of time that generates around a million pounds or more for reaching the final.
Jinkyredstar.
Being a betting Bhoy myself,I know plenty about true odds,
value odds and crap odds.
Aberdeen were value yesterday.We were poor odds on shots.
Look beyond the hype.
The zombies got lucky in a draw.It happens.
Upon :((
dont type while ranting csc
Joe Filippis
Neat trick the Fergus invite, the board are away ahead like when they know they
don’t have to Steward, Police, or cater for the upper tier, when it means a sparse
overall crowd, saves cash.
The Fergus game will be in different days, and much more in demand with another
title tucked away, fresh hope, and a summer of much change?
iPaddy McCourt
You are 100% correct, nothing untoward has ever happened in Scottish football. Never, ever, ever……some honest mistakes perhaps but to suggest chicanery exists in the SFA, it’s rubbish.
Campbell Ogilvie has been a fresh broom and built on the success of Mr Farry, Nice Gordon and other stalwarts like George Peat.
iPaddy
They weren’t trading as insolvent in their first season?
quonno
A million for reaching league cup final !? Sounds like Charles Green accounting !
Joe Filippis Haircut @ 19:26
Time will tell.
BCW @ 19.03
Same thing.
bournesouprecipe. Maybe im a bit to negative but I cant see 60,000 at Parkhead unless it is for a big European game.The way the stadium was constructed we can still scale down further if required both behind the goal areas can be close off along with the top tier leaving just each side open saving on stewards police and staff from certain catering units.Celtic are not expanding unfortunately we are down sizing. H.H.
bournesouprecipe
It was actually Gus Macpherson who came a way with the phrase “it was a Rangers penalty” after another dreadful award against St Mirren. He knew what they get and given his early playing career he should.
When Samaras goes hopefully he will take Lennon with him. One up from at home in a cup game. One of the worst games I have attended in 30 year.
Is the sfa corrupt – yes
does the sfa favour one team -yes
do we have blatantly cheating refs -yes
does the above mean that the cup draw is fixed -no
More significant than yesterday’s team selection itself, was what unfolded when plan A was falling apart and it was time to send for the cavalry.
First up was Griffiths, a player not match fit due to be signed only a week ago in the dying moments of the transfer window due to the usual PL prevarication in these matters..
Amongst acquaintances I am known as a tightwad compared to whom Scrooge was a bit of a spendthrift. However, the time comes when even I recognise that the price is the price and stoney faced stump up.
Next up were Balde and Boerrigter signed in the summer and who have convinced the manager to such a degree that they seldom get on from the start. For good measure Pukki another who hasn’t exactly set the heather on fire was on the bench.
There is nothing wrong with a strategy of works in progress that can be sold on at a profit.
However, these have to be supplemented with some ready made items. A few weeks ago NL was giving off about some earning more than others causing dressing room problems.
Surely it is the manager’s job to keep on top of these problems.
On the matter of signing policy. PL should be asked to explain why another transfer window has passed without the acquisition of the physically dominating line leader that NL craves.
First post this year,I got fed up with the petty squabbling .
If you had a £1-2m to spend ,who would you buy.
Derk Borrigter or Gary Mackay- Stevens.
An Dun
19:32 on
9 February, 2014
quonno
A million for reaching league cup final !? Sounds like Charles Green accounting !
I am making a guess.
Could you supply me with the actual figure.
Sevco were 4/1 to win the Scottish cup with paddy power last nite. After the draw 2day they are now 3/1 2nd favourites.
Won’t be in slightest bit surprised to see them win it.
BSR 19.24
No debate on the level of previous cheating buddy, I just believe
what I saw with my own eyes and the zombies got lucky.
Like yourself I believe them to insignificant Unfortunately many
fans believe otherwise. Would the top tier have been closed
if we had drawn them instead of Aberdeen ? Nae chance.
Morrissey the 23rd Viva Resolution 12!
Good to see you yesterday ,you look to be filling out a bit :))))))
fanadpatriot. I would rather sign all the best young Scottish players just as long as they are better than any current youngsters at the club.I would only go for foreign players if we couldnt find what we require in Scotland.H.H.
SOAL
Never leave early but know lots of folk that do. Shameless lot!!
To those who are worrying about Sevco winning the cup, have you seen them play this season. They are garbage. They play caveman football which relies on launching the ball up to a big lump, they have evolved zero in their ‘journey’ from the team that died. The 3 stoogies that stand on the sidelines, one with a clipboard, one with a steam bake and one with a kebab have no idea what they are doing. To compensate having these clowns they need a budget of about a hundred times their opponents in their league to ensure they get promotion.
Aberdeen, Dundee United, St Johnstone & ICT will all beat them should they meet in semis.
Fellow tims
Disappointed yestrday but I will be supporting the bhoys next week
I dont give two hucks about the scott cup now
Move on
Neil bhoy is the man for us as we cant get that great man Moyes
Anyone got any tips for haggling/getting free extras on your motor when dealing with Douglas Park? Or is it just not possible?
fana
Stevie May!!