You detect a notion in some circles that Newco might beat Celtic in the Scottish Cup semi-final next week, if only Scott Brown was removed from the equation. This belief is based on two football games, the corresponding fixture last season, when Newco prevailed on penalty kicks, and the more recent league draw at Celtic Park. On both occasions Celtic played well within themselves.
By any measure, we could lose on Sunday. Ross County (8th in the table) took a point on Sunday, while Partick Thistle and Newco have both drawn at Celtic Park in the last five weeks. Football regularly provides random results, and Celtic are due one. You will also share concerns we all have about refereeing decisions denying us the treble, as happened on Scottish Cup semi-final day two years ago.
But is a referee fails to award Celtic a penalty when an opponent punches the ball off the line, refuses to red card the player, then awards our opponents a penalty, and sends a Celtic player off, our chances of delivering the treble will likely perish again. None of this will have anything to do with Scott Brown.
We faced this lot in September without our talisman, Leigh Griffiths, who was injured. This created space for Moussa Dembele to score a hat-trick. What Moussa proved that day is that games are not determined by those who miss out, but by the attitude of those who take to the field.
Consider, for a moment, the attitude among the Celtic support, players and management since Sunday. There’s a sense of grievance there, a pulling together in the face of a clear injustice. It’s almost impossible to conjure up such a scenario when you’ve passed 40 games undefeated in the season, but here we are.
Let’s bring it onto the Hampden pitch.
The raffle winner of two tickets for the semi-final, courtesy of Celtic sponsor, Intelligent Car Leasing, has been informed but I’ve not had a confirmation email back – so check your inbox!!
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HH
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COYBIG
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Foiled :)
Hopefully the teams righteous indignation from the weekend coupled with the disappointment of the draw at Celtic Park has the team focussed for the semi-final. We will certainly need to tighten up at the back as we have been conceding cheap goals of late. That said we are better than Sevco all over the park and as long as we match them in attitude, desire and workrate then the football should take care of itself.
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Oh Dear..!
What Will Be The Effect Of The June Election….
On The Tartan Merkel’s Mandate..?
“Doon-The-Lavvy-Pan..!”
“Whoosh…!”
TigerTimCSC
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Lee Griffiths, Scott Brown, Kieran Tierney…
& John Terry DEMAND…
The “Ongoing-Social-Project-That-Is-HamiltonTim”….
Is BANNED From Parkheid….
SINE DIE….!
AbsolutelyCSC
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For me this is simplay a vote for or against Brexit.
This being the case I will vote SNP.
I didn’t think i’d ever vote them again due to Brexit being already on the go.
Labour are lead badly in this area by Jer.
Lib Dems are a wasted vote.
Tories Brexit and defo always a never ever for me.
Green is a pointless vote in GE.
So it’s wrhe best of a bad lot for me simply based on Brexit.
This is the last chance to have any chance of blowing the disasterous 1 topic Brexit vote out the water.
MWD
*simply
If we ‘turn up’ on Sunday we will win, if we don’t we won’t !
For every Celt that they sent off , they gave us 20 more !
May makes her Erdogan move.
The authority of an evangelical bigot.
On the article.
Celtic will win this weekend.
That’s it.
MWD
As I said earlier let’s go down the bring it on approach rather than oh dear the ref might beat us. Let’s just do this mob
HH
Noticed that Theresa May is calling for an election as a distraction from the ongoing conspiracy against Celtic
I’m not so easily fooled Theresa!
Paul67
Timely reminder for anyone who doubts the willingness of scottish referees to be ‘blatant’, although Midden did a great job of that a few weeks ago.
No excuses on Sunday,find a way to win.
Well said Paul. Hope whoever is selected shows up with the right attitude and the team plays at a high tempo from the off. AND NO SILLY DEFENSIVE MISTAKES PLEASE!
Meanwhile, let us all pull together for Erik at this difficult time…
https://theclumpany.wordpress.com/2017/04/17/erik-sviatchenko-is-in-big-trouble/
And let’s hope Sky eventually lose the rights to Scottish football. They are a joke!
https://theclumpany.wordpress.com/2017/04/16/the-skys-the-absolute-limit/
William Hill is offering Sevco at 6/1 on Sunday.
I would imagine that those whose views are created by the MSSM will be amazed at those odds.
JJ
Tartan Merkel Sturgeon or Tarty Merkin May(be)?
Hmmmm.
Sturgeon shows she doesn’t do irony.
“The Prime Minister’s announcement today is one all about the narrow interests of her own party, not the interests of the country overall.”
Terrible thing that, political opportunism.
If I got a response to my question re Boyata`s absence last Sunday I didn`t see it. Was he simply rested or injured?
If the former, then I full expect this team for Sunday:
Gordon;
Lustig , Svietchenko, Boyata, Tierney.
Forrest Brown, Armstrong, Rogic, Sinclair.
Dembele.
Roberts and McGregor to come on at some stage for Forrest and Rogic.
Possibly even change to a back three and bring on Griffiths for Lustig.
JJ
Ach well, at least this place won’t be full of Brexit or Independence stuff for a while…..:(
I forgot about Kouassi. He might have to come on for our Captain after Broonie receives the obligatory yellow. Eboue will get the Red instead !
JJ
JJ
Stupid FC team
Hun goalie *1
Hun back four
Hun midfielding midfielders *3
Hun striking strikers *1
Hun ref.
Hun linesman * 2
hun 4th official
MWD
Hot Smoked, I’d have worries over Sviatchenko playing at the back as he has been lacklustre and wasteful in possession since the turn of the year. Not sure that Jozo & Boyata are as natural a fit but I’d be inclined to play them together.
My team would be:
Gordon,
Lustig, Simunovic, Boyata, Tierney
Roberts, Armstrong, Brown, Rogic, Sinclair
Dembele
Barrybhoy
Oops ! I meant Simunovic , not Erik .
JJ
Also, I would play Roberts but I think Brendan, who might know a little more than I do, will go for Forrest.
JJ
JJ- Boyata and Lustig had small niggling injuries and were rested
Interesting JJ
Hibernian v Aberdeen
5/2
12/5
10/11
+ 48 Bets
Stats
23 Apr 12:00 UK Celtic v Rangers
4/11
7/2
6/1
+ 42 Bets
Stats
Click for all today’s matches
Bada
Thanks.
Cheerio for now,
JJ
JJ- agree, Forrest been patchy last few games,Paddy to start for me
Paul67
Grievances and there are more than one won’t get in BR way, but I hope he uses them to good effect in his team talk.
He has a better hand to play, with an infinitely better squad and the gap between Celtic and Sevco far greater than when the Rangers boot was on the other foot, and good Celtic sides were routinely trampled under the weight of EBT’s, financial fraud, and a fair sprinkling of mibbery.
Sevco having to compete on a level playing field isn’t working out too well, and anything other than a Celtic victory in the cup is unthinkable.
Willie Collum has been hand picked in the hope that he’s due to contribute to ‘diminishing the gap’ and if he gets a chance he’ll take it with eyes wide shut.
Tonydonnnelly 67
Interesting, indeed. Would Aberdeen be 6/1 if they were our opponents?
Anyway, I have to go.
Cheerio,
JJ
Barrybhoy,
Not much wrong with that selection neebs.
In saying that, I think Brendan will go with the advice of JJ on Sunday.
HH