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.
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Kolo Toure will be a great guy to have in the dressing room on Sunday. No doubt he will help keep the lads focused and calm.
Interestingly i have spoken to a few Huns this week in the passing. One was particularly cocky whilst the others seem to rate Pedro quite highly. We shall see.
“He’s a warrior and someone who is always looking to help us and always demanding from teammates. We like those sort of players and if he can be with us, perfect.
Pedro on Clint hill who will probably miss sunday.
He does not half like the term “Warrior”.wonder if this is a new “level 5″terminology to try and stir up the Munters.
FAN-A-TIC on 18TH APRIL 2017 5:06 PM
TURKEYBHOY,
Could not agree more.Dembele gets no service whatsoever at the moment.we saw what he can do in September.His movement is great,and he is strong as an Ox,but we faff about far too long at the back and middle for him to be effective.The goals he scored for France being typical of him.latching on to through balls and letting rip.When was the last time we seen this in the Hoops.Given the right service he could terrorise this Hun back line.
My post should say woderkid defenders.
The new Danny Wilsons.
Remember how much the mssm bummed up that diddy.
I’m sure the scouts at Liverpool felt they had been sent a pale imitation of the new Baresi according to the Scottish press.
seems like “Jump the dyke”mc Cann is to take over at Dundee.Really want them relegated now.
Neil McCann new Dundee boss. Roll on next season.
Wonderkids f%#%ng autocorrect.
McCann whose only real talented is grassing on Celtic players?
I have no doubt they will decline under his coaching.
His tactical analysis is dreadful on tv as he can’t get bye his own prejudices.
No doubt Pedro has been told to big up the guerreiro pish by Jabba since the huns love all that militaristic bombast.
Massages their fragile sense of masculinity I suppose, Let’s face it they’ve been effectively gelded, so they need to cling onto anything no matter how preposterous, to stop them all running about like figures in a Munch painting, if they ever had to face the reality of their situation.
I thought it very harsh to get rid of Hartley, though 7 defeats on the bounce is not great,and hoped he would keep them up.All bets are off, pump Dundee and hope they go down.Hope he has his rulebook with him.
Turkeybhoy on 18th April 2017 5:23 pm
When was the last time we seen this in the Hoops.Given the right service he could terrorise this Hun back line.
=======================================
Service drying up to Moussa seems to coincide with Tom Rogic’s injury.
A fit big Tom pulling some strings, slipping through some deft passes and the machine functions smoother, more action along the opposition backline as we don’t solely rely on wingers to open them up.
Thing is, he didn’t look anywhere near match fit on Sunday.
Paddy or Forrest ?
First 30 minutes will be blood and snotters from the huns and as a more hardworking, physical player Forrest will win the selection battle. Paddy will surface from 60 minutes to have a hand in our 4th, 5th and 6th goals….
Have a look at the Celticbynumbers site – Paddy’s defensive game is not on a par with Jamesey’s.
We just need to find a way of getting out of the cruise control / slumber we have been in recently.
Pedro Calderwood winding up the ‘warrior’ pi$#,he knows the referees are onside .
Sandman- the way Rogic moves forward from central areas , opens space up for Sinclair,Armstrong , and KT on the left.I thought Tom looked a bit sluggish on Sunday, understandably so, i would arrange a closed doors game this week for him and MD, to try and get a bit sharper, Brendan knows best.HH
Forrest will start on Sunday. He will be Brendan’s choice and he would be mine. I’m unsure Rogic is fit enough to influence the game. I would leave him on the bench and play Roberts as the no10.
TTR- interesting , i think BR will try and surprise the huns on Sunday….
I hope you’re right, Paul67. If we Do play to our potential, we will win. But only if Collum and his crew don’t cheat. I’m sure the pressure on them to do precisely that will be immense from the Scottish Establishment. We are an affront to them and once again they don’t try and hide it.
How many of our players have been hacked and injured this season? How many of the thugs, who did the damage, have been red-carded? The other teams know they have a licence to kick us off the park and most choose to do precisely that. How much leeway will Collum accord the mob fae Govan??? Way way too much, I suspect.
As I said, Paul67, I hope you’re right. A hae me doots.
McCann appointed interim manager by Dundee.
We need to stop crosses, Lustig and Forrest[ RC 1st goal on Sun] are culpable for allowing crosses to come into our box far too easily, also defending the back post when the ball comes in from the left they seem not to mark tight enough, match the pace of Miller until he gets tired, we need to control the middle of the park do this push them deep and we will win, they will punt everything to Miller for his speed and Waghorn to barge into people. No surprises for me in how they will play, hope we are ready to destroy them but all need to play their part fully.
Thinking back to the League Cup Final when Sinclair was injured, we lined up the front 4 as follows,
Roberts Rogic Forrest
Dembele
Forrest was MotM and inflicted major damage drifting from the left into a more central role.
I keep thinking back to Tynecastle, the link up between Roberts and Sinclair was superb. Cant see it happening but what about leaving Moussa and Leigh on the bench and going with,
Roberts Rogic Forrest
Sinclair
The Huns will attempt to hatch a plan to stop Sinclair on the left, put him through the middle to expose the lack of speed in their defence.
Forrest is BR’s first choice on the right wing and if fit will start. Roberts best performances this season have been off the bench and has generally been less effective when starting.
German Translation of the Day
Schalk (noun). – mischief, roguery,
Person. – a rogue.
I just hope our players go at it with the attitude and tempo of a Champions League encounter.
Do that, we’ll blow them away; they cannot live with this Celtic side going at it full pelt; they don’t have the quality.
Only our own complacency will give them any window of opportunity.
The big difference between the last game and Sunday will be Rogic.
Modern militaristic bombast is rubbish.
BMCUWP and ERNIE LYNCH ( and others)
I was in court today, nothing decided due to Legal Points that I made ( thank God I made them ) that put a spanner in the defenders works apparently.
I’ve to return to the same Court on …………THE 25th MAY !
I’ll now have to wait until that evening before Hailing The Lisbon Lions with several beers.
Once again, a massive thanks to all the Bhoys on here who helped me, and offered me good wishes.
Hail Hail Bhoys.
and of course any Ghirls ?
They have one card.
Aggression.
It worked in their 1-1 victory.
Celtic need to match that or as in the last match our superior abilities will be much reduced.
I think Brendan will start with James Forrest….to try and run the legs off THEM for 60/65 minutes or so, and then bring on wee Paddy ?
i would start with wee Paddy, but I’m not the Gaffer.
Lets hope we don’t suffer injuries from that scum , and Brendan can then use our subs as HE sees fit tactically ?
I do hope that the cheating events from last Sunday goes some way to make sure that Wullie Collum is “on the ball” ?, as surely after last sunday, ANY Ref for this Huns game will be under even more scrutiny, IF that’s possible ?
Politics, I am an admirer of Bernard Ponsenby of Political Editor of STV ( There’s a man who knows his stuff).
i remember seeing him drinking in Bairds Bar in The Gallowgate on a couple of occasions back in the late 1990’s early ’00’S.
Big Jimmy
Bernard should be our PR man, what an asset he would be to the club.
“Neil McCann: Delighted To Be Here” https://theclumpany.wordpress.com/2017/04/18/neil-mccann-delighted-to-be-here/
See him going to the game on a regular basis.
If we stand off them on Sunday, like the draw at Celtic Park, it will give them encouragement, and the ref.
We need to show them we are better.
Power, Pace, Aggression. Dont give them a minute’s peace, its not time for fancy dan football.
Show the steel first.
Then attack them.
Non-stop.
HH
We need to realise the bookies aren’t often wrong. The price @6-1 reflects the gap between us and them.
Stop the panicking about the referee, we’ve dealt with it throughout our history.
Looking forward to pumping them and put them in their place….below us.
If we fight for everything and play football….we will smash them.
Any indecision on our part, we will be punished.
We need to dominate from the off.
Grrrrr:)
HH
Maffo/BMCUW
BT Sport Films 23:15 tonight – Ref: Stories from the Weekend.
An in-depth look at the world of referees, contrasting those at the elite level to the men and women doing the job at different levels of the game.
Followed by a film about Scottish referees ‘Dirty Rotten Scoundrels”.
First celtic player tae get clobbered on sunday?, rogic.
I’m taking bets now.
Sean Thornton
They will target Scott Brown.
If we nullify their aggression, we will take five off them again:)
HH