Winners win and losers lose, yesterday proved that beyond all doubt. Credit to Steven Gerrard, who had his team press against the champions. Celtic played an hour without a striker, but that was no mitigation for the sheer gulf in performance between the teams.
Winning nine trophies in succession gave Celtic the tools to survive an onslaught that would have buried others, although much of the credit must go to Fraser Forster, who played in none of those nine wins. By contrast, Newco played like they had a deep-seated loser schema. There is no other viable explanation as to why a team can dominate so thoroughly but show so little composure when it came to making a difference.
Central to all of this was Alfredo Morelos. He is Newco’s best player but he is not good enough. He does not have the mentality to do what is necessary against Celtic, and for a team who aspire to win things in Scotland, that is unacceptable.
His psychological makeup was questioned when he was the most red carded player in world football last season. He has not been ordered off this season, although that should change with a retrospective charge for running his studs down Christopher Jullien’s Achilles. Scoring and behaving when it doesn’t really matter is pointless if you cannot find calm when it counts.
The goal looked offside at first pass but the picture is less clear having watched the replay dozens of times. Newco’s Helander moves behind Jullien’s frame. On camera, we do not see which of them has a playable body part nearer goal when the kick is taken.
The finish was a carbon copy of Ciro Immobile’s opener against Celtic in Rome. Immobile showed his class with that goal, Jullien showed a comparable touch and composure. He is a winner and a leader.
A lifetime watching Celtic play Oldco and Newco came together for me a moment after Odsonne Edouard came on as a second half substitute. His first action was to have the legs taken from him by Connor Goldson. It was as though we were watching John Greig doing what made him the Greatest Ever Ranger – kicking a Celtic player. Some things never change.
Celtic were ahead before Newco touched the ball again. If Walt Whitman best described Wednesday’s win over Hamilton, Lennon (the other one) inspired this victory when he sang, “Instant Karma’s gonna get you”. This is Celtic in their poetry period.
Tom Rogic signed shirt raffle for Celtic FC Foundation
The Celtic squad wore a special shirt for last month’s league game against Motherwell, bearing the Celtic FC Foundation Christmas Appeal logo instead of the normal Dafabet logo on the front, and the words “Christmas Appeal” on the back, instead of the Magners logo.
Tom Rogic’s signed shirt from that day is available for raffle. Each donation of £10 or more will be entered into a draw, which will take place on Friday 13 December. The shirt will be posted on Monday 16th (or available for collection at the Hibs game on Sunday 15th).
The Celtic FC Foundation do incredible work throughout the world all year round, but their work with those most in need in the winter months, and for children and families coping with chronic poverty, can give warmth, nourishment, self-respect and human compassion that some people struggle to find. All donations go straight to the Foundation.
This is why Celtic exists. You can enter here at JustGiving. Good luck and thank you!!
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Golf course closed.
Time to watch the final celebrations again.
BDO UK update
Case update:
RFC 2012 PLC (FORMERLY THE RANGERS FOOTBALL CLUB PLC) – IN LIQUIDATION
10 December 2019
https://www.bdo.co.uk/en-gb/rfc-2012-plc
Comic thread already on lemingleming about their tax bill..kinda how to develop a narrative on how youv nae insight 😊😊
HH
Thanks to Jobo for continuing with the greatly appreciated CQNMoTM.
My three picks were Forster, then Forster, and finally Forster. I found it near impossible to select two other players.
Based on the starting 11:
Frimpong caught the eye, sure, but failed to defend his back post giving Morelos two scoring chances, and then got caught wrong side again to concede the penalty and the subsequent sending off. He’s playing full back, and Morelos scores virtually all of his goals at the back post. It’s Full Back 1.01 stuff. A learner for the Dutch padawan
Ajer lost a number of challenges defending set pieces, then made an @rse of it down the touchline letting Morelols in again with a scoring chance.
Jullien as above for Ajer at set pieces, added to which some quite eccentric passing. (Lovely finish mind).
Hayes worked really hard, fair play. Worked hard, that’s first base. Johnny got to first base.
Broonie and Calmac were on their tod against 5 opponents in the centre of the park. A tough gig any day, and a hopeless one yesterday.
Elyounoussi was gash.
Jamesie was gash.
Christie was too far forward to help his midfield buddies, and too far away from Morgan to help him out.
Morgan was gash.
The substitutions went some way to sorting things out, particularly Edouard who (for 4 minutes or so) allowed us to get the ball beyond their midfield. Set up the best chance of the match with some classic centre forward play in his own half, and had Jeremie learned to defend the back post, big Eddie might well have changed the narrative of the match. As it was, he got a 30 minute mud run for his efforts.
Wee Mikey looked interested, ought to have scored, but didn’t.
Bitton did well enough in his 30 minutes for a centre mid playing centre half in a big match with a man down, perhaps overlooked.
After the red card it became an attritional slog-fest. Every player bust their butt for the team, Christie and Brown particularly so. 10/10 all round for bloody-minded endeavour, discipline and guts.
But 35 minutes of bloody-minded endeavour and guts doesn’t make a MoTM performance.
In the end up I gave a mention to Broonie and Johnny Hayes, but only because not doing so would have bust poor Jobo’s system.
Reckon Big Fra should have got the points for 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th, with a point each to whoever made up the numbers.
BBC out the traps with the tax bill reduced by another 5 million, still was around 67 million owed and the liquidators stated that Rangers entered liquidation on the 31st of October 2012, no financial issues administration demotion but LIQUIDATION, they are dead we are now playing Sevco with a fake history given to them by corrupt decisions within Football.
THE BATTERED BUNNET
You are absolutely bang on about Frimpong, Ajer and Jullien and not for the first time with any of them.
Frimpong is an exciting prospect when attacking but is so out of sorts defending. Caught on the ‘wrong’ side on many occasions. Hopefully, this will be coached out of him.
Ajer thinks he’s Beckenbauer but often doesn’t get close enough to his opponent, loses aerial challenges or dives in. I think he believes the hype. He also needs specialised coaching.
As for Jullien, for a big, big guy I hoped that he would be much more dominant in the air. The passes too can be erratic.
We need to address these areas(and others you mentioned) before we welcome thems to Celtic Park because they are hurting big time and want revenge so we can’t be complacent.
Dessybhoy
Fom that `article`:
“The tax claim does not relate to the current Rangers set-up and it is not liable for any of the back-tax claim.
The dispute involves the way some players were being paid from 2001 to 2009 by the company that then owned Rangers, ”
NB `The current (!) Rangers set up`; and ` the company that then owned Rangers, ` !!
The impartial BBC. Bless `em .
Vale Bhoy
`As for Jullien, for a big, big guy I hoped that he would be much more dominant in the air`
I thought I read on here a couple of weekd ago that Jullien had a fantastic recore re winning aeriao duels? Maybe even 100%.
Personally, I am not yet convinced of the Big man`s quality.
Now that the euphoria has settled a bit,some questions need to be asked.Just who was it that thought Elyanoussi was fit enough to play?.Looked like he was towing a tractor.The faster his legs went,the slower he got.Shocking to pick him in front of Mikey anyway who had already had game time and scored a couple.
If Lenny honestly thinks that Morgan can play up front on his own,he has had a brain freeze.Serious lack of judgment.Not slagging the boy.Because we all love Lenny,does not mean he is above criticism.A bit less of the deep thinking,Guardiola stuff,and do what we do best.The lack of any threat from both playersgave the Hun players a massive lift.
Hopefully, never to be repeated
THE BATTERED BUNNET on 10TH DECEMBER 2019 11:33 AM
Frimpong caught the eye, sure, but failed to defend his back post giving Morelos two scoring chances, and then got caught wrong side again to concede the penalty and the subsequent sending off. He’s playing full back, and Morelos scores virtually all of his goals at the back post. It’s Full Back 1.01 stuff. A learner for the Dutch padawan
____
Bit harsh.
Julien smashes his clearance off Ajer. Was Frimpong supposed to anticipate that?
Let me try that bit again using recognised English words:
I thought I read on here a couple of weeks ago that Jullien had a fantastic record re winning aerial duels? Maybe even 100%.
new article posted.
Hot smoked,
Can’t see any problem with Julliens heading ability.The stats were,he won the most headers in the French League.I thought when we went down to 10 men,he and Biton were terrific,as Jullien was at Ibrox earlier.
Still hungover from Sunday
What a day
Celtic will be the death of me
B-)