Celtic’s run of 27 games unbeaten in domestic football came to an end yesterday as Kilmarnock surprised even their own fans, who bought fewer tickets for the final than they did for the semi-final, perhaps anticipating a reversal.
The bedrock of that magnificent run has been incredibly strong defensive performances; even when Aberdeen scored to take a point earlier this month, their goal benefited from an enormous deflection and the interaction of two debutant defenders.
Kilmarnock’s goal yesterday benefited from no such fortune. Ki didn’t match the forward run of Lee Johnson and Kelvin Wilson didn’t attack the cross. It was, however, a good goal, exploiting the expansive Hampden pitch with some fine passing and excellent movement.
Cammy Bell deservedly won Man of the Match but none of his many saves were spectacular. It could be argued that the stop from Gary Hooper five minutes in turned the match but it was a gift to Bell’s highlights DVD.
Celtic looked like a team who have run out of steam. Profligacy in front of goal and a momentary lapse in defence was all Kilmarnock needed to secure the cup.
I didn’t get a good view of the Anthony Stokes penalty incident at the game, it was Hampden after all, but on the radio going home I heard the evidence clearly confirmed it was not a penalty, which Neil Lennon would realise after he calmed down a bit, despite his initial reaction on seeing a replay.
Television evidence could not be clearer. Michael Nelson went to ground to tackle Stokes and didn’t come within 2 feet of the ball but clipped the Celtic player’s ankle while he was in the process of controlling a fast moving ball.
There was no dispute that Stokes ankle was clipped. No claims were made that Nelson played the ball, or even got close to playing the ball. The incident was an indisputable foul.
When you are running at speed the contact required to force you to lose to lose control of the ball is slight, more than enough contact was made on Stokes to hugely reduce his chances of scoring. Nelson made a rash and ill-timed challenge which should have resulted in an injury-time penalty.
Our sincerest condolences to the Liam Kelly, his family, Kenny Shiels and the Kilmarnock players on the death of Liam’s father Jack in the minutes after full time.
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Gary Hooper is either (a) off form, (b) lacks composure or is (c) just not good enough ( mind not made up yet but thinking it is probably c ) any striker worth his salt would have scored that chance in a cup final, knowing the other team would have needed 2 goals to win.
So in my humble opinion he blew it for the team, he was not alone though, there were other culprits as well, along with good goalkeeping from Bell.
The posters who say Killie deserved to win, I don’t think so,they were lucky. Lucky Celtic had an off day,lucky there keeper had a good day and lucky that Rogne was injured.Too many players under-performed from FF to AS on the day ad thats the reason we lost.
To all lurking huns I would just like to repeat what I saw earlier on CQN
DISAPPOINTMENT IS TEMPORARY BUT LIQUIDATION IS PERMANENT
Love to see Celtic at Bury, Rochdale, Oldham, Preston, Huddersfield,Tranmere, Sheffield.
Free taxi to the game for you Bhoys.
RTC taking Tom English to school on twitter at the moment. Very entertaining.
Ten Men Won The League on 19 March, 2012 at 14:29
Forrest & Hooper more likely to be on the treatment table than the bench
I would ask all Celtic supporters not to phone any of the P I’s tonight in protest re Colum’s anti Celtic attitude. Let them sit and drum their fingers for 2 hours. I was planning to phone and ask keevins abt his disgraceful way he spoke to callers last week. But he can wait till it suits me. He told one caller to SHUT UP AND LISTEN and had to be slapped down by Sheila Mc Laren. Little runt!!!!
I use Avast and I think its pretty damn good, the best free one I’ve tried anyway. Also as someone else mentioned Malwarebytes is a very good utility to run every now and again.
As for Sunday I hope the bhoys take the agony from yesterday and channel it into Sunday, we would give them a right going over, would be great to win the league at Ibrox by a huge scoreline, when they are in Administration. To see the looks on their faces would be priceless.
Eyes wide open
Sometimes individual moments of skill can get you something out of nothing.
Commons swivel and pass for Stokes against Aberdeen was one such moment.
Young James seems to have run out of gas at the moment. Commons might provide the artistry to combine with Sammi’s power and pace.
Rieperman on 19 March, 2012 at 14:40 said:
RTC taking Tom English to school on twitter at the moment. Very entertaining.
Any chance you could share the tweets on here m8??
Hail hail
The prospect of the Bhoys playing competitive football south of the border has been thrown out, however, with Football League chairman Greg Clarke insisting that it would be ‘disrespectful’ to the Scottish League to even consider the notion.
“We have absolutely no intention of having any discussions with any club from another national league regarding membership of our competition,” said Clarke.
“This would be highly disrespectful to the Scottish FA and Scottish Premier League and will not be countenanced by the Football League.”
End of that discussion.
Is it true colum made the teams change tops yesterday? Oh the power of the wee smidger!!!
Paul67 et al
Radio 5 are doing some kind of Football special this evening at seven. Something about a club struggling in Administration. Does anybody know what the format is, is there a live audience, is it a phone-in, or is it, a “how can Scotland survive?” type of forum. Pound to a penny Jim Traynor will be invited! Paul, have you perchance been contacted re said debate?
jude2005
I don’t think it was the ref’s decision to change tops.
googybhoy
Oh well no English League 1, have to settle for Eredivisie then.
Mort
Ibleedgreenandwhite, It’s a bit disjointed as they are replying to each other on two different threads. Use the time frame (ie. 2h = 2 hrs ago) to piece it together properly. Hope this makes sense..
@TomEnglishSport “@rangerstaxcase: Updated: Campbell Ogilvie: In his own words http://wp.me/1sJnS with proof he was a Rangers director”
View media
2h Tom English @TomEnglishSport · Open
@limerickmick2 @rangerstaxcase What are you on about? He says in the piece that he was a director.No great mystery here. Calm down
31m Rangers Tax-Case @rangerstaxcase · Open
@TomEnglishSport @limerickmick2 Your interview reinforces the view that he either directed scam or is a complete buffoon unfit for office
11m Tom English @TomEnglishSport · Open
@rangerstaxcase Your followers have strung him up. The “puff piece” reference is playing to the galleries. Let the inquiry get to the truth.
Rangers Tax-Case @rangerstaxcase Close
@TomEnglishSport To labour the point, the FTT ruling is irrelevant to RFC (under CO) paying players in breach of SFA rules. No need to wait.
Owner @limerickmick2 · Open
@TomEnglishSport “@rangerstaxcase: Updated: Campbell Ogilvie: In his own words http://wp.me/1sJnS with proof he was a Rangers director”
View media
2h Tom English @TomEnglishSport · Open
@limerickmick2 @rangerstaxcase What are you on about? He says in the piece that he was a director.No great mystery here. Calm down
34m Rangers Tax-Case @rangerstaxcase · Open
@TomEnglishSport @limerickmick2 Your interview reinforces the view that he either directed scam or is a complete buffoon unfit for office
19m Tom English @TomEnglishSport · Open
@rangerstaxcase Yes, but let’s hear what the inquiry unearths before assuming guilt. The rush to convict is unseemly…
Rangers Tax-Case @rangerstaxcase Close
@TomEnglishSport There is no dispute that RFC broke SFA rules by paying players outside of their “contract”. This has nothing to do with FTT
For those of you who, like me, were overly presumptous and took an annual leave from work to celebrate today and are now wondering what to with it, ESPN have Spartak v CSKA live at 3.30 today. Hope young Aiden is on the field to take my mind off yesterday !
TJ
Rieperman on 19 March, 2012 at 14:52 said:
Ibleedgreenandwhite, It’s a bit disjointed as they are replying to each other on two different threads. Use the time frame (ie. 2h = 2 hrs ago) to piece it together properly. Hope this makes sense..
Cheers m8!
Hail hail
We were the better team but we didn’t play well. Too many players had an off-day especially Joe Ledleywho has been very reliable all season. Collum is a timid and incompetent referee. His decision on the penalty was ridiculous. He probably has not kicked a ball in his life and, in the interest of football, he should follow O’Reilly out of the door.Let’s pick ourselves up for next week.
Still gutted from yesterday. In truth wasn’t that bothered beforehand about this trophy but it just makes me feel sick when a referee can cheat us out of a chance. Onwards and upwards to greater things
I would like to see James sit out for a few weeks. The Bhoy can be an exciting player but suffers from the old 80/20 syndrome with the greater percentage of his play ineffective. Would never have thought I would say this, but I would play Sammi in wide left field in preference and shift the other guys around. Would also be happy with Commons in there. I think this is our best team….
Forster
Mathews Wanyama Rogne Mulgrew
Brown Ki Ledley Samaras
Hooper Stokes
Would expect to see this team start at Ibrox in the last ever Old Firm game.
Feeling rough? Need cheering up?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pDk75Y1SZ4
Sheildmuir Celtic
I can confirm that Collum has never kicked a ball in his life. He was always last picked for any games at school and this has driven him to revenge against all those Celtic supporters at school who made his life a misery.
However he didn’t cause Hooper to miss nor Bell to make some outstanding saves. The way Bell was playing I wouldn’t have been certain that Broonie would have scored.
coorslad on 19 March, 2012 at 10:17 said:
Just caught your post.
I made no criticism of Neil Lennon in my post.
In December Neil identified a couple of problem areas.
DD and PL failed, as is now customary, in January to provide the means with which Neil could rectify the problems, namely a lack of experienced players and a Sutton/Hartson-like, physically imposing target man who can terrorise defences.
Yesterday, for all their scoring potential Hooper and Stokes were simply swatted aside.
In Celtic’s recent history there have been far too many January transfer windows where a failure to rectify glaring deficiencies has ultimately proved costly later in the season.
Tom English @TomEnglishSport Reply Retweet Favorite · Open
Like I’ve said many, many times, the SPL inquiry has to be independent and thorough. Everybody assuming it will be a whitewash. Let’s see
12m Tom English @TomEnglishSport Reply Retweet Favorite · Open
@rangerstaxcase You have already found them guilty of illegal double contracts, have you? I’d hate to appear in front of your court.
In reply to Rangers Tax-Case
13m Tony McKelvie @TonyMcKelvie Reply Retweet Favorite · Open
@rangerstaxcase @TomEnglishSport CO is saying that any inquiry will find he signed invalid contracts for an ineligible players. Gosh! Tom?
In reply to Rangers Tax-Case
25m Rangers Tax-Case @rangerstaxcase Reply Retweet Favorite · Open
@TomEnglishSport SFA President signs contracts but only because no on else was around? “Someone else” understood them? What a farce.
Henrik’s Golden Boot on 19 March, 2012 at 14:23 said:
Billysbhoy
I agree re Commons however based on appearances made he doesnt deserve a starting place in my opinion.
I agree with the sentiment of what you are both saying, however at this moment in time he is a flight risk.
Will the real Kris Commons turn up? Will he bother tracking back? Will he go hiding?
I think this is probably the 1st time I have ever said this – so all credit to the man for forcing me to reconsider – but id have Samaras wide left.
I also think Ki is a flight risk in big, physical games.
Id be tempted to go Samaras, Ledley, Wanyama and Brown on the right with Stokes and Brozek up front.
I know I have just contradicted myself there by the way, but the unknown quantity just swings it for me (in comparison to what has started to look a wee bit jaded )
The huns are tripe – id want to keep the game as far away from defence as possible
Let’s forget about Collum and penalties. The incident was in the eighty ninth minute of a match that should have been done and dusted at least half an hour previously.
Celtic simply never got out the traps and as is so often the case on such occasions, there were too many misplaced passes and very few breaks of loose balls going our way.
quonno @15:11
So if it’s nil nil at iPox and a Celtic player is fouled in the box and booked with no pen it’s ok
It was only 89 min
Yerheidisoutthewindae csc
craig paterson…
The first game i can remember cp commentating on was the L Cup Semi against Dundee Utd, which went to pens.
10mins into the 2nd half he said something along the lines of ‘ Celtic aren’t the attacking threat they were in the 1st half because they cant get the ball to Nakamura as much…WHICH IS GOOD’
He doesn’t even try to give a neutral view, he’s just a hurting hun.
Another co-commentator who is a waste of space is Gary Neville.
The tele is on mute as soon as he starts.
On SSN’s all day the ticker bar as been showing that the huns are selling 43.000 union jack flags at the turnstiles on Sunday for the fighting fund.I think the huns have an insider on SSN, with abit more influence than dim white.As its always good news week for huns on SSN.
So that is club dignity’s response to us, sell wee stupid union jacks at the turnstile.
Lol!!
The funds generated from the selling of the flags will cover the administrators fees for about a week
Stupid Huns
Agent Craig “Green and” Whyte!!
Is there a free black arm band with each flag sold?
I will miss the huns when they go as they are comedy gold most of the time.
But i’ll only miss them a wee bit.
Has anybody confirmed if the youtube clip of the’ walking away’ song is a tim at it, or a hun with serious problems.
I suppose a hun with seriouse problems is really just a hun!!
Agent Craig “Green and” Whyte!! – i suspect it’s a Tim at the wind-up.
Reeeally hope it’s a genuine hun though.
jungle jam67 on 19 March, 2012 at 15:17 said:
Can you not simply accept that over the piece, for various reasons, we were simply not good enough.
obby Evans Superstar on 19 March, 2012 at 15:25 said:
Agent Craig “Green and” Whyte!!
Is there a free black arm band with each flag sold?
Free is a bad word down ibrokes way just now.
Everything has a price.Would be surprised to see green pepperami and eggs benedict back up for sale….just for the fighting fund.
Agent Craig “Green and” Whyte!! 15:27
lol!
Muambe now breathing on his own and has movement in his arm, but long term is still serious.
Hopefully good signs.
Is this the funniest story to come out so far? It will take some beating…
Former Dundee FC director and controversial lawyer Giovanni di Stefano has told the ruler of Qatar buying crisis-hit Rangers is “the very best deal in football”.
The lawyer, dubbed the Devil’s Advocate after representing serial killer Harold Shipman and Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein among others, told STV News he had highlighted the situation of the Ibrox Club to the Emir of Qatar.
Mr Di Stefano, who is currently facing charges of defrauding clients out of £140,000, stated that he would have “no role whatsoever” should Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani try to take over Rangers.
Relatives of the Emir have been taking an interest in European football in recent years with his son and heir apparent Sheikh Tamim buying over Paris Saint Germain through the Qatar Sports Investments firm, while his relative Sheikh Abdullah purchased Malaga in Spain for around €36m in 2010.
On Monday, Mr Di Stefano told STV News that he had contacted the Emir to highlight the possibility of him buying the Ibrox club, who called in the administrators last month.
He said: “All I have done is pointed out to His Excellency and his advisors that in my view, if nothing else, Rangers represents the very best deal in European football at the moment.
“It would require little to no substantive investment other than repayment of debts and a new owner would have a superb club that is guaranteed European Football in the coming years as well as a huge worldwide support.
“I would have no involvement in anything to do with Rangers, as my passion in Scottish football lies elsewhere. Mind you, and I know some Dundee fans might not like this, but if I had the money, I would buy Rangers – it represents such a good deal you’d be a mug not to.”
Mr Di Stefano added: “All I have done is sown the seed – if the fish bites, the fish bites. The Emir would bring stability to Rangers, which is what they need. It is one of the problems with administration in the UK that entities are not actively marketed for interested parties to purchase. If Rangers are not marketable, then we might as well close up shop.”
The lawyer also stated that he believed the Emir would prove to be a “fit and proper person” to take over Rangers.
Palace gifts
He also revealed that the head of Qatar had been a “really, really nice man” to him while he was representing Saddam Hussein. Mr Di Stefano said the Emir had granted amnesty and given palaces to some families connected with the former Iraqi dictator while he had represented them during legal proceedings following the fall of the regime in 2003.
In a brief but colourful spell at Dundee, Mr Di Stefano spent six months as a director at Dens Park from August 2003 to January 2004, before he left after the club went into administration.
As Dundee again faced financial difficulties late in 2010, Mr Di Stefano told STV he would have “no problem” taking over the club, so long as he had “dictatorial command” of the Dark Blues. His statement of interest in Dundee did not go any further.
Next year Mr Di Stefano will stand trial next year over allegations of fraud and theft. He denies the charges and has claimed in his defence that the proceedings are “politically motivated”.
At the end of last week Duff and Phelps received three indicative bids for Rangers. The Blue Knights consortium, fronted by former director Paul Murray and backed by London firm Ticketus, has made its interest known, while owner of Sale Sharks Rugby Union Club Brian Kennedy also lodged an indicative bid with the administrators.
The third interested party is understood to be Prometheus Capital Partners based in Chicago, which owns Club 9 Sports. It has previously failed in two attempts to enter into UK football club ownership with plans to take over Tranmere Rovers and Sheffield Wednesday in recent years both proving fruitless.
Quonno,I know you didn’t critisise Lenny,plenty did on here.Agree we need a few in,but will the board spend in the summer if the other lot go down the Shute.Can’t see it..Hooper won’t be at Celtic next season,he is going through the motions the few weeks.
coorslad on 19 March, 2012 at 15:32 said:
Last week I posted that how Celtic reacted to a temporarily weakened Rangers was vitally important.
My own gut feeling is that it will be more of just doing enough. A policy that in the past has led to last minute surrendering of league titles.