Yes, the Filip Benkovic’s goal should have stood and we really should learn to convert penalties, but Celtic did not cause Motherwell sufficient alarm to make the points safe before a late equaliser. This was our fifth consecutive game away from Celtic Park in an intense period for the players. It was also the first game after Sundays’ cup final party, the chance of points being dropped was high.
We have not looked so pedestrian since……… the last time Scott Brown and Olivier Ntcham started. I’m not sure what conclusions to draw from this, if any. Ryan Christie delivered again. His impact on the team since late October has been incredible, without him, you would be feeling slightly less easy about our position.
Brendan Rodgers rested James Forrest, Mikael Lustig, Scott Sinclair, Odsonne Edouard and Tom Rogic from the starting line-up. Despite the result, I still think this was the right decision. Salzburg have this midweek off and face bottom of the Austrian table Admira on Saturday.
They will arrive in Glasgow next week fully rested with only one game to go before a two month winter break. With a 14-point lead in the league, they will be resting no one against Celtic. The Austrians are likely to be the strongest team we face this season and if we are to have any chance against them, we need to be as physically prepared as they are.
The ‘Always play your strongest team’ mantra just weakens your strongest team for when you really need it. This month’s priorities were the League Cup Final, Salzburg, the visit to Ibrox and the visit to Pittodrie, in that order. We should be utilising the squad on other occasions.
Kilmarnock top of the league in December is noteworthy. They will not finish the season within 10 points of the top and, in all likelihood, their stay will last no more than three days, but this is a remarkable overachievement by a team who found their managerial maestro. They also lost their best player to Celtic in the summer. Credit where due.
Celtic Foundation letter from Santa
As part of this year’s Christmas Appeal, the Foundation have arranged a letter from Santa to be sent to any child (or good adult) you know. For a £5 donation the recipient will receive a letter signed by Santa, the signature of their favourite Celtic player, their name, age and what they would like for Christmas.
You must know someone who would like this, even if what they want for Christmas is another 1-5 win at Ibrox. Details here.
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A hun runs SRTRC
That awkward moment when Alexa gets all confused coz you’ve taken your denture out?
Hurry whilst stock lasts
via Bada Bing
p.s. when they’re gone…….they’re gone
soupy how did the flowrobe go ?
Braw
SRTRC……………..
( Show Racism The Roman Catholic)
…..A hun front and convenient beard for the ugliest of ugly scoddish features.
Another part of my youth has died.
Pete Shelley RIP
You’ve left us with one of the greatest pop songs ever written……
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=terg_LPT3X0
Corkcelt
Why is it so incredible to think that Celtic would be happy to sacrifice a few titles if they thought it would be better for the bottom line?
Do you know what the following is?
Benefits
Savings: 180 burn deaths, 180 serious burn injuries, 2,100 burned vehicles
Unit cost: $200,000 per death, $67,000 per injury, $700 per vehicle
Total benefit: (180 X $200,000) + (180 X $67,000) + (2,100 X $700) = $49.5 million
Costs
Sales: 11 million cars, 1.5 million light trucks
Unit cost: $11 per car, $11 per truck
Total cost: 12.5 million X $11 = $137.5 million
that is the calculation that Ford did in the Pinto case. ANy one that has gone to business school has studied the case. Bur for those that havent … In that case, it was determined that the Pinto could explode when struck from the rear. The $11 cost is the cost per car to fix the problem.
It was determined that it was cheaper to cover up the problem, let people die, and pay out a few law suits, rather than fix the problem, and keep people from dying. So, that is what they did.
If that is possible (and we know lots of other corporate malfeasance still occurs), why is it so inconceivable that Celtic would see a financial advantage in having sevco win?
Lots of other sports have some form of collusion built in … salary caps, high draft picks for the worst teams, all to make the sport more competitive …. and profitable.
It is just business.
ZzZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
I bow to the knowledge of our Irish compatriots. However why would the Republic want to take the economic basket case of N Ireland on. Why would it’s citizens vote to increase taxation as that would surely happen.
Why would the citizens of N Ireland vote to slash jobs and benifits?
Why would the conservative Catholics of the North embrace a changing liberial South whose views are increasingly alien to them. ?
I wonder, who in the North promotes traditional Catholic views on abortion, gay marriage etc ?
The republic is now a confident secular country, do they want or need the hassle?
My memory may be fading , but I think Prince Harry and Mrs were better received than the pope.
Not what a lot of people on here want to hear, but nevertheless. I know many in the Republic and they don’t want the north back.
Idealism is fine and originates songs and folklore, but harsh economic reality usually transpires.
Interesting discussion and with no axe to grind, I do not claim to have any insider knowledge, just stating what I hear.
May be totally wrong to the majority, but hey hoe it’s a blog
HH to all.
Mike you have a good buddy in Kev. I’ll let ye explore the conspiracy theories. Jesus wept.
Tuuuuunnnnnnneeeeeee
Fridays Aff CSC
BRAW @ 9.23
Wie bitte?
Conspiracy theories concerning the Freemasons have proliferated since the 18th century. Theorists have alleged that Freemasons control large parts of the economies or judiciaries of a number of countries, and have alleged Masonic involvement in events surrounding the sinking of the Titanic and the crimes of Jack the Ripper.
Greenpinata, While there is some truth in what you say I would still be confident that the overwhelming majority in the Republic would vote for a United Ireland.
In the North there would be a belt of more well off Catholics who would be more interested in the economics. If they thought they would do better as part of the UK then that is the way they would vote.
Greenpinta, my mother’s family came fae the black north, 50 or so year ago when I was a rebel without a cause she asked me why would the Republic want the north with all its baggage back
Corkcelt
You can’t win with arguments against conspiracy theories.
People beleive what they wish.
The inconvenient truth that qualifying for the champions league generates money that the leaves the “old firm ” in the shade doesn’t seem to disrupt the deranged rambling about handing titles to rangers and the Celtic board undermining their own manager because he brings too much success
Kev
I get that in such an unusual situation as Scotttish football, normal business rules may not apply …
and I dont disagree that managers have to get along, to a degree, with their bosses. Any manager that develops a reputation for underminging his bosses is probably going to have a hard time getting another job…. I get that, to a degree…
but, and here is where, we differ …. there is a built in antagonism between a manager and a club …. sure, they all want to be successful .. but Boards and clubs have longer shelf-lives than do managers, and so they can afford to take a bigger picture perspective … if we dont win the league today, but we win it next year, that is okay …. as; long as they still turn a profit …..many business are said to operate ona five year plan (although I know there are studies that call this old chestnut into question)…
but, how many managers last five years? not many … certainly not many that dont win … (Arsene Wenger being an exception)
managers want to win now.. and that means spending now … becuase they may not be here next year …
BR will leave at some point… he seems like a pretty ambitous guy (not a criticism, just my observation), and to fulfil his own amibitions, he is best served by being as successful as possible …
I know Wits,
I’m starting to wonder if it’s a full moon tonight!!
BSR- A great pop song,one of my favs.
The Clydebank blitz could never have taken place if it wasn’t for those at Celtic Park leaving the floodlights on to guide the Luftwaffe.
Conspiracy Theorists CSC
On a united Ireland…
Love to see it…but a lot of obstacles to over come.
The main one being unionist intransigence.
Same as its always been.
The ecomonics of it, the lack of enthusiasm for it in the south, etc can be over come with a bit of effort and compromise…but we can’t just magic away the Ulster Says No gang.
Corkcelt?WITS
so, all the refereeing mistakes are just that… honest mistakes?
and LNS was all done in good faith?
I gnerally try to give people the beneift of the doubt …
but I dont beleive that Rangers or the league acted in good faith…. and, given the passing of time, I am no longer prepared to blindly assume that our Board have acted in good faith…
BOURNESOUPRECIPE on 6TH DECEMBER 2018 9:40 PM
BRAW @ 9.23
Wie bitte?
a wee play on words …but Alexa knows ))))
smiley nichts mit blasen zu tun thing
Braw
” Kiss me I’m Irish ”
Ian Paisley
PETE SHELLEY R I P
https://youtu.be/AFJ71w_ez6Y
Back to football – wonder what the article may have been if sevco had won last night
now yer getting well kinky…
pokemahoy auch!!!
smiley I am well Schwalmbraued …59 soon thing
Braw
Corkcelt, Tontine,
On another issue.
Kev J has a point, I would absolutely hate for about 1/2 m of the Neanderthals to come over to Scotland. Alex Salmond may think they are his “blood of his blood, bone of his bone ” .
He does not speak for me.
Thanks for the chat guys, goodnight.
We are all Celtic. HH.
MIKE IN TORONTO on 6TH DECEMBER 2018 9:34 PM
Hi Mike, when it comes to our Board you follow the money. I think at this stage it is radical and slightly ridiculous to suggest that the Board are conspiring to allow Sevco to win a Title. Kev’s theory that the Manager is ‘in on it’ is ludicrous but he knows that himself. I think eventually the Board will ‘allow’ Sevco to win one if the status quo continues, it may even be a sub-conscious enterprise. A litany of failure has been buried under the success that is Brendan Rodgers, who was appointed at the behest of the majority shareholder. To put it simply our Board are the other cheek that is the old firm arse and most of the decisions that they make stand up accordingly.
BADA
Indeed
Desert Island Discs CSC
everyone can learn from this ,,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9CJzqUjQes
smiley snooker table ? you have never seen a snooker table thing
love you bro
Braw
Misty
MIKE IN TORONTO on 6TH DECEMBER 2018 9:48 PM
########
Canny reply to you, or it’ll be deleted. √
Take care.
Penal laws CSC
Oot.
God Bless my Maa and Daa
Till Saturday Comes CSC
MIT
“Lots of other sports have some form of collusion built in … salary caps, high draft picks for the worst teams, all to make the sport more competitive …. and profitable.
It is just business.”
Come on now! Let’s talk like grown ups!
That’s not collusion- that is a shared business agreement- open and honest – and designed to be of mutual benefit to all.
What you are alleging is that people at Celtic would throw Rangers a title by colluding behind the back of the Celtic support. There would be no open announcement- there would be no open donation of millions of pounds or players to our rivals. They would just, somehow, construe things to gift aleague to a rival club in case we get bored of repetitive winning?? And they’d somehow manage to persuade a competitive manager and competitive players to contrive to lose???
So why win 3iar? Why win 7iar? We could all be bored by now? When will boredom hit a too successful team??
And why do the exact opposite in Europe that we are managing at home?? i.e. become less competitive then we were 10-15 years ago- did they contrive that? And how does that tactic meet the desire to keep fans on their toes? Surely they should be giving us a few seasons of competitiveness in Europe to keep oour interest piqued? How does wal-to-wall failure fit in with the plan?
If it does not walk like a duck, talk like a duck, smell like a duck or have an orange sauce (not sash) attached then not only is it NOT a duck- it is not even a recognisable animal.
When we eventually lose a league or a cup, how will you know that this has been willed by Board machination and machiavellian undermining as opposed to loss of form and the vagaries of competitive sport? Were all previous losses down to this desire or is it just a new development that only applies to the next lost league or cup?
Clubs have won multiple consecutive league titles within small countries before it does not tend to happen in the larger more competitive leagues).
Rosenborg did 10iar in Norway, when they surrendered the 2011 title they did not win again until 2015- was 5 years without a title playing a controlled game?
I think we are getting paranoid as we reach towards equalling 9iar or bettering it. We will suspect any lost title or trophy or even a single match now as a betrayal of our entitlement, our promised record.
We will not accept that, when we lose, it will be because we weren’t good enough on the day or over the course of the season.
Anyway, why would PL forego a bonus for winning the league if that is all he is interested in.
P.S. I understand the basic point about healthy competition piquing interest in the fan base- I think that sensible point loses all balance when we assert that games or cups or titles are deliberately thrown
Funnily enough the one game where we were happy to lose was when our loss to Hearts saw Rangers demoted to 3rd in the league. Maybe we could twist the logic one more tunr and state that we must have foreseen that Hearts were going to be our future close rivals and we needed to keep them competitive? Or, maybe not
Soupy …awfy braw …..yer bringing back beautiful memories….
smiley live lang and may yer dreil be hinging we big weet Rasps thing
Braw
“There’s A wee sleekit Guy Works Down The Chip Shop Swears He’s Elvis.”