The wind will make it uncomfortable to be out and about in the Glasgow night but it will have a big impact on this evening’s game. Any team hoping to prosper from playing long-ball football is likely to flounder but it will be equally difficult for defenders facing balls that drop into their penalty areas.
Goalkeepers in particular face a difficult challenge. Rangers will not expect to have a great deal of possession around our penalty area so you can expect them to shoot early and from distance in the hope of exploiting the wind. There is probably a distance Celtic will be happy to see them shoot from but any space sub-30 yards from goal must be closed down.
Perhaps the most important preparation Celtic can do today would be to send Ki out with a bag of balls to get his shooting eye in. He has the ability to score from outside the box against any keeper in the world. Rangers’ McGregor doesn’t cope with a bit of movement in the ball, just ask Kris Commons, so will not look forward to seeing the ball fall to Ki in a shooting position.
Celtic’s most effective out-ball in recent weeks, high to the left wing for Georgios Samaras, will be difficult to make effective. The short passing game will be more profitable; Ki and Scott Brown in particular will need to fancy the game today. If we get a top performance out of both the result is not in doubt.
James Forrest is an fitness concern for Neil Lennon but he is a player who will worry Rangers manager, Ally McCoist, so I expect him to start, even if he’s not 100%. He has the kind of pace no defence in the league can cope with, he creates and scores goals. When he gets the ball, look out for how alert Rangers become. This is panic. Forrest will make it easier for others to find space, look for runs into the box from midfielders when he’s on the ball.
It would be a huge gamble to bring Emilio Izaguirre back into the starting line-up for this game after a four month injury lay-off but he is such an important player to how Neil Lennon wants Celtic to play I wouldn’t be surprised to see him. Celtic need to control the ball in midfield and Emilio’s composure is a huge advantage in this respect. 60 minutes from him might be enough to give us the edge.
Gary Hooper will score.
The most important question for tonight is who will be able to maintain discipline. Celtic’s recent narrow home wins against Kilmarnock, Hearts and Dunfermline should have been more comfortable but the visitors maintained composure throughout and gave themselves a good chance as a result. Rangers are a better team than any of these three but discipline and composure are not words you would use to describe today’s visitors. The most important thing for Celtic could be to frustrate Rangers and have the patience to wait for the opportunity to take advantage.
Get ready for a classic Glasgow night.
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The first honest mistake happened in our first ever game, a goal disallowed in our 5-2 triumph over King Herod’s XI, this would become an on-going feature of derby matches
Help! desperate for ticket for the game if anyone can help?
ItaliaBhoy says:
28 December, 2011 at 15:06
I have heard rumours that Alan Clements is interested in Craig Whytes ability to raise funds and to delay payments and generally stay afloat using just spin.
Hail Hail
winningemmell
I was at that, should have stood. Shug Dallas’ great granda was the ref I think… Got hit on the head with half a crown for his incompetence.
I missed return leg as I could not afford the Flight Into Egypt.
Summa
Come on you bhoys in green.
FStb at 1438.. Of course we saw the jelly one dive.. That’s my point bout the MIBs.. You know he dives,I know, we all know….. Yet professional referees think he is fouled.. It’s a disgrace as is Mc Moist saying elbows did nothing wrong… Celtic need to be street wise tonight..
HH
Mountain Bhoy
What end are you looking for a ticket for :-)))
New Safety Lock For Front Door
Teuchter
I’m going for Draw/Celtic (HT/FT); widely abailable at 4/1 …
FF
Can’t wait for the THUNDER tonight
All the momentum is with us and while not wanting to
sound fatalistic, a draw or defeat for us will not be the end of the world.
However a defeat for the huns could well break them and send them
into the downward spiral they deserve.
Just noticed that this is the only game on TV tonight of any significance
in the whole of Europe.This should ensure a very high figure of neutral
viewers.
Will Collum realize so many eyes will be on him.
Will we get a fair ref
Only a fool would predict the result of a Glasgow Derby
So 6-1 to the Hoops
Glasgows Green and White
abailable … ?
Well might you ask.
.
HamiltonTim..
Re; Which End for Mountain’Bhoy’..
Ye beat me Too it..Ha..
Summa
heading into town now.
Most important thing of all tonight – stay safe!
Jobo
Mountain_Bhoy is Neil Lennon says:
28 December, 2011 at 15:16
Help! desperate for ticket for the game if anyone can help?
That’s what you get for geeing up yer season book ya donkey.
MWD :-)))
6-1 bet now on for the good guys to win tonight. :-)
375/1
Go on, you know you want too
C’mon the hoops
Neil Lennon No1
Off to game
Good luck bhoys, stay safe , let’s hear the thunder
Stomach in knots
FollyFolly
Then we both win and I buy the bints.
see whit a’ done there:)
TAL
MWD, i have a free one from my mate, but he always attends the glasgow derby unfortunately
Douglas Fraser
Business and economy editor, Scotland
Old Firm: good business?
The season of goodwill doesn’t extend to Parkhead this evening (Wednesday), as the grudgiest grudge match in Grudgeland brings the Old Firm together again.
We’re told the Celtic-Rangers derby matches are the big money-spinners of Scottish football, bringing the big audiences for broadcasters.
Clubs that regularly fill big stadiums, bringing people from around Scotland and further afield are also good for the Glasgow economy.
But are they?
There was a chilling festive message on Good Morning Scotland today from Les Gray, chairman of the Scottish Police Federation, when he said that his advice is not to go into Glasgow city centre on the night of an Old Firm match.
So for all the benefit to the economy from the Old Firm, that warning means there are hospitality and culture businesses in Glasgow that are harmed by people staying away for fear of disorder.
And this is a time of year when they need to be doing good business.
Best of a bad lot
Here’s how the exchange went, with GMS presenter Gary Robertson, when he asked why the Old Firm match is being held this evening:
“This would probably be an ideal time for this game, a midweek game – during the evening. From our point of view, from a policing and disorder point of view, this is the best time.
Why?
“Some people are at work today and tomorrow, whereas if you hold the game at New Year when people are off for a day or two days, it’s not unusual for people to be drinking for two and three straight days, then go to the game, the pub or the club and watch it, having been consuming alcohol, and that’s where the disorder kicks in.
“It’s a better time for us, when people are still working. It’s the best of a bad lot.”
Is there a danger of disorder in the city centre?
“My personal advice is: I never go out on the evening of an Old Firm game unless I have to, through work.
“If I didn’t need to go out tonight, I wouldn’t. The disorder is as predictable as the game itself. You don’t know what you’re going to get”.
Sometimes, said Les Gray, police officers at the game expect a lot of aggro, but it doesn’t come to much, so it can be an unpredictably pleasant surprise.
“But my personal advice to my own family is not to go out in the evening. That’s a sad reflection, but it’s something I’ve done for several years”.
Acceptable disorder
To be clear, that’s a personal opinion, and Les Gray is not the senior officer in charge of policing.
And this is not to criticise him, because his advice may be sound.
But at a time when Edinburgh is welcoming many tourists to celebrate a Scottish new year, what does this offer those who travel west to sample its near neighbour?
What does it say for the city, its image and its economy when a senior policeman says to stay away?
And while sectarian singing is banned by law, why is this level of disorder seen as normal, and accepted with little more than a shrug?
7-1
TBB
That interview is staggering
How Les Gray is still chairman of that organisation, is hugely embarassing for the Federation
An idiot of the highest order
A bbc news reader announces her engagement to a total bigot, he is thick enough to put his bigoted views on his social media page. Silly boy but also lucky boy. Wonder if she shares his ‘political’ views.
Nerves kicking in now.
About 2 months ago i drove a minibus full of lads (25-30ish age) on a mad night out in Nottingham City Centre.On the way there one of them broke the inside sliding door handle,clumsiness really,no big deal…Anyways-fast forward to 4am and lads are getting dropped home at various points..Every one first goes to the side door,only to be reminded that they have to use the back etc etc.
One guy in particular is so drunk/obnoxious he can’t work this out.After 4 or 5 mins of mild abuse he then threatens me,says get the door open or i will this and that..
After finally falling out the back i manage to reverse around him to drop last couple of guys off.These 2 apologise profusely,he had been a pain all night-at one point took off his belt and battered one of them with it!!!!
Now,you might wonder what this has got to do with football…but aforementioned bawbag was in the cashpoint queue in front of me 15 mins ago-CAN ANYONE GUESS WHAT WAS WRAPPED AROUND HIS NECK??
Mountain_bhoy
So the “Glasgow derby” is the new term for “ra hun gemme”? :)
TAL
From Twitter:
stevie @scottishstevie 31m
stv say their deal with rangers will not affect their output.in other news stv have just named jelavic as man of the match for tonights game
Was listening to Radio Scotland at lunchtime and was reminded just how despicable Stuart Cosgrove is.
He was on the John Beattie show. Caught the show half way thru and they were discussing major Scottish stories from 2011 which made an impact outside Scotland. Beattie referred to the attacks on people connected with Celtic, including Neil Lennon.
Cosgrove did his best to downplay the whole issue. He disputed that it was a global story and disingenuously compared it to the Norwegian shootings, which in Stuart’s eyes were “truly global”.
(maybe you’re right Stuart and not one news agency outwith Scotland reported it, except Cumnock based CNN International and Reuters News Agency in neighbouring Auchinleck)
He then went on to vilify the term “Scotland’s Shame” and how much it annoys him. Stuart reckons that any Scottish journalist should be sacked for using this term as it is misleading. Pausing for a couple of seconds to adjust his blinkers, he stated that “Old Firm bigots” who are the real shame of Scotland are being rooted out therefore why would there be any hype or story about “Scotland’s Shame”.
It apparently really annoys him since he is so proud of Scotland. What annoys him even more is when the word “secret” is added…..Scotland’s Secret Shame…since everyone knows what it refers to how can it be a secret said Stuart, opening his Oor Wullie annual.
I’m sitting in the car thinking about Cosgrove’s comment about an 18 year old boy who had just made his debut for Celtic and news emerged that he had opted to honour his family heritage and made himself available for the Republic of Ireland.
Cosgrove hoped that young Aiden would go on to have a “thoroughly miserable international career with the Republic of Ireland”.
Bad news Stuart. Aiden is flourishing with the Republic of Ireland and is looking forward to the excitement of the 2012 Euro Championships in Poland & Ukraine.
You really need to wake up and smell the coffee Stuarty boy…..the biggest element of Scotland’s SECRET Shame is the fact that people of influence, including those in the media, have for years chosen NOT to highlight Scotland’s problem with it’s sizeable Irish Diaspora. Attitudes like yours are part of that Shame.
tully
TrendsGlasgow Trendsmap Glasgow
‘panda’ & #monthehoops are now trending in #Glasgow trendsmap.com/gb/glasgow
SSN goes to Celtic Park and interview a ex tankers player,what a surprise.Slan
.
4hrs to Go..
11-0 Celtic..
If You want to Know the Scorers but the Evenimg Citizen..
Summa ft StillUpStillHypoCSC
what is all this abuse towards Mountain_Bhoy then?
Teuchter ár lá says:
28 December, 2011 at 15:41
no old firm
Had the ole man-flu since Christmas day, but have decided that those benylin flu pills are making things worse, so after six when the two have worn off, I’ll be using some un-opened Christmas pressies as a kinda alternative therapy. (Have even made some ice for a celebratory glenfiddich(s) at the end)
Wouldn’t risk Izzie tonight, and I am expecting the usual kickin, cheatin, divin stuff from them which they try to draw us into to use as a leveller.
We have to keep our composure. Fully expect a Hoops victory.
HH
Lazarus.CSC
Tully57
The strange thing is I believe Cosgrove is a big GAA fan,Mayo or Galway I think.Slan
Balotelli Spotted buying a Hooper 88 top in the Argyle Street Celtic shop today.
bournesouprecipe
Apparently he was wearing it and handing out £20 notes outside Ibrox. A certain C Whyte snapped them all up though before anyone else could get their hands on them.
Summa of Sammi
Will they be printing the Green Edition tonight ?
Never liked that other Pinky’ newspaper.
I think the game will be tighter than most tims think.
I’ll hope for a rout, but will take any kind of victory.
‘Come On You Bhoys in Green’
Well said, Tully.
In my dotage, I find myself increasingly irritated whenever I hear supposedly well-informed commentators lazily and stupidly bracket ‘Old Firm’ fans.
They offer depressingly familiar examples of how little understanding still exists out there of the causes of Scotland’s Shame …
Mountainbhoy
Both you and I know you don’t have any friends. So don’t be silly.
:o)
MWD