Celtic did enough in the opening 16 minutes to put this game beyond Dundee United but only managed to score once, an excellent effort from Gary Hooper, before United tightened up and made a contest of the game.
Georgios Samaras sprung past the United defence inside the first 30 seconds and squared the ball across the six yard line but Stokes arrived a split-second late to convert. That signalled a period of relentless Celtic pressure as the home team found it impossible to get out of their own half or hodl any kind of possession.
Gary Hooper controlled a long clearlance inside the centre circle on 12 minutes before knocking the ball square to James Forrest, who had space to exploit. Forrest drove forward before returning the pass to Hooper inside the box. The Celtic striker turned outside Gunning before driving a shot low inside Dusan Pernis’ right had post to open the scoring.
Celtic continued to press forward with Forrest again involved in their most dangerous moves. The young winger threaded a through ball to Anthony Stokes on the edge of the area before racing past the defensive line to meet the return pass on the volley but his shot struck Pernis.
Give-and-go football was proving effective for Celtic and on 41 minutes Cha Du-Ri played a one-two with Forrest but could not convert his shot.
Celtic were so dominant in the first half their only real concern must have been why they were not further ahead but the second half proved to be more of a contest. Dundee United’s passing was poor all afternoon but Celtic slipped to their level, frequently succumbing to unforced errors. The visitors were never in any trouble defensively but Neil Lennon decided to shake things up in midfield, and substituted central defender, Glenn Loovens, pulled Victor Wanyama back and brought Scott Brown into midfield.
The subsequent change, bringing Ki on for Stokes gave Celtic more athleticism and meant that the final few minutes, which are often tense when defending a one goal lead, were contested almost exclusively in the United half. Fraser Forster had a few catches and the odd punch but had a relatively easy afternoon.
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And the nation watches and watches and watches…
as the Prime Minister cries
MWD
MWD cheers for you’re earlier post I thought I was in an alternate universe there where the big bad bullying Vmhan was being horrible to his cqn compadres.
You’re last post is Kojo-esque (not intended as a slant at you Kojo pal, just talking semantics) , what ye on about? should I get Ton che Dan to waken up wee Shaedan for a translate, please be nice and respectful with you’re reply.
V
Brilliant 3 points. I thought Neil played his substitutions masterfully today, knowing tiredness could creep in.
Victor is 67 class. His pace at the end was pure class.
I doubt Victor has the Supreme skills as Socrates though, Socrates today would be worth mental money, Victor oozes class and Will easily be a 20 Million pound player if he decided he wanted to leave the Greatest club in the World – Victor gets what Celtic is all about.
Beram gave the best 2 fingers ever up to the LL, and they will be able to understand both of the exoteric meanings. ;)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uzC_djdG0k
The above Brazil team was unbelievable to a wee 10 year old boy, it is only recently, in the form of Barcelona have I watched better (and I am not totally sure that is the word I’m looking for) because they have been playing for longer than a month.
If the 1970s team was better than the 82 team, Oh my God it must have been jaw droppingly Good. The Italy-Brazil game must be one of the greatest ever and when the Bad (and they were good) Italy knocked out the Brazillians I was devastated like nothing on earth, I still wish Italy hadn’t knocked Brazil out to this day as they were making football totally magical to a young kid.
Lads ive got a cracking story about nevin if yer interested lol.
No worries Vmhan.
What last post?
MWD
Yes please Henke
hen1rik says:
4 December, 2011 at 23:36
“Lads ive got a cracking story about nevin if yer interested lol. ”
Does it involve offensive singing by Hibs supporter whilst touring the Louvre?
Moonbeams WD. \o/ Supporting Neil Lennon 100%. says:
4 December, 2011 at 23:28
*********************
Youre post at the top of the page, I think I’m missing summit are you watching comedy on telly or something?
V
Vmhan
Moonbeams WD. \o/ Supporting Neil Lennon 100%. says:
4 December, 2011 at 23:22
Embdy watch Black Mirror on CH4 tonight.
Sky+ it.
Absolutely hilarious satire.
MWD
And yes. The Pig had no choice but to squeal.
MWD
hen1rik – as long as you don’t get P67 into trouble with lawyers, then knock yerself out!
petec – I was 18 at the time and gobsmacked when Italy put that amazing Brazilian team out of the WC. It just didn’t seem right, but a lesson in the harsh realities of football and life to my mates and myself.
T4
I posted earlier this evening about our midfield, this could blow any team in the SPL oot the water.
Commons, Ledley, Wanyama, Kayal and Broonie………
ps I’d play Forrest in a roaming role in front of the midfield, either wing and supporting the attack.
what dae ye think?
V
Henke
As long as it doesn’t get our host into poo.
Yes please.
MWD
My m8 was invited to a golf outing and they came off the bus and pat the rat was there but once they all got their stuff sorted he noticed pat the rat had a hired golf trolley so pat bolted into the pro shop and my m8 didn’t have a trolley so he noticed his there and he took it and pat came out and asked if anyone knew were it wen’t to and they said no so the wee rat had to carry his golf bag and my m8 said said the bag was bigger than him so he had to carry his bag round the full 18 lol, pure class imagine the size of him carrying that bag tae ha ha.
No joke boys my m8 was there for celts for change he told me a few weeks ago and i forgot all about it, it would’ve been better if he opened the pouch were the baws were and they started to go everywhere.
Imagine the sight of him running roon the car park catching the baws.
With Commons on the left and Broonie on the right, and Victor Wanyama who is effin dynamite, ok it needs a bit of work :¬)
V
Vmhan – Supporting Lenny & the Green Brigada! says:
4 December, 2011 at 23:49
Are ya playing anyone up front buddy – or are ya going with a 6 man midfield including the roaming forrest?
Stokes and Hoops have to be up top in SPL games in my opinion
Wanyama and Kayal definitely
Not Samaras on the left – unlike some, a couple of decent performances, whilst belatedly welcome – isnt good enough to satisfy my demands of a Celtic player
But then, I dont think Ledley is much use at left midfield
What did ya think of him at left back?
I liked Ledley there – if for nothing else that he can attack more than defend from there – and he gives Celtic a new dimension and air of unpredictability because of breaking forward.
Paul67 et al
Apologies if it has been already mentioned but, although the great man was not there to witness it in person his old team, Corinthians have won the title the day after he died.
Absolutely delighted with another 3 points.
Was visiting my parents today and was unable to join everyone at the dinner table as the food was being served up with 10 minutes to go in our match. Yours truly couldn’t take his eyes from the screen and I had actually lost my appetite through sheer nervousness in case Utd got an equaliser. Pacing up and down the living room. Not good.
Never mind, I really, really fancy us now for this league.
I’ve just realised my Treble winning 5 mhan midfield means (if Forrest also plays) playing a 3-5-1-1, that ain’t happening so it would mean leaving out JF, need a re-think as wee defo need 4 in defence as thats our weak area (improving yes but still weak).
its a 4-5-1 for me against teams like hertz e.g. as we need to win the midfield battle then win the game.
ps thanks MWD, I never sky plussed it, is it a film? never heard of it…….
V
So Nevin’s off his trolley?
Vmhan, Eyes Wide Open
do we need anyone in Jan ?
i think we should try to build on the
steady base we currently have
tommytwiststommyturns says:
4 December, 2011 at 23:48
That remains one of the worst things to happen in my life concerning football, 10 years old and something like that is taken away from you early. You are entirely correct about it being a harsh reality about things.
Celtic are trying to drag Scottish football up but are being hampered by pure scum on the field, in the media, in the governing body and now, as it has been confirmed, by the Law enforcers.
The Green Marist Brigade is a lot more closer to the truth IMO.
Pathetic attempts to destablise Celtic. It Will not work and will galvanise us like never before.
FCB
He was rabblin on abt a penalty again O Hara and it was only a F K to Sunderland if given
somebody said do we need anybody in january
i would say yes, we still need a centre back and a dirty big effer of a centre forward in the mould of BBJ or the evil genius
i would say we need a goalkeeper as well – not that i dont rate FF or anything, i just hate having players on loan
Fred C. Dobbs says:
5 December, 2011 at 00:07
So Nevin’s off his trolley?
Nothing beats a wee funny m8 lol.
again=agin
Was on the BBC website there to witness football at its most sublime and its most ridiculous.
First of all I watched Socrates (RIP), a man who extolled the game as an art form, scoring sublime goals and providing joy for millions. And we will always feel joy, that lovely flutter inside that football fans feel when they are witnessing something special, when we see the way he played, even generations after his death. Just like we love the footage of Jinky and Bobby and Delaney and Tully and King Kenny and Henke, and the tales of Patsy and Jimmy Quinn and Johnny Thomson.
Then I watched the hun dive. And the referee’s complicity. Not football really, certainly not sport. Yet that club has never understood the concept of ‘sport’: the idea of the beautiful game as a form of expression, the idea of football as a meritocracy in which the only thing that matters is, ‘can you play, son?’ and not what creed or nationality you are. All that matters to them is getting one over on the Taigs. At any cost.
I’m sick of them. I’m sick to the back teeth of their cheating, on and off the park, and I’m sick of the media’s silence.
I want that nasty club dead, buried and a stake driven into their black heart.
Tonight I say a little prayer, ‘thank you sweet Lord, that I am a Celt.’
The Ghood will prevail says:
5 December, 2011 at 00:17
You are correct Sir. The good will prevail. In the end,
hen1rik,
After your story I will forever picture him as Ronnie Corbett :O).
Eyes Wide Open says:
4 December, 2011 at 23:53
*********************
Yes indeed amigo, Sammi is playing well and will still be valuable to the team efforts to win the domestic treble.
re Ledley, yes he’s playing well in that position but don’t forget Izzy was probably our best player before his injury, its a dead cert he’ll be playing there, also IMO when Ledley plays in midfield the team tick, we’re brill in midfield when he plays, I think he gels the rest of the team together, he belongs in the midfield, with Commons to the left of him and kayal to the right and Victor Wan…..yama who is effin dynamite :¬)
Sorry that wee toon just slipped in there…….. my point is we have an amazingly strong midfield when they’re all available, we’ve got Ki who on his day can rip teams apart with his intelligent play and passing, we have Paddy McC, James F and Sammi to come into the team at anytime and do a job for us, we’re gonnae win this league.
ps youre right re Stokes and Hooper, when theyre both fit theyre un playable in Scotland, I would still look to bring in another striker and release those who are never going to get a game.
V
HH
no crashing today, guys
:)
http://yfrog.com/4535hz
Topcorner
I agree with Antrimkev
We need 2 centre backs – Il accept one.
We need a keeper – il wait until summer if that means we can get a good one on a Bosman
Im not sure its the beast target man Lennons talked about we need. But we need another striker, Hoopers one-twos are world class, someone with pace that can tap into that would be great.
Jesus, is that the time!?
Night night
I suppose you’ve got to be a golfer to understand were I’m coming from
wae that joke lol.
The Ghood will prevail says:
5 December, 2011 at 00:17
What I mean is. In a 1000 years if our species is still around and still plays the beautiful game Socrates will be remembered as an artist and Maradona a cheat.
also, cunning plan…
who’s Victor Wanyama ? never heard of him !
not a mention prior to 28th
:)
heavy snow now on southside Glesga
3 or 4 inches deep so far
brrr
no snow yet in sunny Antrim
bucking baltic though
The Autobahn
haha
http://yfrog.com/31lc2z