There are good ways and bad ways to win the League Cup; yesterday was perfect. The atmosphere reminded me of the 1997 final at Ibrox, where a similar result was achieved against Dundee United. That was our first League Cup in 15 years, but there was a more substantial reason to be optimistic then. At that moment, we began to believe that this could be the start of something significant.
Contrast that with the sentiment two seasons later, as we left Hampden having beaten Aberdeen in the same final. We’d won a trophy but celebrations were muted. We were miles behind in the league and that season had splurged significant resources on players who failed to deliver.
Celtic’s performance yesterday was imperious. It was controlled, oozed competence throughout the team and subjugated the second best team in the land with little fuss. Dare we start to believe we are at the start of something significant?
We dare.
The “start” of something significant is an unusual phrase to describe five-in-a-row champions, but having plateaued as merely champions in recent seasons, the Celtic Movement is on the march again.
These are exciting time – enjoy them.
What did you like most about the win yesterday? I’m really pleased at how effective and important our central defenders are becoming. They helped deliver a trophy without the loss of a goal in any round, but, more importantly, Jozo Simunovic and Erik Sviatchenko regularly morph into deep-lying playmakers.
At the opening goal, Simunovic wasn’t so deep-lying. Having carried the ball into the opposition half, he won a tackle 30 yards from goal before feeding Tom Rogic. Can you imagine how disruptive it is for opponents to have to deal with a central defender that high up the field? Who picks him up and what are the subsequent consequences?
Those of you old enough to swoon at the great No. 14 will remember when the world first discovered Total Football. As I watched Scott Brown drop behind his own defensive line to create space for others to move into it all came flooding back. The concept which ‘did for us’ a couple of times in the 70s echoes in what you’re now watching. This is Total Celtic. It’s difficult to get right but if you achieve it, it’s very difficult to play against.
This is why we’ve won a cup without conceding. This is why we plucked a guy from Fulham who appears to have geometrically appreciated in value. This is why a guy who didn’t get a lot of football at Aston Villa last season was given special treatment by Barcelona and Borussia Monchengladbach in the Champions League. This is why Stuart Armstrong and James Forrest are looking like new, better, players. They’re not, they are just working in a vastly better system.
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THOMTHETHIM
Neil Lennon is the best I’ve ever seen at doing the job he did.
Think,anticipate,move,do. He saw moves developing before their instigators did!
A wee five-yard pass to a ball-player,his job was done.
No chance he would be in our greatest team,or next one,but tell you what,we could have done with him in 70 and 71 when we got cleaned out by fast Dutch movements.
Every brilliant performance from the majestical Broony
is yet another inditement as to his putting the tools away
under Ronny’s time in the dug oot….imho.
James Forrest is different….he was badly managed…by Ronny.
No Broony,…naw no him…he chucked it….didny like
Johnny-six-pack-Collins being in his face…tough!
Big Mark McGhee who isny scared / confidentiality-claused from
calling out the mibbery…will defeat the huns and the mibs at
ibrokes in the SC tie…imho.
Once Upon A Long Ago PM – CSC
Scot Brown, in the form he has shown this season, is as good a Celtic mid-fielder as I have seen.
WARNING:This view has been arrived at without the hindrance of past- coloured spectacles.
JJ
PS The above post was dispatched without having read Kev J` s assessment 0:-)
So, Sevco v Motherwell. Wonder what the TV game will be…..?
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on 29TH NOVEMBER 2016 10:57 AM
THOMTHETHIM
Neil Lennon is the best I’ve ever seen at doing the job he did.
Think,anticipate,move,do. He saw moves developing before their instigators did!
A wee five-yard pass to a ball-player,his job was done.
No chance he would be in our greatest team,or next one,but tell you what,we could have done with him in 70 and 71 when we got cleaned out by fast Dutch movements.
Have said it a thousand times.
People moaned that NL did nothing much.
More importantly, he never did much wrong.
He would be in any of my teams.
MON did not pursue him for nothing.
I’v noticed in the last several games a little bit of Scott Brown is rubbing off on a few of our players, and I’m liking it to much :)
QUONNO
£6m and worth every penny.
Bobby M, Quonno,
Agree totally, but do you recognise any of those qualities in Scott’s game now ?
KEVJUNGLE on 29TH NOVEMBER 2016 11:00 AM
You are excelling yourself in the eejit status this morning …. enjoy yourself, like you did in the Jungle and stoap moanin…. hahahaha
Good. The blog is back to matters Celtic. Total Celtic is great !
Cheerio for now,
JJ
From the DR hotline. Got to be wind-up…. Surely?
‘And finally, Billy King, Harthill . said: “It looks like the SFA are going to bring in another Celtic man to a position of power if they give Malky McKay the performance director job. He’s an ex-player, like Brian McClair was before him, and has worked under Brendan Rodgers in England, so there is a clash of interests there right away.”
See how the other half live,
lookin through a Glass Hunion…..’
Dreadful news about the aircraft carrying Brazilian side Chapecoense to first leg of final in Colombia crashing with 76 out of the 81 passengers and crew dead. A couple of the players reported to be amongst the survivors.
Fairy tale story about a small team made good in just a few years reaching their equivalent of the Europa League Final comes to a tragic end, with shades of the Munich air disaster which decimated Manchester United.
Perhaps those involved in the puerile name calling and bitching that pollutes this fine site should reflect on how lucky we are to be Celtic supporters as football is put into context with this tragedy.
Chapecoense – YNWA.
‘ks this 100 major honours shite?
It’s 102, at least!
Seasons ’02- ’03, and ’04-’05, improperly registered players all over the pitch throughout for the league ‘winners’ (deceased), and by the narrowest of margins.
But, Tim magnanimity coming to the fore, we’ll just go for one 3 point deduction for 1 such player in 1 league game in each season.
Same loss as Dundee United suffered last season for their registration transgression.
So, 102, and 5-in -a – row for Martin and his bhoys back then!
Quite happy to see that total added to if anyone wants to look at DOS registration implications for ’98-99, ’99-’00, and Naesurname’s second-time-around titles.
Embramike,
Hear, hear.
Hearing that:-
– The President of the CBF cant travel to Medillin to show his respects, as he’ll be arrested if he eaves the country.
– The same plane was used by Argentina last month and experienced turbulence so bad that Messi and several others were violently ill.
No doubt, more of this story to come out yet.
I had many “differences of opinion”, which would at times become heated, as to the merits of Neil Lennon, and what he brought to the Celtic team as a player.
Personally I thought he was our second most influential player in our on field successes at the time. (Behind the Swedish Deity). I had two mates who were of the opinion that he offered little to the team. They were both good debaters, and would often successfully gang up on me in pub arguments. Much to my chagrin.
As Lennon seldom scored, and seldom even racked up “assists” , I did a wee experiment whilst watching a game on tv, of Celtic playing Kilmarnock at a Rugby Park (at the time, this was a tricky tie for us).
I counted the number of times NFL lost possession during the game. It was one. It was in the 76th minute, and he put the ball out for a throw in to Kilmarnock, about half way inside their half. That was it. No missed interceptions, no missed or unsuccessful tackles. One misplaced pass, in ninety plus minutes, in a non critical area of the pitch
You don’t usually score without the ball, and you don’t usually concede with it.*
*Apologies to Terry Butcher ;-)
new article posted.
Breakfasts
Yesterday it was cauld pakora followed by the hauf eaten kebab from the night before
This morning cauld pepperoni pizza
Add a wee cup of Nescafé and a Cafe Creme and you have the breakfasts of league cup champions
FAIRHILL BHOY-
In the middle of a busy day, so don’t have time for much of a post.
If you are still in Vegas tomorrow, I’ll be down on the Strip during the day.
As Mountblow Tim can attest to I’m no slow to dig in ma troosers to get a round in.
I’m more than happy to meet up for a blether and a swally to celebrate our 100th anywhere thats convenient for you.
HH