Having strained a hamstring against St Johnstone on Saturday, it is not credible to expect Giorgos Giakoumakis to play any part in Sunday’s Scottish Cup semi-final. We have surely learned from recent experiences that strained hamstrings require proper rest, to prevent a more serious injury.
Kyogo’s return to action was a joy but too brief for him to be considered as starter anytime soon. He will be fit to torment defenders in small doses only for a while. That leaves us without our MVP in recent months and our MVP from the first half of the season in a hugely important cup tie.
There are reasons not to be too concerned. Celtic have scored nine from eight different players since the last goal they conceded, Matt O’Riley is the only one to have broken the sequence by contributing more than once. This team contribute goals from all over the park. Maybe Hampden will see Greg Taylor get in on the act!
The post-split fixtures are likely to see us go to Ross County and Dundee United, with Newco, Hearts and Motherwell at home. Hopefully the game at County’s tiny Dingwall stadium is not material to the title race. The SPFL have known the scenario for two days now, so let’s hope the fixtures come out this afternoon. When you live in a Scottish bubble it is easy to forget many people have difficult and expensive travel arrangements to book just to see their team play football. At the very least they deserve as much notice as possible.
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magic, 1 may flight booked. Probably pass on 7th Hearts as it is my wife’s birthday weekend.
INIQUITOUSIV on 11TH APRIL 2022 4:29 PM
I was thinking along the same lines but ,of course, OFFICIALLY, it wouldn`t be a decider.Also, of course, actions could be taken to make sure The Old Firm do NOT lose their game against `well.
CONEYBHOY on 11TH APRIL 2022 4:30 PM
magic, 1 may flight booked. Probably pass on 7th Hearts as it is my wife’s birthday weekend.
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The ‘probably’ part made me laugh🤣😂
HOT SMOKED
Having had the misfortune to watch Cheatin’ Beaton at Paisley, I think you may be right!
Saturday 23 April 2022
15:00 Aberdeen Aberdeen v Livingston Livingston
Pittodrie Stadium
15:00 Dundee Dundee v St. Johnstone St. Johnstone
Kilmac Stadium at Dens Park
15:00 St. Mirren St. Mirren v Hibernian Hibernian
The SMISA Stadium
Sunday 24 April 2022
12:00 Motherwell Motherwell v Rangers Rangers
Fir Park
14:30 Ross County Ross County v Celtic Celtic
Global Energy Stadium
15:00 Dundee United Dundee United v Heart of Midlothian Heart of Midlothian
Tannadice Park
Saturday 30 April 2022
15:00 Aberdeen Aberdeen v Dundee Dundee
Pittodrie Stadium
15:00 Dundee United Dundee United v Motherwell Motherwell
Tannadice Park
15:00 Heart of Midlothian Heart of Midlothian v Ross County Ross County
Tynecastle Park
15:00 Livingston Livingston v Hibernian Hibernian
Tony Macaroni Arena
15:00 St. Johnstone St. Johnstone v St. Mirren St. Mirren
McDiarmid Park
Sunday 1 May 2022
12:00 Celtic Celtic v Rangers Rangers
Celtic Park
Saturday 7 May 2022
12:00 Celtic Celtic v Heart of Midlothian Heart of Midlothian
Celtic Park
15:00 Hibernian Hibernian v Aberdeen Aberdeen
Easter Road Stadium
15:00 Livingston Livingston v St. Johnstone St. Johnstone
Tony Macaroni Arena
15:00 Ross County Ross County v Motherwell Motherwell
Global Energy Stadium
15:00 St. Mirren St. Mirren v Dundee Dundee
The SMISA Stadium
Sunday 8 May 2022
15:00 Rangers Rangers v Dundee United Dundee United
Ibrox Stadium
Tuesday 10 May 2022
19:45 Dundee Dundee v Hibernian Hibernian
Kilmac Stadium at Dens Park
Wednesday 11 May 2022
19:30 Dundee United Dundee United v Celtic Celtic
Tannadice Park
19:45 Motherwell Motherwell v Heart of Midlothian Heart of Midlothian
Fir Park
19:45 Rangers Rangers v Ross County Ross County
Ibrox Stadium
19:45 St. Johnstone St. Johnstone v Aberdeen Aberdeen
McDiarmid Park
19:45 St. Mirren St. Mirren v Livingston Livingston
The SMISA Stadium
Saturday 14 May 2022
12:15 Celtic Celtic v Motherwell Motherwell
Celtic Park
12:15 Heart of Midlothian Heart of Midlothian v Rangers Rangers
Tynecastle Park
12:15 Ross County Ross County v Dundee United Dundee United
Global Energy Stadium
Sunday 15 May 2022
12:00 Aberdeen Aberdeen v St. Mirren St. Mirren
Pittodrie Stadium
12:00 Hibernian Hibernian v St. Johnstone St. Johnstone
Easter Road Stadium
12:00 Livingston Livingston v Dundee Dundee
Ross County away first to try to put a bit of pressure on us.
HS
Final fixtures are there now…mibbees a slow typist on the beeb.
18 YARD MAN on 11TH APRIL 2022 4:42 PM
Or we are just quick readers :-))
GARYGILLESPIESHAMSTRING on 11TH APRIL 2022 4:42 PM
Ross County away first to try to put a bit of pressure on us.
===================================================
I thought it very strange that we have an away game first.
Logic would have dictated H – A – H – A – H…
…but they might have thought we were laughing at them…
HH
BGFC
GARYGILLESPIESHAMSTRING on 11TH APRIL 2022 4:42 PM
Ross County away first to try to put a bit of pressure on us.
Wouldn`t Dundee Utd and Ross County be considered the two weakest teams in the top six?
The way these fixtures are configured our 2 most difficult games will be the first 2, however the way we are playing we have nothing and no team to fear,they also have a dead rubber last game against Hearts, how come that wasnt their first match? Keep everyone fit and get tore into every opponent from start to finish, the league is within our reach now, Ange will keep everyone focused as he has throughout the season.
“BIG GEORGES FAN CLUB – HAIL, HAIL, WEE OSCAR on 11TH APRIL 2022 4:44 PM
I thought it very strange that we have an away game first.
Logic would have dictated H – A – H – A – H…”
MAYBE had we gone along the Hahah route, complications would have arisen with other teams h and a fixtures.
PS I liked your laughing comment :-))
Hot Smoked
Yes. However I feel that we tend to find away ties
In Dingwall and Inverness more difficult than home ties against the bigger teams.
HH
Ross County away in December – Ralston injury time winner 97th minute. It is a potential banana skin. We have improved since then but so have they.
BGFC
Nice one.
“DESSYBHOY on 11TH APRIL 2022 4:48 PM
they also have a dead rubber last game against Hearts,”
Good point re their game against the third team in the table being a meaningless game for the Jambos. It might, of course, NOT be a meaningless game for The Old Firm.
Good evening all from sunny Ruglen. May all your days be filled with beer and happiness.
GARYGILLESPIESHAMSTRING on 11TH APRIL 2022 4:50 PM
Fair enough.
SPFL need to start using UEFA’s forthcoming way of qualifying for the top 6, every year it would be Us, The Old Firm, Aberdeen, Hibs, Hearts and a toss of the coin between the rest! :)) por cierto.
Also, of course, they play Motherwell hours before we play Ross County. Their likely victory at Fir Park could put extra pressure on us. Even so, play as we can and we have nothing to worry about.
POR CIERTO on 11TH APRIL 2022 4:55 PM
.and the toss of the coin would need to go in favour of Dundee Utd !
( I THINK they attract the sixth largest crowds).
The huns hate their antiquated lavvy getting called Grayskull.
They will hate us calling them, snd them alone ” The old Firm ”
So logically they will be known as the Old Firm from Grayskull. 😆😆👍
MARTIM1980 on 11TH APRIL 2022 4:33 PM
CONEYBHOY on 11TH APRIL 2022 4:30 PM
magic, 1 may flight booked. Probably pass on 7th Hearts as it is my wife’s birthday weekend.
——–
The ‘probably’ part made me laugh🤣😂
————
ha ha, I phoned her and we are both going over on the 14th Motherwell for a jaunt. I said ‘ probably’ 3 in a month is too much and she ‘probably’ wouldn’t want be a bit wrecked from the footie when we go to her comedy gig on the actual birthday.
I was ‘probably’ right – she said no to the 7th!!!
The way I read the fixtures is every possible way to add pressure to us and give them some chance has been given. Confident if they were ahead they’d be given 3 easy ties to start. League done.
CONEYBHOY on 11TH APRIL 2022 5:02 PM
Good call! 🤣😂
DENIABHOY on 11TH APRIL 2022 4:17 PM
SO if VAR is voted in for next season, the cost of it will be paid for by the clubs and, as things stand, we foot the largest bit of the bill:
“According to figures from the BBC, the amount each club will need to contribute will depend on their final league position this season.
………….
MAYBE the The HUN Board will instruct their manager and players to LOSE as many games as possible from the start of the SPL Split….in order too PAY as LITTLE as possible for VAR ?
LOL.
For the game against the Huns on May 1st, at Celtic Park….we should have an ARCHWAY at pitch side just saying…” This is the Famous Glasgow CELTIC V The ANIMALS” !
Wouldnt THAT be something ?
HH.
whats the easy fixture of the old firm team coming to celtic park for a glasgow derby, hopefully with none of their follow followers ?
and its snake mountain.
The fixture dates suit me as I will be back home on 24th in time for Ross County away and able to get to the home game on 1st May. Also does not mean playing them in consecutive weeks.
Keep our eye on the performances and we have nothing to fear about the timing of the fixtures.
SAINT STIVS on 11TH APRIL 2022 5:09 PM
whats the easy fixture of the old firm team coming to celtic park for a glasgow derby, hopefully with none of their follow followers ?
——-
Don’t it’ll be easy and think we’ll win but fixture wise it gives them more of a chance to remain in it, 6 pointer etc early and you know how their refs work.
Confident we’ll carry on performing just reads like Ange experiencing the sfa at their fullest and he’s still succeeding.
We know they had easy early fixtures, that refereeing worst in years, and their post european fixtures were all easier than ours.
So the odds are slim for them but reckon they are best they could want and they got them…surprise surprise
MARTIM1980 on 11TH APRIL 2022 5:04 PM
The way I read the fixtures is every possible way to add pressure to us and give them some chance has been given. Confident if they were ahead they’d be given 3 easy ties to start. League done
——————————–
I agree.
However – they are very much clutching at straws at this stage as far as the league title race is concerned.
Solid, professional (or expansive with great panache) victory away to Ross County SHOULD leave us with three home games and one away, and only needing 7 points from 12 available.
The focus will be entirely on Ross County – the assumption in our squad will be that Ross County will play like their lives depend on it, and out attitude and approach will be tailored to meet that challenge head on.
If all goes to plan in that game, only them will we turn our attention to the next challenge. The Glasgow Derby versus The Old Firm where we can bury the matter stone dead.
While we can have the luxury of looking in the direction of the finishing line – Ange and the Celtic squad will be laser-focussed on that Ross County game – phasers will be set to Malky.
HH
BGFC
Ange will be totally unconcerned about who we play and in what order . He will simply prepare to win each game as it comes and the likely outcome is that we will do exactly that .
Of course it won’t stop punters like me sh**ing myself until the title’s actually in the bag …..then I can celebrate!
Means we can win the league against the huns at CP
BIG GEORGES FAN CLUB – HAIL, HAIL, WEE OSCAR on 11TH APRIL 2022 5:20 PM
GLENDALYSTONSILS on 11TH APRIL 2022 5:21 PM
Pressed for time, but I agree that Ange will have us set, been singing his praises, our team set up and application of the system.
Just like moaning about the cheats that are the SFA. Wouldn’t surprise me they have thought out each event to create pressure.
Glad fixtures now posted and Ange and the squad can now plan and execute.
Plenty of work to do but we are in a very good place indeed.
The manager would never couch the immediate schedule in these terms of course …
but I’m an unqualified nonentity on a blog so here goes ….
Win the next 3 matches and we are one game away from a treble.
If they lose or draw to Motherwell & we beat Ross County , we can win the Title in the Hun game,
They would be 8 or 9 back coming into game, we beat them they are 11 or12 back with 3 games to play.
“Old Firm” chat earlier raised a chuckle.
The club have executed some small steps to prevent its use to describe a duopoly.
Picking up and promulgating Old Firm FC’s gaffe, Celtic fans can seal the deal.
Can you imagine?
“Trouble at Old Firm game”
“First Minister calls Old Firm summit”
“The next Old Firm game will be televised exclusively live here on Sly Sports”
Pub chat ….
“We’re the Old Firm – both of us together”
“Nope – you are. On your own”
“Says who?”
“Er, you. On 3rd April, 2022. All over the stadium (and in the bins next day)”