Football the morning after the night before

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We should commission a study into what happens to football teams immediately after a big game when they need to play a less illustrious opponent.  This week Kilmarnock got a better result against Celtic than Barcelona, and unlike the Catalans, Kilmarnock were away from home.

Cast your memory back five years for a better example.  Celtic beat Champions League holders, Milan, remarkably the only time the club have recorded a win against reigning champions, and met Gretna the following weekend, at Fir Park, Motherwell.  Gretna were promoted that summer but had cutbacks forced on them, as the financial gamble to promote them to the top flight.  Still, a James Grady free kick caught Artur Boruc on his heels.  It took goals from Chris Killen (remember him?) and Scott McDonald in the final three minutes to save face for Celtic.  Gretna failed towards the end of that season and were subsequently liquidated.

Celtic got the better of both Spartak Moscow and Benfica that season.

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844 Comments

  1. Auldheid and TBB

     

    Wow! Simultaneous replies from two CQN Heavyweights! I am overwhelmed!

     

    Thanks to you both. I have to go out now but will access the link when I return.

     

    Probably a pointless question but was it reported in the Scottish MSM? I suppose with Whyte involved it would have been (reported) but with the usual spin?

     

     

    JJ

  2. Morning CQNer’s

     

     

    I’m not on to throw grenades and then disappear oot !!!

     

    No, not today. Today I’d like to make on observation for oor Neil’s benefit.

     

    Neil….please reflect on WGS’s last season and, recall how he blew 4 iar

     

    and, slashed thousands off the attendance with his – tinkering – square-pegs into round-holes – philosophy. Please !!! Just for me.

     

    Thanx

     

    Hail Hail

  3. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    JUNGLE JIM,JOCKY BOY

     

     

    On a more prosaic level,many of us will have experienced it in the pub,in as mundane an event as a game of pool.

     

     

    Beat the pub champion one game,canny pot jam in the next against someone who barely knows one end of a cue from the other.

     

     

    Me,I put these things down to experience-and I’ve experienced a few!

     

     

    No point in worrying about it. If it happened every week,that might be different.

  4. auldheid

     

     

    Never mind the additional muzzles being put in place to stop them repeating their rip off scheme ,

     

    What should happen is the SFA , SPL , SFL and indeed UEFA should make clear once and for all that this is a new team with no history / trophies etc. and that particular attention will be paid to the running of this NEW club.

  5. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    KEV,

     

     

    The square pegs routine drove a few of us mental.

     

     

    I put it down to WGS trying to prove we knew nothing as we hadn’ played at the top level.

     

     

    Worked well,that one….

  6. South Of Tunis on

    Same old ——same old .

     

     

    Catania 0 ——- Juventus 1 .

     

     

    First half —— Catania score a perfectly valid goal . All 3 Officials indicate that it was offside . A truly ludicrous decision .

     

     

    Second half —— Juve score an offside goal . It is allowed to stand .

     

     

    Officials leave the field to chants of — ” Thieves / Thieves ” and ” That’s why your car is a Fiat .”.

     

     

    Catania’s President appears on National Tele and says this —-

     

     

    ” Juventus were given the result they wanted ”

     

     

    Paddy Power announced that they would pay out on a Catania win . A spokesman says -” it is the right thing to do “.

     

     

     

    Sicilian News ——- less than 1 in 2 bother to vote in the Regional Elections . Exit polls indicate that the likely winner is ” The Movement of The 5 Stars “— a loose affiliation of independents whose common belief is that all politicians are corrupt spivs . Led by Beppe Grillo ——- a professional comedian, who recently said this ——-

     

     

    ” Yes I’m a clown , but unlike all the mainstream politicos – I am not taking the piss ”

     

     

    Lovely sunny day -way down south . Low 20s — a chill wind . Winter is coming .

  7. FourGreenFields

     

    09:27 on

     

    29 October, 2012

     

     

    That would mean the SFA, SPL and SFL admitting that they colluded to allow a new club to jump a few hurdles in the process for new clubs entering the professional leagues, it also doesn’t fit in with the agenda from Govan of “everybody hates us”

  8. I will be at firhill tonight to catch up with the youth team, looks like it will be a pleasant evening, maybe Jobbo can confirm

     

     

    Celtic’s busy youth side return to league action tonight when they host Dunfermline at Firhill, kick-off 7pm.

     

     

    International commitments, the Next Gen Series and the SFA Youth Cup have all made demands on the squad as Celtic attempt to progress on three fronts.

     

     

    After five straight wins to start the season John Kennedy’s side drew with Hearts then lost to St Johnstone with the hoops coach keen to get back to winning ways.

     

     

    “There has been a lot of demands in the last few weeks but we’re looking forward to getting back into the league campaign,” Kennedy stated.

     

     

    “Our last league match was a defeat to St Johnstone and we want to get winning again.

  9. BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS

     

     

    I recall a certain ahem, BMCUWP…telling me to refrain from – sounding my note of caution on here last Thursday re: Beware the Killie banana-skin !?!?!

     

     

    I was told by this very – erudite Gent who is one of my CQN-Heroes to

     

    “Bask in the Barca defeat and, leave worrying about Killie until Friday !?!?!” :o)

     

     

    Thanks btw for, saving me from a certain pack of – CQN blood-hounds(they know who they are) on Friday.

     

     

    God Bless

     

    Hail Hail

     

    Off oot

     

    laters….

  10. South Of Tunis on

    Kev Jungle

     

     

    They have more than one version of the GB . A right wing one / a left wing one / an anarchist one and one that is into mega expensive designer clothing . They enjoy fighting with each other .

     

     

    The chanting came from people who had witnessed yet another game where Juve were given the points.

  11. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    KEV 0947

     

     

    Aye,I know…..

     

     

    I actually warned against a Euro hangover myself,on Saturday morning.

     

     

    But you didnae want us to have time to EARN the hangover,ya party-pooper!

     

     

    Still,you were right to warn about it…..

     

     

    Friday,no problem. Not a fan of bullying.

  12. Green Lantern (((((0))))) on

    Re the Bounce factor. This is well known in horse racing. Many people, including myself, are wary about backing last time out winners running again within a short period of time.

     

     

    Of course it all depends on the horse, some of which are capable of going on long winning runs, and indeed improving with every run despite carrying additional weight.

     

    (Trainers also have a huge part to play in terms of where the horse runs and under which conditions.)

     

     

    I don’t think Celtic are in this category yet.

  13. Chuck will be getting the opportunity to spout his latest rantings this morning on a well known talk-show – hosted by a sexist pair who no longer appear on TV.

  14. I dont think commissioning a study would be worth much, there are already too many of those useless studies of topics, where the answer is already obvious. The perceived drop in standard of the opposition, is not actually large enough, to cover each of the 11 players ‘taking it easy’. Its the same as when a team goes down to 10 men. Sometimes the team with 11 players takes the game into control and wins easily. But sometimes it goes against them, usually because the 11 players think individually, that they dont have to work as hard. But if the 10 dont panic, and collectively decide to give that 10% more each, then they will work harder than the 11 players, who have each decided to work about 10% less. Things start to go against them, and its almost impossible to turn it around, as the mindest of the players has already been determined.

     

     

    We are in a comfortable position in the league, we will win it, and we can affored to lose more games than we did in previous seasons. So from a fans point of view, I dont see the need to get our knickers in a twist. But, from Neil’s point of view, he wont want too many of these games, and he will be quite right to come down hard on the players. As they let the fans, who paid to see the game, down, and they need to remember its a privilage to play for Celtic, and they need to perform in every game.

     

     

    But it is a great reminder for us, and the players too. As much as I am, and I am sure the players are too, looking forward to the visit of Barcelona, we have no ‘right’ to win at home. Wins are only achieved by hard work, and we will need to work extremely hard to achieve a result of any kind, against Barca. Sure, we could maybe even have scored again, to make it a 2-1 win for us away to Barcelona, but, had things not gone our way, we could also have lost a few more. And, there are still games between now and then, that need to be won. And to win them, we need to compete in them. There are no cups or medals, of course, for good results against Barcalona, so if the players want to be in the cup finals, and to make sure of the league title, and to be in the Champions league again, then they will need to find that ‘eye of the tiger’, and quickly, because you cant just turn it on in the big games, as it is not something that can just be turned on and off, and once it is lost, it is not quickly found again.

     

     

    I dont think we need to be too concerned, but so long as the coaching staff are, and make that message loud and clear, there should not be too many problems, or games like this. They are going to happen, whats important, is what happens after them, thats what will dictate what we achieve this season, and how we achieve it.

  15. lionroars67

     

     

    Well we all know that’s what happened anyway .

     

    This cover up is starting to p me off , if they don’t sort this out then Hearts will be the next team to try it .

  16. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    BLANTYRE TIM

     

     

    Welcome back to the real world-hope your appeals go well,bud.

  17. Moonbeams WD. Kano 1000 \o/ Supporting Neil Lennon 100%. Champions. C’mon Wee Oscar.

     

     

    10:11 on 29 October, 2012

     

     

    The site is generally updated on a Thursday.

  18. BMCUW @ 9 29.

     

     

    ” The square pegs routine drove a few of us mental ”

     

     

    Indeed ——

     

     

    My [ very ] old man went to his first Celtic game in 1934 . Thereafter he rarely missed a home game . . He had none of the characteristics necessary for that ” Celtic minded ” thing . He had no problems with gingers – he was married to one for 40 years. .etc etc

     

     

    He stopped going within weeks of WGS getting the gig . His reasons were —– watching paint dry / square pegs in round holes . He returned to Celtic Park when WGS left . He still attends regularly ..

     

     

    WGS’s fans know nothing thing seemed to particularly annoy my father as did the what a great performance that was stuff .

     

     

    It takes all kinds CSC -Way down south.

  19. Square pegs?

     

     

    Forster

     

    Matthews, Wilson, Mulgrew, Izzy

     

    Forrest, Kayal, Ambrose, Commons

     

    Miku, Watt

     

     

    So who did we play out of position? You cant blame Neil Lennon for pub team defending and missing golden opportunities.

  20. Whats the deal with the celtic quick music on mixcloud ?

     

     

    Downloaded the app and cant find any celtic quick music page.

  21. Kev,

     

     

    I’m not sure I understand this bullying claim.

     

     

    You came on with a comment and many people disagreed.

     

     

    Do other posters have to get together and pick a designated spokesman to tell you they don’t agree with you?

  22. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    SOUTH OF TUNIS

     

     

    Jings,I’d forgtten his regular post-defeat analysis,telling all and sundry that we had actually been brilliant.

     

     

    I think the only people he convinced were the players,who went out and played,erm,brilliantly in the next game!

  23. Bobby,

     

     

    Wgs was certainly like MON in that respect.

     

     

    And the only ones convinced he didn’t tear the team a new one away from the mainstream media were the ones who were never gonna accept him.

  24. Bobby, today yes

     

     

    On Friday it was Kev

     

     

    Today it was bloodthirsty pack or words to that effect.

  25. Moonbeams WD. Kano 1000 \o/ Supporting Neil Lennon 100%. Champions. C’mon Wee Oscar.

     

     

    Thanks for the ;ink to the FTTT judgements.

     

     

    One question –

     

     

    What do I search on to get the FTT result for the defunct RFC ?

     

     

    Ta!

  26. South of Tunis

     

     

    Not long back from the supermarket where I bumped into a (very) old acquaintance – a native of Catania – who has lived here in SP for over 60 years.

     

     

    After the usual pleasantries he asked if I had watched the Juve match – I did not.

     

     

    The rant which followed was fully justified as I had seen re-runs of what happened and read about it in the sporting press.

     

     

    I could not possibly repeat what he said – I am quite sure, ‘tho, that you will have a fair inkling!

     

     

    HH!!