Odsonne Edouard put Celtic ahead against Newco yesterday on 27 minutes with the game’s outstanding move. He collected a breath-taking first-time pass from James Forrest on the halfway line, evading Connor Goldson in the process, before pulling left then right, and despatching a left foot shot past a helpless Allan McGregor. It gave the champions a deserved lead.
If there is a manager in Scotland who does not send his team out to wind up Alfredo Morales he is missing a trick. Steven Gerrard has provided the Columbian with excuses for his litany of red cards all season, but finally relented and before leaving Celtic Park informed the player he would be fined. It was too little, too late, to prevent, the damage of record levels of indiscipline was done.
Jonny Hayes picked up a first half booking and with Newco down to 10 men, he was sacrificed for the more attack minded Scott Sinclair. Despite Celtic having a man advantage, with Ntcham flagging, Newco gained control of the middle of the park. Ryan Kent scored a fine goal, and while it was Newco’s first attempt of the game, it came as no surprise.
Tom Rogic came on for Ntcham a minute later but the big Aussie, so often the scourge of Newco, was well short of match sharpness.
Kieran Tierney passed a late fitness test but was forced to retire on 73 minutes. Just a minute later Dedryck Boyata hobbled off. With Celtic having made all their substitutes, the game was set for a 10 v 10 finale.
With a mind on our midfield casualty list, on Friday I suggested winning control of that area of the field unlikely and unnecessary, as Newco’s defensive anxiety was likely to settle the outcome. This proved to be the case.
Newco gave at least as good as they got during the closing period of the game, but whereas Celtic were rock solid defensively, James Tavernier would provide the self-inflicted blow to the visitors. It was a classic, ‘What’s the right back doin’, Tom?’ moment.
His under-hit pass on 86 minutes was collected by Callum McGregor, who immediately despatched the ball Edouard on the edge of the area. The Celtic striker drew the Newco defence left, opening space for James Forrest, who he then released with time and space to control before finding the net.
As though to prove that indiscipline at Newco was not only a problem limited to Morales, Kent punched Scott Brown on the face before play resumed, an incident which was missed by the officials but not TV cameras. A retrospective ban will be on its way.
The drama continued through five minutes of added time, with Kristoffer Ajer making an incredible saving tackle inside the six-yard box to deny Joe Worrall.
You will remember Scott Brown making little of being assaulted by a Newco fan at Ibrox in 2017. The man has been provoked more than anyone in Scottish football since Neil Lennon, but unlike Morales, he does not retaliate with violence. The sight of Scott celebrating with eight fingers in the air at full time in front of the Newco support was intolerable to the already-booked Andy Halliday, who could not contain his rage and collected his second yellow card in the tunnel.
It is eight, Andy, as in eight-in-a-row, one less than nine, two less than 10, not that things will change at 10-in-a-row. This is what the future looks like. Scott Brown will soon need to take his socks and boots off to continue this motif.
Post-match, Steven Gerrard said he would have reacted the same was as Halliday in similar circumstances, proving they are both too stupid to be on the field with Scott Brown. Gerrard should consider how his own flaws continue to influence his team’s discipline. If he believes his players have an issue with discipline, but continues to provide cover for them, he is the real problem.
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Just watched Snowdon…ironically a film by Ollie Stone…scary hidden stuff that governments justify by doing it in our name
Tontine…lol…Our depleted squad resembled a pilgrimage tae Lourdes…got tae admit that after sobering up….it wisnae as fine a victory as it should have been…but it was as fine as it needed to be ;-))
H.H.
THE EXILED TIM on 1ST APRIL 2019 @ 6:55 PM
Brilliant from the bristol bar.
That Robert is gonnae be fearsome when his baws drope.
Kennedy’s press conference is superb.
He handled all the contentious questions calmly and maturely.
Came across as a real leader.
Well done John.
ET newspaper – what can you say?
Either rank incompetence or cynical click baiting.
Circulation plummeting. That rag won’t make it to the end of 2020.
Never forget their true colours.
And never forget that a bitter twisted Sevco fan has left one of our young fans in critical condition.
And (exiled Tim – with all due respect), never forget Paddy Power’s treatment of Billy McNeill.
Hail hail
Paul,
An article of some truths & some exaggerations but a conclusion with which most would agree.
When they controlled the midfield we conceded & we were very lucky not to concede more than the one.
I agree with The Battered Bunnet – in essence our management of the game was poor.
Neil took some huge risks on some half fit, some not fully recovered and some just back from injury players.
There’s a case that these risky choices almost cost us victory, yet another case that they led to our victory.
He chose “men” & “warriors” as long as they weren’t loanees (until he had no choice).
Selecting Ntcham & Tierney in particular meant that he only had one tactical substition available to him for 90 minutes against the arch provokers. He didn’t need to take those risks, but as always, we’ll never know how things would have worked out otherwise.
Also, relying on Goldson & Worral to gift you goals is hardly any less of a risky strategy to secure victory.
Again, there’s just as strong a case for our own defence gifting them a goal & in the view of some – we did.
Despite our oddly subdued start to the second half, the anxiety of only a one nil lead meant that we kept pressing particularly down the flanks, the root of where we lost the goal.
We actually got caught on the break, just as we had caught them. KT wasn’t close enough to Tavernier when he headed on to Candeis & KT then failed to get close enough to the same player when he ran on to the return. Because KT had pushed on Ajer covered his left back berth & was marking Candeis, whose deft back heel took both Celtic players out of the move. Kent took the pass on the edge of the D & Lustig, who was late to see the danger, mostly got in Dedrick’s way. The rest we know about.
By the time it was 10 v 10, I know of no Celtic fan who thought that we would win. Seeing the game out & not losing it was the priority. With a struggling Lustig in central defence & our key player, McGregor, forced to play left back, for 17 minutes our midfield consisted on Brown & the completely ineffective Rogic, with Forrest & almost as ineffective Sinclair on the flanks. In his tunnel interview Neil mentioned square pegs in round holes – but his decision to field players that would be unlikely to see the game out, was largely responsible for that scenario.
We got lucky with the break for the winner. They sensed that they could nick it so they did exactly as we did before we conceded. They pushed Tavernier forward to support Candeis & these two really fancied it up against Callum & Sinclair. The sloppy pass gave Callum and opening & his underrated speed over 5 yards got him to the ball quickly. After that it was sublime football from three Celtic players that converted the chance.
Long ago I gave up trying fathom which team deserved to win this or that game – to paraphrase Gene Hackman as he lies on the saloon floor in Big Whiskey “I don’t desrve this” only to have Clint Eastwood reply “Deserveds got nothing to do with it.” How many times have we have drink from that cup of bile?
We won becasue we had more players playing well than they did. Odsonne, Brown & Ajer were wonderful with Forrest, McGregor the 1st half Ntcham not far behind. All they had was Ryan Kent & some thugs who spent most of their time trying to wind up Scott Brown. Morelos, Jack, Arfield & Kent were all after Scott Brown – just as they were in December, but then & yesterday he didn’t shrink, blink or baulk at the intimidation.
All of which brings us to Gerrard. He is such a naive man & coach that he thinks that all he has to do in interviews is talk to diehard fans of his club. So, when he’s confronted with a well used metaphor for a full house Celtic Park, he reacts like an infantile school boy with a reply that only he & knuckleheads would consider funny or appropriate. In his post match media sessions, the same immature manchild appeared as he chose to speak to the lowest knucklehead in blue, rather than retain any shred of integrity & respect.
I agree with you entirely – their players were like a street gang during yesterday’s match, each trying to outdo the other with excesses of foulplay against all Celtic players but very especially against our captain. This was no accident & Gerrard’s opinions about who was to blame for his players’ indiscipline confiemd that he was the inspiration for this non-football thuggery. To ignore the coordinated campaign of brutality by at least 4 of his players against the Celtic captain & then blame the victim for not allowing himself to be provoked is Orwellian.
As for Morelos, he needs a lot of psychotherapy or a new career as a shelf stacker in Asda.
I have not yet read a single account of the whole episode involving Scott Brown & Morelos, where the intimidation by Morelos against Brown is even mentioned. The orginal footage shows Morelos deliberately bumping into Brown while appearing to look downfield. Scott reciprocated & the Colombian banjoed him.
I also thought Madden did ok. I disagreed with some of his decisions, but most he seemed to get right. It was no penalty in the Tavernier/Sinclair incident & frankly, when things are kicking off all over the place, it’s impossible for him to see everything. That’s why the Compliance Officer and the Video Panel exist. I’d rather Madden give nothing if he didn’t see it than he do a Willie Collum and guess what might have happened & decide accordingly. It seems to me that referees have likely been advised that their reports must be clearer. If they didn’t award a free kick or dish out a card for some egregious foul or behaviour – their reports must not suggest that they saw it all & chose to take no action. If they do, they can expect to be confronted with the illogicality of that. That’s just my view on the drift of things now.
John Kennedy was asked in today’s media session whether of the chance arose, he would like to win the league at Ayebrokes. He smiled & said “I don’t care, I just want to win it.”
I’ll second that sir.
HH
scaniel i voted received the text confirming, reached for my phone and spilled my drink, feckin everywhere, felt like a feckin right old donkey…….you got any vacancies???? ……and no he-hawin’ at the back :)
FTW…Lennon and his pathological reluctance to field the loanees brought in to deliver the league and 3 cubed…is puzzling….are they all injured, although been on the bench? Are they on performance related bonuses that the club doesn’t want to pay? Does Lennon think they’re all haddies….mmmm
H.H.
i wrote the same yesterday during the game – it was crying out for Burke to stretch them in the second half. Rogic and Sinclair were ineffective.
I think Compper and Allan have more chance of game time than Burke and Weah. Compper apparently in for Wednesday.
Jist a bit of World…I’ve worked wae my BIL many times…this site took the biscuit….It was the first time that I got to know that there was a hierarchy…amongst immigrants themselves…I won’t post it because it’s racist
The Lurkin Tim
Great questions.
Did he think the loanees would not go the extra mile that he believed HIS team would need?
Did he think that they might get blootered by Stevie’s street gang & leave him to explain to insurance companies why?
He obviously believes in loanees because he had Scott Allan at Hibs for a few months.
Did he just want men with the steel in their eyes that loanees hadnpt shown him?
Was it all coincidence that he fielded no loanees at all?
Where was Ewan Henderson in the scheme of things?
We know that Mikey Johnson was swept away in December,so did he think another youngster would suffer a similar fate?
Who advised him to put a clearly unfit Rogic on when he did & why did he box himself in at all with his risky initial selection?
Game management conundrum.
HH
FTW…no really a conundrum….he’s trying to stamp his authority on the squad….but is it to his detriment long term?…Scottish Cup will tell
H.H
scottish slimmers go into liquidation……….what will they come back as?????…………….your not fatties anymore (i’m no slimjim myself for the PC brigade)
Charliebhoy….unless you die and are resurrected by the NHS….yer weight-loss mibbe described as zombieish :-))
Slim
The Lurkin Tim
There just might be something in that.
The loanees all came in talking about how the “manager” was a huge incentive to come to Celtic on loan.
Would Tim Weah’s old man have been so keen for his boy to come to Celtic if someone he’d never heard of before was the manager – like Ronnie Deila or even Neil Lennon?
NFL has ridden his luck since he started back with us.
Unlike some folk I don’t believe that you plan to win games in injury time or even put a plan in place that can even produce that. A suucession of good luck has fallen for us & him. But as we know the big wheel turns and who knows what we’ll get next time it stops.
I believe that some men can be inspirational & lift a room – even a dressing room on special occasions.
That part NFL can do I think, but that effective game management when you are also trying to assert your authority on a squad some of whom may doubt you & you them is something a roulette wheel.
See, I still use 100 words when you use 10.
HH
FTW…I think that Odds on Eddie, & Moussa are reason enough to persuade most clubs that we’re willing to let their players develop in a harsh environment…’cept wen Lenny is boss…why?
H.H.
35,00 people…conservatively…attended Bonny and Clydes funerals….is that a fault of society?
35,000
I accept Moussa was’t ours wen Lenny took charge…I was making a point…
The Lurkin Tim
Reason is that BR had a reputation as
a) successful – rightly or not
b) someone who develops players
c) has adopted continental style whole life player regimes – diet, yoga, exercise, data collection & application.
NFL has admitted that things are very different than when he was at Celtic. He also had, repeat had a reputation with his lifestyle when he was manager previously. BR was the opposite so his lifestyle was consistent with what he expected from players.
Neil is an unknown quantity specifically in those areas.
BTW just watched all of Gerrard’s hormless tunnel interview. Like someone acting out how he thinks a manager should talk. Then he contradicts himself in his 5 minute interview. He actually justifies every act of indiscipline from his players by excusing them since they were provoked. He supports accepting their punishment as long as Brown gets some too. Then he says it’s his job to crack down discipline, before explaining that Halliday was entitled to defend “his people” – he means their fans from the celebrating Celtic fans.
Hes a conman & worse than Cauxinho.
Demanding funds from folk who are borrowing from the ice cream van man is a winning move.
HH
Ref The Highwaymen
Loved how we never actually see either if the two murderers until the moment of their death.
Yes, it was a reflection of society, media & class issues in USA.
Some might say that things have only gotten worse.
Focusing NOT on the vermin that executed people at will but on what others had to do to stop them was huge for me. Actually refusing to even capture their faces to avoid glamorizing them & their crimes.
CharlieBhoy at 12:41….drinking tea at 20 to one in the morning? Tut-tut.
Thanks for the vote.
Scaniel – voted for your project, good luck my friend.
HH
Fix Fitba, Empty Hampden…………and
Hold the Huns akkountable for their aktions.
“O&& F@@@” Guff
“Mass Brawl” Sleekit Guff.
……….the well-wornE deflektion strategy used by Klan Followers….
” wans as bad as the ither”
Effective sleekit guff.
One Malloy at 8:01. Thank you, my friend- much appreciated.
“Strikt Liability”
A sleekitly brilliant answer to the wrong question.
Guff.
SCANIEL,
A very worthy cause, My Vote is in.
Good luck.
HH
morning bhoys from a very wet Cheshire , scaniel just clicked on the e-mail link, so you have another vote ,good luck and best wishes.hh.
Got my vote too Scaniel. Keep up the good work.
TONTINE TIM@11.33 April 1st.
McKellar and Watt……..Hmmmmmmm!
I will ask you a wee poser, a game I took in August 1968.Wallace scored both goals at Ibrox.Why was the game a 3.30 kick off? No late April fools Day carry on.
Scaniel…love what you are doing…vote confirmed!
Big Jimmy, BigPacky1, JimTheTim,WeeBobbyCollins, – Cheers Ghuys. Your support means a lot to us.
IF…As “Reported”…. that Scott Brown’s “Celebration” or anything else is to be looked at by The SFA or Compliance Officer etc, then I want Celtic’s Legal Team ALL over it ?
I don’t remember The Huns and/or SFA saying too much in 1999, when the Hun players and staff did their Mock Huddle at Celtic Park ?
Likewise, when Gascoquine the drunken wife beater played his Flute Twice ( Once at Celtic park when he was a Sub), or when Gambling Addict Graham Roberts was conducting their Choir at Ipox, or when the number of times Hun Players and Coaching staff have left the Field of Play/Dug Outs celebrating a Goal at Celtic Park and running half the length of the pitch, immediately in front of thousands of Celtic Supporters sitting in the Main Stand ? I think one game in particular that sticks out was in 2008 (?) at Celtic Park when they beat us 4-2, with Big Artur being at fault for Two of their goals, as that Day, they had at LEAST 8/9 Players running onto the Track to celebrate etc.
I know that Yellow carded at St Mirren earlier, The Hun Halliday was yellow Carded for his so called Provoactive gesture to St Mirren fans…and imho that was wrong, that he was punished ?
If I am at a game and the Celtic support including myself is giving an opposition Player stick, if that same player decides to stick up two Fingers or whatever at the Celtic support…then thats fine imho ? I really dont mind any Player having a go back in those circumstances.
I was in the jungle back in the 1970’s when Hibs were beating us fairly and squarely 2-0, and the Ref ABANDONED the game due to heavy Fog halfway thru the 2nd half ( I think ?)….and the Hibs centre forward one Joe Harper ( ex Aberdeen), was giving the Jungle Celtic Supporters the Two Finger Salute, as the Players trooped off the Pitch and obviously Hibs were Raging at the game being abandoned. NO Celtic Supporter invaded the Pitch etc…we just ALL Laughed at Harper….I think that just made him more angry, ! LOL
IF Scott Brown gets “Done” for his celebration, then obviously I want Celtic to pursue The SFA, for Victimisation/Selectiveness or whatever, and for Celtic to demand that EVERY Player who just happens to celebrate in front of opposing Fans, to be also “Done” from here on in ?
HH
A big build-up on radio Shortbread at 7 this morning for – coming up soon – is “old firm” violence at its worse level for many years? – I waited to hear the feature but it got put back and put back and then nothing …… Looks they were forced to pull the plug their big story. Someone stopped them!
6 arrests at the game -thats one person in 10,000 doesn’t back up BBC’s non-story.
The knife attacks on Celtic supporters is just reported as “football fans brawl” by the beeb.
An organisation that is not fit-for -purpose.
FTW – really good stuff thru the night. Cheers.
The fairly consistent takes on Gerrard and his (in)abilities are interesting.
Agree with all of these.
Perhaps it shouldn’t be forgotten that the managers of both clubs are hitting the objectives set out by the power brokers at each club.
Our manager is mandated to win trophies.
Theirs has been brought in to sell tickets and increase profile.
Hail hail.
Bamboo – good call.
I don’t even read, watch or listen to BBC Scotland any longer.
Any remaining vestige of editorial integrity disappeared earlier this year with their very public attempt to kiss and make up with Sevco.
BBC reporting conduct since has deteriorated further.