Glycogen, sports science, victimhood

227

Slippers on and a balanced meal is in store tonight for Celtic players, as they prepare to face our nearest challengers in the league on Sunday.  Their opponents have a game which should see them progress to the Europa League quarterfinals.  Despite their 1-3 win in the first leg, Fenerbahce are not Queen’s Park, this will be a draining game for both sides.

It is a measurable fact that athletes do not fully replenish muscle glycogen within three days.  Two games a week carries an energy burden, putting players into what sports scientists call the “red zone”.

Red zone concerns before Celtic last met Newco might well have cost Philippe Clement his job.  Worried about Celtic, he rested players for the games in the week before Celtic’s visit.  Newco took one point from six that week, rendering their win over Celtic moot.  The league was gone and all Clement had was his “sports scientists” defence.

Celtic should have the advantage, but games are won on the pitch, not with rest and slippers.  Three years ago Ange Postecoglou lost his only trophy in Scotland when Celtic lost a Scottish Cup semifinal to Newco, three days after Newco played a Europa League game, while Celtic players rested up.

Barry Ferguson might not know how many vowels there are in the English language, but he’s not stupid.  Well, not really.  Unlike Clement, he will know to avoid “red zone” chat this week.  We can expect lots of running around on Sunday, for a part of the game, anyway.

I could not care less for Real Madrid, but the penalty event which saw them progress to the Champions League quarterfinal last night would normally be considered an emotional trauma.  However we are talking about pain for Diego Simeone here.  He lacked the courtesy to shake hands with Brendan Rodgers on the two occasions they met last season.

Real keeper Thibaut Courtois got it right with his post-match comments.  “I’m always fed up with that victimhood, always crying over things.

“If you’re winning 1-0 in the first minute and don’t go for the second, that’s the fault of their game.”

Simeone and Athletico would kill the sport as entertainment if they prevailed.  Fortunately, they never do.  The tie was there for them and they closed the game down.  And for the record, there was no video evidence of a double touch.

*Update: someone sent me a video clip of the penalty I hadn’t seen before.  There was a double touch, VAR was right.

Click Here for Comments >
Share.

About Author

227 Comments
  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. 2
  4. 3
  5. 4
  6. 5
  7. 6

  1. Suppose your view of history depends on your starting point…..

     

    If you start in the 1950s…..

     

    The siege and fall of Madrid in the later 1930s

     

    Might not seem important or relevant to your viewpoint

     

     

    itsjustonedamnthingafteranothercsc

  2. Back to Basics - Glass Half Full on

    I’ve never been the biggest fan of establishment clubs

     

     

    … including Royal Madrid.

  3. Back to Basics - Glass Half Full on

    I won’t be watching R2ngers tonight.

     

     

    If Fenerbahce give them a game?

     

     

    Tired legs at 10:00pm.

     

     

    62½ hours before kick off on Sunday.

  4. fairhill bhoy on

    AIPPLE – Enjoy your time back home, especially Sunday 👌

     

     

    MARSPAPA – name names 😉

  5. fairhill bhoy on 13th March 2025 7:24 pm

     

    AIPPLE – Enjoy your time back home, especially Sunday 👌

     

     

     

     

     

     

    MARSPAPA – name names 😉

     

     

    —————-

     

     

    fairhill bhoy on 13th March 2025 7:24 pm

     

    AIPPLE – Enjoy your time back home, especially Sunday 👌

     

     

     

     

     

     

    MARSPAPA – name names 😉

     

     

    ———————–

     

     

    🤣🤣🤣🤣

     

     

    I’ll tell you next time at the golf .

     

     

    Enjoy your holiday pal ……

  6. This guff on Shortie………………..

     

     

    :}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}

     

     

    “While the Fenerbahce fans were taking a break for lunch on their journey, a Scottish Rangers fan approached them. After a brief conversation, the fans hugged each other.

     

     

    They analysed the match in Istanbul. A Turkish fan said: “You were lucky.” The Rangers fan replied: “Actually, you were the lucky ones! Two of our goals were disallowed by millimetres due to offside!” No one objected.

     

     

    The Rangers fan wished his new Fenerbahce friends good luck, saying, “You’ll need it.”

     

     

    A minute or two later, he returned from his car with some Scottish shortbread, which he gifted to his Turkish friends, who were already delighted by the Scottish hospitality. Football is beautiful like this.”

  7. Thetre must be two Canadian sodjers due to attend the nicht, shirley…………….?

  8. Fenerbahce nowhere near as poor as last weeks showing.They CAN be much better.Wether they will be tonight?.Jose has been sooooo calm all week since in the Turkish press.

     

    I have a bet on them tonight.😎😎😎😎

  9. fairhill bhoy on

    MARSPAPA- looking forward to the holiday. Brian and Mary waiting on us. 22 in total, I think 😉

     

     

    I’m no Columbo, but I’m sure I can work out at least one of those “hurting huns” 🤣🏌️‍♂️

  10. !!Bada Bing!! on

    Wee Bawwy will need all his half time team talks from Kelty Hearts,Alloa and Clyde to steady the ship here

  11. The new club laying the boot in .,we will get a better view of it on Sunday.it will be bazzas team talk , McLean the mib , and Beaton on var , could be close . Started to watch it but nah no listening to the sleekit cheeky chappie .

  12. glendalystonsils on

    Huns roughing up the Turks right in front of a blind referee , a wee sign of what to expect on Sunday. Big difference is that the Turks are shite and we are not .

  13. The Blogger Formerly Known As GM on

    The huns don’t want the ball: when they have it, it’s kick-and-rush for a game of chaos ball/heady tennis in the opposition half.

     

     

    When the opposition have it, they sit and wait to pounce on mistakes/slack passing.

     

     

    Same tactics as they deployed against us at Mordor.

     

     

    We can’t get drawn in tom100mph Baz-Bawl on Sunday.

     

     

    Slow and steady will win the race.

  14. Prestonpans bhoys on

    Fat Sally getting his stands mixed up, for clarity the Turks are not in the Copland 🙃

  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. 2
  4. 3
  5. 4
  6. 5
  7. 6