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Hampden is ours!

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By on CQN BLOG & Comments

Scottish football was waning in 2016.  In the five years before then, Celtic won all league titles, while the Scottish and League Cups each saw five different winners – nine clubs won cups across both competitions.  The ‘neutrals’ raved at this and fair play to the likes of Ross County and Hibs, (especially Hibs), but there was something missing.

Brendan Rodgers arrival gave Scottish football a team who were not just champions, but imperious champions.  18 trophies have been awarded since, 14 to Celtic.  Those neutrals (yet to meet a neutral) bemoaned a lack of competition, but you and I know the truth.  The value in even the League Cup has never been higher.

Other teams want to win it because so few sides apart from Celtic get to win anything.  Celtic want to win it because we know the historic significance of these times.  We are living in a period that 100 years from now football fans will look back at the records and marvel.  This.  Is.  History!  You and I know it and we kicked every ball.

When I think back on highlights from those 14 trophies, that magnificently-horrible League Cup win in December 2019 jumps out first.  The thought of losing our run, history denied, was such, that the eventual relief was euphoric.

Next is the game we watched from home.  We knew the run that led to the Quadruple Treble was over before the Scottish Cup Final against Hearts in 2020.  An equally horrible performance before Kristoffer Ajer blasted his deciding penalty into the net brought a feeling no less joyful than beating Newco 5-0 to win the league.

When your status is as high as Celtic’s has been since 2016, historic significance is always on the line.  This is Celtic’s gift to the rest of Scottish football.  Every competition here has an importance other countries could only dream of, and I include the often-vaunted English game.  There, their top clubs use the League (and increasingly FA) Cup as a development opportunity.

Even the second strongest team in Scotland is not robust enough to do that.  They need the League Cup.  A loss there, while miles behind in the league, would be a disaster.  February is a bit early to have only the Scottish Cup to look forward to.  Can you imagine looking at the months stretching out between February and August and thinking, ‘at most, three games in the Scottish Cup”?  They cannot walk out of Hampden on Sunday muttering, “Bigger fish to fry”, it all goes on the line.

Celtic are playing so well, some of us are disconcertingly confident.  Hatate, Kyogo, Jota and Maeda are on fire.  The back line is rock solid, and Joe Hart looks ready for anything (except a back pass).  McGregor and Mooy will move, block and pass their way through the game, while Ange will make changes that reinvigorate the second half.

Five League Cups out of six, you know the script, Celtic, Hampden is ours!

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  1. Saint Stivs on

    Relentless, By Numbers

     

    24th February 2023 celticbynumbers@btinternet.com Leave a Comment

     

     

    On this week’s Huddle Breakdown (please subscribe on whatever channel you consume your podcasts) @jucojames spelt out how some of Celtic’s key metrics have declined since the World Cup hiatus.

     

     

    And they are some core metrics, for sure.

     

     

    Looking at Scottish matches only, expected goals (xG) is down from 2.99 to 2.82.

     

     

    Celtic are having less quality shots – xG per shot is down from 0.16 to 0.15.

     

     

    The Champions are not working the opposition goalkeepers any more – average about four saves per game pre and post-World Cup.

     

     

    But, the cost to the opposition of shackling Celtic is immense. xG against has dropped from 0.84 to 0.68 and xG per shot has fallen radically from 0.14 to 0.1.

     

     

    We have seen in recent games that even when teams go two, three or four goals behind they still maintain a deep and dense defensive shape. That comes at a cost to their attacking potency.

     

     

    https://celticbynumberscom.ipage.com/relentless-by-numbers/

  2. Tontine Tim on

    TOM MCLAUGHLIN on 24TH FEBRUARY 2023 8:19 AM

     

    BIG JIMMY

     

     

    Sally Carr did indeed marry Chick Young. Tragically, they lost their teenage son to a motorbike accident.

     

     

    *for what its worth the lad was buried out of the pineapple tae so mibbees he was a St Mirren supporter after all

  4. bigrailroadblues on

    BelmontBrian 7.06

     

    My solicitors Jakie, Blootered and Steamboats shall be in touch. Upon their release from Mountjoy.

  8. bigrailroadblues on

    JackieMack

     

    Well we both like a wee drinkie. 😁🍺

     

    BelmontBrian

     

    Sounds like most of the population of Coatbridge. And that’s just the wummin. 😂

  9. GFTB on

    Hart

     

     

    Jakie, Blootered and Steamboats,

     

     

    Puggled, Mingin and Shloshed…

     

     

    MacGregor

     

     

    Jota Kyogo Maeda

     

     

    There’s your starting 11 on Sunday :-)

  13. GFTB on

    BRRB 8.45pm

     

     

    I prefer included in the first 15 …

     

     

    Ange doesn’t do subs …

     

     

    just bring me on after you’ve got the rounds in

  15. Back to Basics - Glass Half Full on

    Celtic women 3-0 up in stoppage time against Sevco.

     

     

    Caitlin Hayes absolutely imperious at the back and scored two headers from corners to boot.

     

     

    Biggest difference from last season I can see is the defence.

     

     

    We look rock solid.

     

     

    Sevco look a shadow of the very impressive outfit from last season.

     

     

    Something clearly amiss behind the scenes.

  19. Up like a bird on

    CONEYBHOY on 24TH FEBRUARY 2023 6:52 PM

     

    The hun will fly into the first 15 mins to take the lead; they might, though pen, FK or mistake

     

    Overall, they are bested in every position so we need to be patient and support the team for 90 mins. Can’t have extra time as i get squeeky bum for my flight

     

     

    ———————–

     

    Totally agree, their game plan will be to do what no other team has done to us and that is come at us from the off. They will believe we will not be prepared for being dragged into an Old Auld firm game, and we dont need to be, all snotters and booting everthing that moves, our game plan should be to calm and calculated like we always do, but make sure were solid at the back. What the big boys( Real Madrid) do against us in the CL, let them have the ball to a certain degree, soak up the pressure, and let them do what morelos done in the last game, make a howler of a pass back, then we will just beat them through skill when they realise their gungho has failed.

     

    We let them have it, burn themselfs out, then smash them.

  20. Prestonpans bhoys on

    Ghirls win 3:0, after our third it was one way traffic….towards us.

     

     

    Top of the league well done 👏 ✔️ 👍

     

     

    Ps “do you know a handsome hun” appropriate 😉

  21. GFTB on

    BB 8.51pm

     

     

    Am hoping to get off the subs bench and make an appearance on the 3rd … would have been much easier if I was in the office next Friday but working fae home, the Shipbank is a bit further away than the Vulcan … might try n get a wee sneaky half day

  22. Timbhoy163 on

    Celtic players getting kitted out with them awful grey suits for Sundays league cup final., surely the players would recommend the colour and the style of suit and bloody awful white shirts.

  25. bankiebhoy1 on

    That’s some puff piece that shorties runnin’ on its front page for Mick…………………

     

     

    ……

     

     

    Laptop Loyal Guff.

  26. petec on

    Visiting my Dad yesterday. He talked about a baby in front of him.

     

     

    I messaged this to the Family whatsapp group.

     

     

    Aidan Just missed seeing his Amazing Great GrandMother.

     

     

    There are 3 likely candidates.

     

     

    “Every time i hear a newborn baby cry.”

     

     

    My bets for Sunday – Ange isnae indeed here forever.

     

     

    petec bets, I’ve been doing them All Season, well the 1st half 1s. regarding Celtic.

     

     

     

    Celtic over 2.5 First half goals & over 5.5 Celtic 90 Minutes Goals.

  30. Celtic Mac on

    Well done to the Celtic Ghirls, great win and top of the league. And well done Caitlin with the two goals. What a great coaching team we have there. And also with Darren and Mick doing a great job with the Celtic B team. Saw the latter come from 2-1 down to win 5-2 at Parkhead at the end of last year. LIke Ange’s team they never stopped. The League Cup has offtime been crucial for some of our greatest managers, Bob Kelly, Jock Stein, Wim Jansen Martin O’Neill, Gordon Strachan and now Ange.

     

    Verdict? Green and White Ribbons!

  31. petec on

    The Bigger the Government………

     

     

    The More we are controlled.

     

     

    Bliar wants every Detail there.

     

     

    WHO knows. Celtic is unstoppable.

     

     

    WHO/WEF isnae

     

     

    I cannae quite remember,remember Matthew 24.

  36. petec on

    The Monsters are gonnae try and put Reo out of the game.

     

     

    My bet’s dinnae come in that much.

     

     

    Sunday – What a Journey.

     

     

    It is gonnae be so Ohmega.

     

     

     

    get ernie Bhoy back online.

     

     

    CELTIC

     

     

    CELTIC

     

     

     

    I really hope Katie Forbes becomes the new Leader of the SNP, Having a Person so high up protecting the unborn Child. I’d actually think about voting for the SNP, as long as…… theres a list as long as.

  40. petec on

    jackiemac on 24th February 2023 9:53 pm

     

     

    u iz de Hobbes Leviathan petec

     

     

    ………………………………..

     

     

    HMMMMMMMMMMMM

     

     

    are you a Bot?

     

     

    Has nyone Ever meh /met you Jackie?

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