We are often told that Celtic are under pressure to win every game. This is an accepted exaggeration when it comes to European football, but for few other occasions. When the teams were announced at 11.45 yesterday, the Scottish Cup quarterfinal about to take place was one of those exceptions.
A squad already depleted by injuries at an historic level, were without captain Callum McGregor and Kieran Tierney. Last season, a brutal stamp on Reo Hatate at Pittodrie put the player out of the Cup Final 10 days later and arguably denied Celtic the trophy; history threatened to repeat itself with Kieran.
Martin O’Neill made two big calls with his selection. He disrupted central defence, to put Liam Scales at left back, instead of starting Marcelo Saracchi. Even when Kieran plays, Marcelo often makes a substitute appearance. Despite making six substitutions, Marcelo stayed on the bench, which is telling about Martin’s gameplan.
Playing Liam left gave Celtic three tall central defenders on the field. Newco threw high balls into the Celtic area all day, which the defence and keeper coped with throughout. It got to the point that when the home side won one of their many a corner kicks, Celtic fans relaxed in the knowledge we would be in possession 30 seconds later.
Luke McCowan was given the responsibility to fill-in for Callum McGregor in the No. 6 role. Luke is not a No. 6. He got caught in possession while trying to turn with the ball early on and was discouraged from trying again for the rest of the match.
I have been running a discrete campaign for Reo to play deeper. He has the control and physicality to hold off an opponent, turn and link play in that most dangerous of positions. If Callum is missing next week, play Reo at 6.
With central mid and the left side robbed of players in natural positions, Celtic failed to progress the ball with any consistency throughout the 120 minutes. Julian Araujo occasionally had possession on the right, but space soon closed up.
The emotional flow of the game was interesting. I wanted to get in level at halftime, hoping things would improve after a rejig. It got worse. Again, I hoped extra-time would bring about an impetus, but when that aspiration was clearly not being met, the mood shifted. The realisation dawned that Newco could play all day and would never score, Celtic were waiting for the Big Chance, and if that did not arrive, were happy to take it to penalties.
Dane Murray shook-off his injury to play the final 60 minutes and presented more evidence of his potential. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain replaced McCowan and provided a degree of control missing earlier in the game. Paulo Bernardo contributed most from our six substitutes. Why have we not seen more of him?
It took an injury to Kasper Schmeichel for Viljami Sinisalo to get his chance. Selecting old players until they disintegrate on the field is how clubs spoil young talent. We got lucky to see Viljami’s ability before we ruined him and saw him leave for a disappointing career. Develop him.
After the draw at Ibrox in the league, I wrote, “In less than a week we have a Scottish Cup game that will be decided on the day. Without significant revision of our penalty strategy, we had better hope to win within 120 minutes.” Our penalties were unrecognisably good. Butland, who had saved all five he faced this season and eight from his last nine in normal play, seemed to lose confidence after his antics at the first penalty, from Oxlade-Chamberlain, was answered with a Penenka.
The legend of this game will be told years from now. Carter-Vickers, Jota, Schmeichel, KT, McGregor, Johnston, Osmand and Engels all out injured. If the entire squad was fit, seven from that list would start. When discussed, someone will say, “Ben Arthur made his fourth start in senior football” and few will believe it. It all sounds too unlikely.
Tired and broken, our second team, and then some from the third team, fought with the familiar hallmarks of a Martin O’Neill side. Look at the body language in the above photo. The team on the right have common purpose, those on the left stand alone.
After the confidence-sapping influence of Honda Civic Man, the disastrous Nancy experiment and the energy-sapping atmosphere that surrounded the players when he came back in January, Martin inspired a togetherness and sense of purpose that is astonishing. We are watching an elite operator work his magic at an age many consider beyond normal economic life. Watch and learn. The later decades are for living.
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your irish friend has led a very sheltered life.
accusastions from the Polis and jeezzus h, the feckin sfa
get a grip
TBB,
Well kudos for getting bravos for your earlier post.Totally unexpected.Problem is,like the media who get very little right,your claim about the GB at the Falkirk game,is false.Dont let something like that interupt you.No one at the Falkirk game has been found guilty of anything.Not even set foot in court,to answer ridiculous trumped up charges.
5 falsely arrested,245 innocent fans banned.
Happy clapper justice.
DENIABHOY on 9TH MARCH 2026 12:06 PM
Sinisalo also looks like he will save penalties, very unfortunate not to save the two that were actually on target.
——
I meant to mention yesterday – as he was in the goals waiting for a kick to be taken i was laughing and telling my son – who is not readily interested in football to listen out for him.
As well as meeting about with clearing his studs on the posts (again ❤️) you could heard him shouting out to the players – building it up to a big “come on then me and you” type thing.
You could hear him better some times over another but you could make out b a bit every time. I thought if he’s going n it up that end of the pitch too…
A springboard for an excellent career hopefully 🤞🏼
Any word on the stewards who were filmed attacking the children inside Celtic Park, i have heard little about this in the past few weeks, i assume the reason for the silence is that the matter will shortly be before the courts?
ticketless entitled scum – the board maybe ?
folk skipped into games for years – i did it – st mirren used to be a joke – massively wide spaces at the turnstiles – may have even been the away end
did nobody have any vices before coke became a common choice ?
never seen anyone in the Standing section piss where they stood.
The jungle sang about Princess Di and even Souness wife if I remember, as well as Mad Dog McGlinchey and Colonel Gadaffi !
There was even the odd fight between rival hoods in the Celtic end.
The shooting in Amsterdam.
The GB stood up when one of the most heinous crimes against humanity of the century was being committed. Sure there were other genocides but most of you/us did feck all.
The day after the Huns attack the celtic players and staff and we’re shining a light on the GB ?
THUNDER ROAD on 9TH MARCH 2026 1:15 PM
It got to the point that when the home side won one of their many a corner kicks, Celtic fans relaxed in the knowledge we would be in possession 30 seconds later.
Cannae say that i was one of them
—-
Was talking to my mate who missed the game and was saying how comfortable i felt with defence.
Then realised i want quite so cool during bbc the 120 minutes….
There must be no rugger on this evening for the 2nd Gen West Brits.
now this is scum….
https://substack.com/@jemby123/note/c-225291254?r=bc5xc&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=notes-share-action
B2B,
That precedent was, bizarrely, twisted further less than a year ago when a R2ngers player deliberately sprayed Celtic fans with water … and got away with it.
——-
As i say to my kids when they do it to me – spraying water on someone is one of life’s greatest joys – until someone sprays you and it’s a pain in the @rse.
We make such a big deal on something that will have dried off in 5 minutes.
Are we still trying to point score from a water skoosh that happened years ago?
As the team emerged from the bus into the Victorian Lavy, the uneducated ignorant hoards assailed the team with petty insults
A brilliant review by Andrew O’Hagan link and small excerpt below
It is surely the end for that privileged family on our money
Jim Slaven@JimSlaven
This, from Andrew O’Hagan, is typically brilliant.
https://x.com/JimSlaven/status/2031108299274195112?s=20
Vol. 48 No. 5 · 19 March 2026
Stay Classy
Andrew O’Hagan
Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York
by Andrew Lownie.
Collins, 456 pp., £22, August 2025, 978 0 00 877545 2
Nobody’s Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice
by Virginia Roberts Giuffre.
Doubleday, 367 pp., £25, October 2025, 978 1 5299 8524 5
In the days of disco and Aramis 900, when the relationship between entitlement and sleaze could still seem novel, Prince Andrew came across like the more relatable sort of wanker, high on royal privilege but in touch with the inner life of the standard British male. ‘If he wasn’t a member of the royal family,’ the astrologer Russell Grant said, ‘his ideal role would be running a beach bar in the sun – with the odd blue movie being shown at the back.’ Among the prince’s early girlfriends were Koo ‘Starkers’ Stark and Vicki Hodge, an actress whose better-known works include The Stud and Confessions of a Sex Maniac. Hodge had a colourful line in ex-boyfriends, including John Bindon, an actor-gangster who had holidayed with Princess Margaret and was tried for murder. The days of wine and roses for the pre-hyphenated Windsors left a few stains on the carpet, but the royals still acted as if they were beyond reproach.
Bigbhoy,
GB were not given tickets for yesterday.Why would they get the blame for yesterday?
Kinda feks up the rest of your post.
Ibrox security and police should be very thankful that Celtic fans only wanted selfies with their heroes and weren’t remotely interested in fighting. Standing laughing at them was the perfect response. Any other fan base, and yesterday probably would have seen serious disorder.
AN DÚN on 9TH MARCH 2026 10:18 PM
There are Celtic fans very preoccupied with criticising Celtic fans. That’s seems a bit strange to me when I’d have thought we’d all be too busy enjoying the win.
But no. Let’s get stuck into the fans and the most successful manager since Stein…
————————————-
The ‘Honda Civics’ reference is a ‘bat signal’ that fair gets the odd one going. Maybe more resentment because we had to turn down the mad Nottingham bid of £25M for Brendan’s worsest signing – Arne Engels?
Yes, perverse you might say, as if it’s not bad enough with SMSM and Police Scotland apparently operating two tier systems of reporting and policing that we have one or two intent trashing ‘our’ own. One poster even praises the Sevco supporters for their ‘passion’ backing of the team, the other week in Europe, all we could hear was FTP and FB.
Imagine what they think of people that physically assault Celtic players and staff? when “ ticketless scum “ is their depiction of Celtic supporters?
Celtic supporters very differently policed and regularly ‘kettled’ by Police Scotland, did we get an update on the last kettling at Parkhead? Meanwhile Marvel FC have Ultra groups that get “ escorted “ round the city disguised as Spidermen.
We deserve butter CSC
Oh what a tangled web we weave…
When first we practice to deceive…
PeterParkerCSC
lionroars67 on 9th March 2026 11:46 pm
A brilliant review by Andrew O’Hagan link and small excerpt below:
https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v48/n05/andrew-o-hagan/stay-classy
Ta; it’s a great read and exemplar of how the writer fluently mixes insight, sarcasm and satire; brilliant !
lionroars67 on 8th March 2026 12:27 pm
Possible
3-5-2 MO’n has played it before
Sinisalo
Arthur Trusty Scales
Yang. Araujo Hatate McGowan Tounetki
Nygren
Maeda
That 5 across the midfield
Off to join an ASU unit at a friends house need to pick up some kalashnikovs on the way
Up for the war
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Tuesdays Eurolottery please ?
Class 👍
Vatican Media Live
https://www.youtube.com/live/03pYP2Nmreo?si=LaymLHrFa7JZfBv3
Ave Ave
Post Scriptum
The Old Fenian Gun – The Blarney Pilgrims
https://youtu.be/0C0dO4zCI5w?si=d2_HROJHFRo8HoEn
Back in the day the Jungle was stowed to the brim with savvy, street wise fans.
They would say we need to get rid of the seats and let thousands more fans in for £10 tops per game – money is not what you think it is.
We should have had 40, or 50,000 fans there ourselves on Sunday.
But how can this happen?
By getting rid of Parkhead, Ibrox, and moving the 2 clubs to Hampden ala AC Milan and Inter Milan do this.
Use the money from the sales of Parkhead and Ibrox to build Hampden into old firm stadium, or the bigot bowl, or boyne revisited, or something else.
Seriously, get this done, get rid of PLC’s and Sir’s and Lord’s with hidden agendas.
So to get to the point.
Remove the all seated Caltic and Rangers ends at Hampden with a 20,000 all standing Kop/Jungle/thingy at each end with 5,000 seats built above each end, 50,000 right away.
Do the same with the North stand, remove seats and build standing room, with 20,000 standing area, with 5,000 seating above.
Don’t touch the South Stand, or maybe add seats on top or whatever.
There’s 100,000-ish capacity right there.
AC Milan, Inter Milan, are adults but with the same religion.
Put it this way, if we canny just be big enough to accept that there are more than 100,000 Celtic and Rangers fans from each side who would gladly have been inside Ibrox yesterday, then truth and Timdom does not sit very well.
Who would pay for all of the police who’d be required?
The SNP could stop sending their lobby money to Genocide land and pay for it!
The rivalry will always be there, but savvy has rapidly disappeared since we all were taken in by the all seating trap, and since the SNP utterly trashed education standards.
Makes you wonder just what else we have all been taken in by.
Why have we never been told who was behind King Billy for example?
Why did the Wolfetones never plant their flag in the grounds of any church?
Why do we sing about wars that ended nearly 400 years ago, or nearly 40 years ago after the Good Friday Agreement??
If we shared Hampden with a revamp of processes with the benchmark being: How much money has Stephen Pressley needed to kick Dundee FC’s erchies onto the planet?
Then 10 million spent on Tounetcki and Ballykwishy should rightly lead to regime change never mind the Celtic Wailing Wall because daft wee Timmy’s canny see through Brendan Rodgers’s bs whining campaigns.
The hamster wheel needs to end…..soon.
Sad are the homes…..
Kevracist- as 20 year non attending typist- flynn
Chat as Unionist scum,is unionist scum
A follower of unionist grifter George and his zoomer cult of boat chasing,immigrant hating,vax theorists
‘Snp genocide lobby’ repetition error repetition error.
Thats the same lie you vomit of late poster
Macanbheatha stating wrongly he advised Celtic fans to stop singin the rebs….you unionists what are you like? We see you.repeating your error.
Ps loving how in your confusion,wee stories ruminating in your cooked head
20 years of non attending bottled up inside you
It shows Kevin.all you type is a craven plea for you to get your youth back bless
Your home is sad has been for 20 years,
kevin,curl into your butchers apron kevin its all you have now…that and a spiderman outfit.
Mind n tell us when Blant’R is being invaded.
BELLA CALEDONIA@bellacaledonia
Scotland Faces a Crisis of Loyalist Violence https://bellacaledonia.org.uk/2026/03/09/scotland-facez-a-crisis-of-loyalist-violence/
https://x.com/bellacaledonia/status/2031152049912508431?s=20
Excerpt below
This was the first time that an Old Firm game at Ibrox had a full stand of away supporters in attendance since 2018. But, in the aftermath of what happened, the idea that full allocations will continue is ridiculous. So too is the idea – discussed recently – that clubs should be permitted to serve alcohol in the grounds again.
But the idea that the Ibrox club, or the police were prepared for this match seems highly questionable. Police Scotland’s Greater Glasgow Chief Superintendent Emma Croft said on post-match scenes at Ibrox after Celtic beat Rangers: “I am satisfied with the policing operation” and “There were enough police officers.”
Neither statement seems true.
The scenes prior to the game with fans funnelled into a narrow cordon up to the stadium and kettled, did not bode well, and in the aftermath police and stewards were neither able to protect players and staff from assault, nor contain a pitch-invasion with intent, nor seemingly make arrests. The situation looked dangerously out of control and it’s a surprise there wasn’t more serious violence.
You could question why the public should pay for a massive police presence to allow such events to go ahead, but the idea that this was all well in control seems absurd. There’s also a question of how Police Scotland can manage two sets of Old Firm fans at Hampden, of 25,000 each, how can they not manage 7,500 away fans at this fixture?
I’m sure Mark Hargreaves is on the case on behalf of the club, it should be an interesting report from Mr Hargreaves………………………………….
https://x.com/NoKingCharlie/status/2031168642633601088?s=20
#NotMyKing@NoKingCharlie
All of the royals booed
ALL
OF
THEM !!
#AbolishTheMonarchy
#commonwealthday
#kingcharles
#billyidle
The song was originally written by a union activist during the Harlan County War. The Harlan County War pitted the United Mine Workers of America against mine operators within Harlan County. It began after the mine operators cut wages of miners.
The ‘war’ lasted most of the 1930s.
Always be on the right side
aff oot
From Jobos helper and BMCUW
Evening folks,
POTY Results
As you know Jobo is on a well earned break and myself and BMCUWP have volunteered to do the POTY figures.
Obviously we could never reach Jobo’s high standard so I’ll give a basic total and the top 5 points
The good thing is that we reached over 100 E Mails and the Sentinel Celts Charity, CHAS ( Children Hospice’s Across Scotland ) will be £40 better off.
So,
Celtic v The Huns, Scottish Cuo Quarter Final, 8th March 2026
Final totals
Sinisalo 95
Araujo 40
Arthur 2
Trusty 110
Scales 49
Hatate 41
McCowan 0
Yang 0
Tounetki 0
Maeda 3
Nygren 1
Cvancara 1
Murray 6
Total votes 351
E Mails 117
Top 5 points
I make top 5
Trusty 110 votes. 25 points
Sinisalo 95“. 22 points
Scales. 49. “. 19 points
Hatate 41. “. 16 points
Araujo. 40. “. 14 points
I’m sure Jobo will update you all the full details when he returns.
Hope you bear with us 👍
HH 🍀🍀🍀🍀
https://x.com/i/status/2031156697427743211
https://x.com/i/status/2031100795496612213
https://x.com/i/status/2031011151442526399
A few examples of how the msm member don there best to deflect.
Well, anyone feel great about Scottish Football being back in feral old firm territory!?
As was predicted, Celtic up to their necks in the bigotfest – pulling in the bigotbuck…
“We are often told that Celtic are under pressure to win every game…
…After the confidence-sapping influence of Honda Civic Man, the disastrous Nancy experiment and the energy-sapping atmosphere that surrounded the players when he came back in January, Martin inspired a togetherness and sense of purpose that is astonishing. We are watching an elite operator work his magic at an age many consider beyond normal economic life. Watch and learn. The later decades are for living…
Yes, of course Wilfried Nancy never said it…
Poor chap was in the wrong filum…
Yet most ex-managers and ex-players will tell you- when you are at Celtic you are expected to win every game – long may that continue
Here’s what Brendan of Arabia said…
“There’s no way you’ll go into a race and be given the keys to a Honda Civic and say, ‘I want you to drive it like a Ferrari’. It’s not going to happen.”
It’s not going to happen.
It’s not going to happen.
It’s not going to happen.
He was exposing Celtic’s hierarchy rouse – after the charlatans in charge of Celtic were throwing a perfectly functional manager and his staff under a bus…
Meanwhile CQN, the other placemen and the other groupies were yelling…
“Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!”
Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!”
Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!”….
We remember what Celtic were like under Martin O’Neil Mk1
We remember how Celic supporters were during the “Seville” times.
Make no mistake – in later decades Celic supporters will see the very rich Peter Lawwell for what he was…
And I’m not talking about the obese, torn face caricature the “sharp suited man” became in his latter years.
I’m talking about dragging Celtic into the gutter with pretendy rangers, while making himself a fortune…
We can only hope the blessed Martin can drag us out of the mud Peter Lawell enbedded us in…
Tuff ask…
Hail Hail
Any solutions as to how the issue of entitled selfish ticketless clowns causing chaos and preventing folk with tickets getting safe access to the stadium is dealt with ?
Any solutions as to how you get scum to stop defacing a football stadium in the name of a club they claim to support ?
Any solutions as to how you get pond life to not destroy seats and property and incur cost for everyone connected with the clubs ?
Any solutions as to how you get people to behave like human beings and not the lowest life form at these events ?
Attempt to answer these and then maybe reasonable coverage might ensue ?
No doubt police were not experienced and police leadership / planning was very poor. That said just to say it worked well a different way in the past is not relevant anymore. In the past we didn’t have the same level of entitlement amongst the majority and we didn’t have the same level of disregard for others amongst our own which we now have. We didn’t have the same complete disregard for law and order amongst those attending.
These are football today’s challenges. Those who were not at the game and really think these idiots represent them need to take a closer look at what is going on.
We will see the same scum disregard any safety protocols on Saturday and huddle up at the south west corner unchallenged by security staff or police. We will see the club ignore it.
CHAIRBHOY
correct
The scenes prior to the game with fans funnelled into a narrow cordon up to the stadium and kettled, did not bode well
—
that was bad.
im not against having extra checks if thats what they want to do, but to have 8000 fans being funnelled through that narrow bit was ridiculous.
whats the point in having 30 turnstiles when to get there you need to be checked at a narrow point like that.
they effectively turned a 30 turnstile section into a 4 or 5 turnstile section, if that.l, for 8000 people.
a manufactured shambles
Majestic Hartson
If I watched it again in the cold light of day, I’d obviously be much more relaxed and be able to appreciate the defences performance much more, however we had been conceding too many goals this season and with them having an aerial threat, I kept fearing they would get something right.
Anyway it wasn’t to be and what a day to get a clean sheet.
Hopefully there’s many more of them coming to finish this season off as champions again.
The gin man doth protest too much methinks.
I think the answer your looking for is , pay the money for proper policing and stewarding, but I reckon you’ll want the Celtic supporters to pay for that
Stay classy 😉
b78
you are talking out of your 4rse
i mean ffs – do you even know what your name is ? you do – cos you’ve talked about it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnMwbyiPETA
now sticking up for the polis – no doubt you think bettys son andy is hard done by
the solution is simple – ban the dobs from celtic park forever and accept that we wont be going back to Free Broomloan again
then watch the polis complain that they dont know how to handle games at Hampden – god help them if there ever was ever real civil unrest in scotland
ask yer pal hargreaves what he would have done – maybe kicked in the doors of wee bhoys at 6am the next week
I have never heard so much bile towards the celtic support and look fwd to the day when your pals stick to the rugby full-time
scum doesnt even go half-way
No huns in Celtic Park.
While i love MON to bits, he is wrong to advocate allowing the huns to have a full complement to enhance the atmosphere and create a great spectacle.
We are not performing seals to create a great spectacle for armchair viewers.
I do think that recent events will make that possibility very unlikely going forward, however even one hun in Parkhead is one too many.
HH.
the coked up in germany (thank the lord they werent on the gin)
https://www.67hailhail.com/news/stuttgart-supporters-left-blown-away-by-celtics-travelling-europa-league-fans-end-the-ban/
For all their pressure & attempts at goal, i only once felt panicky – a silly back pass in to the heart of defence which was missed by the defender & allowed them their best opportunity. Outside of that, i felt we were comfortable in & out of possession. When the dust settles, many will realise that one of best performances against them. Jose Mourinho would undrtstand. It was tactical masterclass where the teacher absolutely humbled the student.
This game was no resemblence of the disastrous 45 minutes we played against them in the league a week before.
I doubt yhere was one person out there that had confidence in celtic winning on pensbut we confidently did. Massive victory, one that could prove to be that season changing victory. Morale amonst the players will be heavily boosted. For the first time since december, i confident we can win the title
Stevieo62 @ 8:23 am,
Yes – the mis-direction continues but forwards and upwards
Hail Hail
Wonder how darling board will get ahem behind the Celtic supporters celebrating a famous win showing remarkable restraint in the face of attacks against fans, players and staff. They did so eagerly demand 7,500 tickets with no mention given to safety, despite Sevco previous, assaulted staff, assaulted players, chards of glass.
We’ll find out soon if only we’d a smart lawyer on board, oh well too late now the media team will be pouring over footage in our robust defence like the nice thank you letter you get just before renewal times – coming soon.
Poor Martin knew it was coming from his first interview ‘the old firm’ ragamuffin but resolute Celtic with no shots on target, 2 Sevco league points from 9 but £70M in the bank.
🎶In the war against Rainjurz in the fight for the Cup when Jimmy McGrory put the Celtic one up.🎶
Hail Hail
*shards
Was thinking Czvancara