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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The talk of supporters getting into Ibrox without tickets reminded me of Seville. I don’t know how many there were but I, for one, never even got near my seat. The aisles where I was were packed. At the turnstiles, guys without tickets were simply jumping over them.
I do agree with those who complained about the grafitti. How could any decent person wallow in any deaths? Shameful.
PeteTheBeat on 9th March 2026 12:47 pm
I wouldn’t be too paranoid about the media coverage but the BBC’s treatment of the trouble at the end is disgusting.
If you didn’t realy follow fooball, you would think it was all the Celtic fans’ fault.
No photos or commentary on the balaclava clad thugs running more than half the pitch.
A bit like the Lennon/McCoist business in 2009 – totaly distorted.
Easy up there lad. They have genocide & the most insidious pdeo ring the world has ever been exposed to to cover up. Not to mention the fact they are busy sucking the boot of the the most notorious, unhinged beast ever elected to president of the usa
agreed 100% with b78 & other about the sick grafitti …
those mad mental religious fundamentalists in Tehran ? Nope
https://substack.com/@mksensei/note/c-224407395
Loads of great stuff in the legacy of Peter Lawwell at Celtic over his 20 years plus in various positions of authority.
Unsurpassed success on the park and outstanding financial performance by the club whilst our rivals wilted. The tide was turned in our bitter rivals for sure.
Sadly one not so positive legacy for PL is the tolerance of and ultimately his leading support for the introduction of the standing section / singing section.
Back then there was great originality and creativity from the North Curve. Some really smart stuff with TIFO and genuine supporting songs for team and club. Efforts over 10 years to accommodate and communicate with the leaders of the emerging GB at best kept a lid on things. I defy any fan to say they didn’t enjoy that period. The GB were up there with the best in the UK with this kind of stuff.
Sadly and ultimately it has proved to be of negative value. The current leadership of the club is left now with the toxic issue to resolve. In a sense a monster has been created and let out of its cage and is devouring lots that was good about a trip to see. Celtic and leaving a trail of shite.
We have gone from being a fan base revered around the world (voted best fans in Europe 2003) with Messi and all speaking volumes of us to where we are now. Anachronistic dirges and protests plus regular embarrassment are as good as it gets.
The organic natural energy wins over the manufactured choreographed stuff for me any day.
Disgusting
https://thecelticstar.com/latest-warning-from-chief-superintendent-should-have-been-heeded-previously/
Good morning CQN
Another fine day to be a Celt.
I’ll reaffirm my narrow point of view from yesterday on Celtic fan behaviour.
Something absolutely needs to be done about a minority.
Now is not the time to even consider what that minority have done … let alone what the response should be.
The propagandists will do their thing.
The lies (STV latest on damage, who stormed what) will out.
When the dust settles, the facts will remain and the treatment can begin.
As someone said yesterday, the problem was not away fans but home fans. What terrifies me is that if the game had been at Celtic Park and we had won on penalties with around 8,000 of their hardcore bampots in our ground, there could have been an even more serious invasion by them. At least at Ibrox most of those attending were season ticket holders of all ages in their usual seats. The invaders were their ultras at the other end of the ground. But, given their viciousness, a large cohort at CP could cause carnage.
I am very much of the view that no away fans at Glasgow derbies is the answer. Meeting them at Hampden remains objectionable, but on Sunday we showed how to avoid that problem…
As for those who would mock football fans who died in a crush, there are no words. You might be a small minority but get the hell away from my proud, open, tolerant football club.
Majestic Hartson last night – cheers.
I wasn’t indulging in whataboutary.
(Or perhaps I was and am too blind to see it)
My point was about Scottish football authorities – across several years – routinely tolerating poor behaviour in all forms – particularly coming out of Ibrox.
IMHO, they clearly don’t want the hassle of having to deal with it … so, for an easy ride they let it pass.
… and store up trouble for later.
And their inaction empowers types who should not be encouraged at all.
A few examples off the top of my head?
Guy confronts Scott Brown on the pitch
Rugby Park pitch invasion
Firhill Pitch invasion
Cerny sprays water on Celtic fans (what a fun loving chap)
Official club website, the OFFICIAL CLUB WEBSITE, launches an unprecedented attack on the most senior referee and they get fined chump change
Same website panders to their mob unhindered with op eds about refs without surnames for first names.
Celtic staff assaulted with missiles.
Tumbleweed response other than to trot out unwillingness of clubs to sign up to strict liability.
Fair enough.
Rewrite the rules so the SFA have skin in the game at individual SAGs overseeing licences for individual clubs.
Majority of clubs sail through the SAG thing so
I’d expect
.. would vote for such a rule change without a care.
https://www.67hailhail.com/news/stuttgart-supporters-left-blown-away-by-celtics-travelling-europa-league-fans-end-the-ban/
B78
“We have gone from being a fan base revered around the world (voted best fans in Europe 2003) with Messi and all speaking volumes of us to where we are now. Anachronistic dirges and protests plus regular embarrassment are as good as it gets”
https://www.67hailhail.com/news/stuttgart-supporters-left-blown-away-by-celtics-travelling-europa-league-fans-end-the-ban/
https://www.67hailhail.com/news/stuttgart-supporters-left-blown-away-by-celtics-travelling-europa-league-fans-end-the-ban/
https://www.67hailhail.com/news/stuttgart-supporters-left-blown-away-by-celtics-travelling-europa-league-fans-end-the-ban/
just in case you missed it…
Get Lawwell back,that will sort everything..
Does Hargreaves defend Celtic fans,or just punish them? A friend of mine was hit on the head by a bottle at Ibrox on Sunday…..
Burnley78 @ 9:42 am,
Well – agreed
As I’m sure you are aware Peter Lawwell gave the Greene Brigade the keys to Celtic Park
He gave them workshops and storage – the rail section.
Bacj in the day…
In between the time between the casuals and the ultras my boys were teenagers…
Not much football minded really…
Anyways, there was a time when “football hooligan” films like Green Street were the “rage”…
So my boys, often taken to Wycombe Irish Club to watch the games – knew the Celtic support were a handy, hardy bunch…
They were puzzled, Celtic don’t seem to have a crew, what is their firm.!?
I told them straight…
Celtic don’t need a firm, we are all the firm – one for all…
Of course, another concept big Pedro never could get
The bigotbuck from the “Ultra” support was too tempting…
I’ll give him credit for one thing… dem were grand Ultras…
Hail Hail
Celtic fans are scum, Get Lawwell back etc etc
Time for the straight jacket !!!
In MON we trust — KTF !!!
TBB @ 10:21am
Sincerely sorry to hear about the assault on a fellow Celt, your friend, on Sunday at Ibrox at the hand of one or more of them.
I’m genuinely trying to understand where you are coming from … so my question is straight up with no angles.
What specific expectation do you have about what Mark Hargreaves can do about what happened?
PARKHEADCUMSALFORD
Yep, there’s been a lot of pearl being clutched.
Lisbon was before my time but I do recall seeing the old videos showing our fans on the pitch at full time celebrating with the players. Thankfully the Inter fans were able to accept they were beat without needing to go on the pitch to fight with our fans.
Tuesday 10th March
It has been a fairly normal day in my present circumstances. My weight is 59. 3 kgs. and I have no medical problems. I have seen some birthday greetings from relatives and friends in yesterday’s paper which I got today. Also I received a bag of toiletries today.
There is no priest in tonight, but the chief medical officer dropped in, took my pulse, and left. I suppose that makes him feel pretty important.
From what I have read in the newspapers I am becoming increasingly worried and wary of the fact that there could quite well be an attempt at a later date to pull the carpet from under our feet and undermine us — if not defeat this hunger-strike — with the concession bid in the form of ‘our own clothes as a right’.
This, of course, would solve nothing. But if allowed birth could, with the voice of the Catholic hierarchy, seriously damage our position. It is my opinion that under no circumstances do they wish to see the prisoners gain political status, or facilities that resemble, or afford us with the contents of, political status.
The reasons for this are many and varied, primarily motivated by the wish to see the revolutionary struggle of the people brought to an end. The criminalisation of Republican prisoners would help to furnish this end.
It is the declared wish of these people to see humane and better conditions in these Blocks. But the issue at stake is not ‘humanitarian’, nor about better or improved living conditions. It is purely political and only a political solution will solve it. This in no way makes us prisoners elite nor do we (nor have we at any time) purport to be elite.
We wish to be treated ‘not as ordinary prisoners’ for we are not criminals. We admit no crime unless, that is, the love of one’s people and country is a crime.
Would Englishmen allow Germans to occupy their nation or Frenchmen allow Dutchmen to do likewise? We Republican prisoners understand better than anyone the plight of all prisoners who are deprived of their liberty. We do not deny ordinary prisoners the benefit of anything that we gain that may improve and make easier their plight. Indeed, in the past, all prisoners have gained from the resistance of Republican jail struggles.
I recall the Fenians and Tom Clarke, who indeed were most instrumental in highlighting by their unflinching resistance the ‘terrible silent system’ in the Victorian period in English prisons. In every decade there has been ample evidence of such gains to all prisoners due to Republican prisoners’ resistance.
Unfortunately, the years, the decades, and centuries, have not seen an end to Republican resistance in English hell-holes, because the struggle in the prisons goes hand-in-hand with the continuous freedom struggle in Ireland. Many Irishmen have given their lives in pursuit of this freedom and I know that more will, myself included, until such times as that freedom is achieved.
I am still awaiting some sort of move from my cell to an empty wing and total isolation. The last strikers were ten days in the wings with the boys, before they were moved. But then they were on the no-wash protest and in filthy cells. My cell is far from clean but tolerable. The water is always cold. I can’t risk the chance of cold or ‘flu. It is six days since I’ve had a bath, perhaps longer. No matter.
Tomorrow is the eleventh day and there is a long way to go. Someone should write a poem of the tribulations of a hunger-striker. I would like to, but how could I finish it.
Caithfidh mé a dul mar tá tuirseach ag eirí ormsa.
(Translated, this reads as follows):
Must go as I’m getting tired.
Hooch salesman continues to seethe.
Maybe hooch salesman is unhappy with the result on Sunday.. . .. ..
B2B- If he’s in charge of security, he must have an input/ duty of care, to Celtic fans who buy tickets both home and away
Joey Barton lifted for assault. Thought he was still in Broonies back pocket. 🤔
new article posted.