As 2019 started, so did 2020. Newco ended 2018 by beating Celtic and carrying momentum going into the winter break, but a 2-1 defeat on their first away game after the break gave Celtic the upper hand, which they would not relinquish. Newco did equally well by beating Celtic at the close of 2019, but yesterday went down 2-1 to (still) bottom of the table Hearts, their first away game since the break
It is not that Newco did anything wrong during the break and its certainly not, as Gerrard suggested, “eight players…..were passengers”. It takes a team to win a game but it takes a squad to win the league. Injuries and suspensions are only part of the story; players become jaded and opponents learn how to play them, all of which means sometimes you need a deep squad, even to play teams at the bottom of the table.
On Saturday, Celtic kept a clean sheet without three of their first-choice back four. They did not look comfortable defensively, but they had enough to get the job done. It is this second, and sometimes, third, tier of player that gets you through the winter months.
I could not believe Gerrard’s more general comments after the game. Instead of putting some perspective on a defeat after an impressive run of wins, he raised the spectre of slipping out of contention, “We need to avoid that level of performance from now until the end of the season otherwise we might not be in a title race never mind competing for the league.”
Can you imagine what this does to players’ confidence? He added, “I still think we have the bottle.” He THINKS they have the bottle! The last thing a player should hear from his manager is talk about bottle in a title run. Let others do their best to infect your club with poisonous words like this, a manager needs to contain setbacks, not turn mention of an innocuous container into a Molotov cocktail.
He has never won a league and with comments like that, no wonder.
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Afternoon All Celtic Fans.
Support RES 12
Good to see you posting OLDTIM67!
Afternoon Old Tim !
Any sign of Soros signing yet?
I wouldn’t be highlighting to Slippy where hes going wrong… never interrupt your enemy and all that…
HH
The league aint won yet!
Ffffooooocccccuuusssssssssssssssssss!
C’MON THE CELTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A good weekend and shows what a difference a week can make in football. But as ever, the old adage of ‘One game at a time’ springs to mind and we need only focus on ourselves and St Johnstone for the foreseeable.
Do this and everything else will fall into place in good time.
And so……
After one month of wailing and gnashing of wallies , sweetness and light descendeth once more unto the patrons of CQN.
Until of course the next reversal, however minor , which will inevitably occur and the sky will fall in once again .
Negativity is a self fulfilling prophecy which is easily transmitted to playing and coaching staff alike .
We`re a far superior outfit to the hun.
All we have to do is prove it on the playing field .
Support would be helpful.
Hello again all you young rebels.
Well ! has Boyd the balloon had his knuckles rapped yet after
that disgusting tirade towards our player.
Naw, didn’t think so.
Celtic just take it on the chin…. again.
H.H . Mick
Wouldn’t read too much into the comments by Gerrard. He got caught up in the emotion of it all. They have shown that they can respond well to setbacks. Both teams will drop points and nothing has been decided.
We have 3 tough away games in a week and there remains no margin for error.
I would like to see at least one addition this week, somebody with a bit of experience and physicality.
See that energetic running about thing Hearts did yesterday, pressing The Rangers out their game . . . How can we no do that?
Dearie me . Mr. Soro hasn’t even crossed the door of Celtic Park and he’s prattling on about his desire to play in the Premier league for Liverpool . It might be the ambition of many a young overseas player we sign ,and indeed it will be our accountant’s dream too but wait until you’ve made your mark at Celtic first young man .
BTW Mr Gerrard was mibbe using a wee bit reverse psychology with his remarks yesterday.
………….and Sevco The Rangers have (so far) shipped 8 players out this transfer window and that’s before their 3 for 1 deals ahead of the window shutting and their need for cash.
The run of midweek games will hopefully take its toll on an increasingly threadbare Sevco squad which is going to become tired and therefore injury prone.
And if any ref is brave enough to show further red card (s) to the throat-slitter-gesturer…………….
Time to further strengthen our squad with quality.
PS Peter / plc board anything you want to tell us ?
Paul67
Seethen Gerrard is waiting to be thrown under his own bus.
Focus on Celtic, who have 10 points more than we had this time last season, only dropped points in 3 out of 22 league games, we’ve won the only thing you can win before January, topped a Europa group, with a game to spare, and are still on course for a potential 4th treble.
Sitting five points clear in the league we’ve spent £5.5M of clean money in the window so far, just less than one fifth of the entire EPL combined.
What will the fans will find to moan about this week until NFL picks his side for Perth?
Cold Bovril CSC
David17,
Okay signing players,but will Lenny play them.Its a problem.
They’ll be looking at our run of away games coming up and hoping we drop points.
9 points and a couple of first team signings over the next week or so and we’ll have gone a long way toward dampening their title hopes.
THE HANDS CANT HIT WHAT THE EYES CANT SEE on 27TH JANUARY 2020 12:28 PM
Did anyone see the ‘offside’ goal Hearts scored? Unsurprisingly there is zero reference to it in the BBC match report or SPFL highlights. Also, did anyone see the tackles by Flanagan or Jack? I have read that they were potential reds.
……………….
Flanagans was simply a deliberate Foul/Trip on the hearts player who had beaten him maybe around 30 yards from goal. It was a Blatant professional foul, and the hearts player MAY well have had a reasonable clear run to their penalty area, however Andy Walker said that there was another “Rangers” player nearby as cover…so only a Yellow Card was correct ? So if Andy says so…it must be right….Right ?
As for Jacks..it was simply a “wipe out” of the hearts player that could have caused injury unlike Flanagans, There was plenty of other players from both sides nearby, but Jack just literally hacked the Guy…again Andy Walker said that only a Yellow Card was sufficent…so if Andy says so, it must be right….Right ?
HH
Last night the denizens of Follow Follow did not appear to adhere to the sacred principle of playing the game for the game’s sake and not caring if they won, lost or drew.
How unsporting of them.
There’s still no room for error in our games. If we can keep winning and they drop the next set of points in this title race then we’re very strong favourites. The next dropped points will go a long way to deciding how this season will finish. Do not blink, Celtic.
I’m interested to hear about Ryan Christie’s availability this week. Has the suspension passed now and what level is his fitness at following the hospital procedure he went through?
GUYFAWKESAFOREVERHERO
Suspension free.
BOURNESOUPRECIPE on 27TH JANUARY 2020 12:58 PM
I must confess I do like a little moan from time to time
Paranoia is hard to let go
Your post is factual – it’s like saying Trump has a majority – yes he does but i’m not sure he gets too many Christmas Cards – We are top of the league and we do have 10 points more than this time last year – but I still remain paranoid
I think we have enough to win the league this year (the 2-1 defeat by them gave me a fright – the result yesterday helped me sleep)
But I do not sense that we are maximising our financial muscle to increase the probability that we win the league
And I know money does not always buy success – I just crave a bit more insurance
There is 5 days to go and next Saturday may well have me a bit more relaxed
But the reality is – even after yesterday – I struggle to sleep when they are only 2 point behind (assuming they win game in hand)
Hail Hail
67ECW
GUYFAWKESAFOREVERHERO on 27TH JANUARY 2020 1:14 PM
I’m interested to hear about Ryan Christie’s availability this week. Has the suspension passed now and what level is his fitness at following the hospital procedure he went through?
___
Neil Lennon said he was fit enough to play against Partick Thistle. So I’m confident he’s in the squad again tonight.
GLENDALYSTONSILS on 27TH JANUARY 2020 12:51 PM
BTW Mr Gerrard was mibbe using a wee bit reverse psychology with his remarks yesterday.
…………….
I will 100% agree.
I would take ANYTHING that Slippy Steve says with a pinch of salt.
I am sure Neil Lennon wont take much notice of Gerrards comments ? Slippys comments were also designed to seek favour with the hun support, to attempt to show how disappointed/angry etc he was ?
I watched the whole game, (and I might be in the majority here ), but I dont think the Huns were as “Bad” as is being suggested by those in the Media and Gerrard himself ?
The Huns missed some very good chances, especially in the 1st half, and as I posted earlier they should have scored MORE than one goal, as at times the Hearts defence was all over the place…which was something that Michael Stewart highlighted on Sportscene last night.
I honestly can NOT remember the Hun goalie McGregor being over worked and having to pull out great saves etc !
Also ( I cant remember ?), but I dont think that those “Expert Pundits” on Sportscene dwellt too much in relation to Flanagans and Jacks “Tackles”…if I remember correctly ?
Jacks “Tackle” was just his usual hatchet job on someone, but IF it had been Scott Brown ????
I dont particularly blame Flanagan for Fouling/Tripping the Hearts guy to be honest….because over the years I have screamed at Celtic players being “too nice” at times and NOT Fouling an opposition player who has left you or a team mate for dead and is homing in on Celtic’s goal…especially against the Huns over the years, as a Hun player will have NO hesitation in fouling a Celtic player.
I am just trying to be honest.
HH
Gerrard subbing the two players on yellows at half time yesterday tells us all we need to know about their approach to games.
If that is matched by the opposition as it was yesterday then they struggle to break teams down relying on technical ability.
They’re an effective team and are hard to beat but if matched in effort and organisation, they can be got it.
Honestly can’t see Soro arriving
mislaidmyglasses csc
AN DUN on 27TH JANUARY 2020 1:03 PM
They’ll be looking at our run of away games coming up and hoping we drop points.
9 points and a couple of first team signings over the next week or so and we’ll have gone a long way toward dampening their title hopes.
____
I actually don’t think the Huns should be despondent. Nor should we be taking anything for granted.
It was only their second defeat of the season after 21 games. They have more home games to play than we do. They are 13 points better off than they were after the same number of defeats from last season. If you compare the fixtures like for like then they are 15 points better off.
If they lose ground to Celtic over the next 3 games that would be a very very bad sign for them.
same *number of games last season
Big Jimmy
On the stream I watched the hun game they gave one quick repeat of
Boyce goal which was chalked off and it seemed offside although I am
sure if it was the hoops it would have been looked at from all angles
BUT LIKE YOU
I dont trust them barstewards and am going to check youtube now for
to make sure
You look at the players who didn’t start or are injured on Saturday and you then realise the vast amount of money Celtic have already spent on this squad. Scary if you just count up those who did’nt play or came off the bench, most of these players are also on long term contracts so very little chance they’ll walk away from the club for free. We already have a very good pool of players and just the inclusion of some experience would be good. But this window is like all others, it wont be until the last day that the quality players and their agents, not top quality, will make their decisions as to where they want to be, as their opportunies narrow down. I’m hopeful we will get someone in, but as I said, I think we have a strong pool, if injury free, it’s actually massive por cierto
Conor Hazard off to Dundee.
Afolabi off to Dunfermline.
Both loan deals. I hope they get loads of game time.
GLENDALYSTONSILS on 27TH JANUARY 2020 12:49 PM
Dearie me . Mr. Soro hasn’t even crossed the door of Celtic Park and he’s prattling on about his desire to play in the Premier league for Liverpool . It might be the ambition of many a young overseas player we sign ,and indeed it will be our accountant’s dream too but wait until you’ve made your mark at Celtic first young man .
—
The dark arts of the MSM strike again. Designed to put pressure on an incoming player.
Also, in today’s world, our model is about procuring bright young things, making them better and seeing them move. Does it pique my sentimenatal heart, wanting each of them to be a Paul McStay? – Yep.
The reality is that they leave after a 2/3 year cycle if they perform. Eddy will move in the summer for big bucks. I’d like us to procure more of these.
Big Jimmy
Yep , Slippy is slippery in more ways than the one he’s famous for!
Not sure about Flanagan but Jack’s should have been a straight red.
67ECW
Same old Celtic, always signing.
We’ll never spend pound in pound out, in essence thats why we’ve been so successful and can move from window to window again adding to NFL’s squad moving out Brendan Rodger’s players.
We’ve more than doubled our spend of last January already and are assured there will be at least one more in before Friday.
Debt free, no EBTS, clean money in and out, with income tax and VAT. It’s the real reason Sevco won’t quite keep up, I prefer to restrict my moaning about our detractors.
Did I mention we’re five points clear? CSC
HH
Glendalystonsils. 12.49
Don’t be too upset at Soro’s comments, even if they’re true.
The only way he will get a move to the Englanders premiership is by being a first team regular and playing to a very high level in the SPL and in our games in Europe.
Its win win for him , the fans and the club. KTF.
big wavy
Correct , our business model will not change , at least while we are in this impoverished league.
Eddy will go just as Moussa did , but the trick is to replace like with like in quality . Something we’ve been pretty good at on the whole.