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.
199 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- »
Paui67 etal.
It’s a shame that we as Celtic supporters can’t accept a few defeats now and again,We’re not infallible, but we are top of the League at the moment and hopefully we will still be there when the season ends in April or May.
I would rate 1967 as close to being the most infallible ever,but no, there were teams that managed to take points from us that Season, Dundee United took 6 points,St Mirren took 1 point,Killie i point,Aberdeen 2 ponts. Rangers 1 point 11 points in total in the League.
League Cup was a clean sweep for us no points lost.
Scottish Cup St Mirren drew with us 0-0 but a 2-0 win for us in the replay. otherwise a clean sweep again.
Euroean Cup, all wins until Vojvodena beat us away from home 1-0, but we reversed the score at home and won 2-0 at CP. and I know we won the final because I was there watching them.
Finally if the MIB play the game,we have nothing to worry about, but that’s a big if.
I remember a game at Ibrox where the man in black was the referend M McCurry who blatantly booked 9 Celtic players in the First half for zilch,or you can call it SFA if you like,there has been a clutch of men in black who hurt Celtic at times,but Mc Curry was the worst of them all. in my opinion
Oldtim
Surely 4 points for DU
Everyone knows it to be true but some things are best left un-said.!
A bit like all you peeps out there with wives and girlfriends deep down secretly know that if she has any decent SMV [SEXUAL MARKET VALUE] she will be offski to the highest bidder or a better bet if given half the chance.
Our new signing declaring his desire to play for Liverpool was a big mistake…….PR plunder
Gene.
You”ll be correct. Yesit was 2 points back then.
It’s a memory thing with me, I’m losing mine by the day.
I’m beginning to think that Rae was talking shyte about that massive January investment…
An Dun
He was relying on the sale of moreorless
Our failure to bring in a couple of 1st team ready players esp. a striker will have serious repercussions on CL qualification for 20/21. Every fan knows a CL team needs to be assembled in Jan. If Eddy goes in June or July we will be in deep dudu.
I saw portions of the Tynecastle game yesterday.
I followed it up with watching the SPFL highlights on YouTube.
https://youtu.be/vinXJLav668 <———- You can see it here.
7 minutes of blood and guts in the old Scottish style.
Lots of late tackles and not a lot of football
What is obvious is that despite having 8 players not turning up, Sevco are an in your face team in the style of Greig, Shearer, Woodburn and others too numerous to mention.
We strive to play the Celtic Way by passing, sometimes too often, and moving sometimes not often enough.
I know which style I prefer.
Dudu is a Brazilian internationalist who somehow managed to end his career in Israel and was a complete failure.
Right…………………..who’se next???
C’MON THE CELTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
who’se?
who is
Shortbread sport in now – rugby
Will they mention Hearts?
Aberdeen mentioned
They are hurtin’ huns!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Lovin’ it!
Big analysis of Aberdeen
No mention of Hearts v Huns
Couldn’t make it up!
Hugh Shite talking keevins
JINKYREDSTAR
I think it’s hilarious!
Rankers didn’t play yesterday
Stalincsc
That’s great we’ve finally managed to get Soro, with his long blonde hair and his eyes to blue.
What’s happened to the Bono deal that someone mentioned the other day? I think it could give us the edge this season
I blame Peter Lawell
Another Sevco defeat airbrushed by Reporting Scotland, hurting huns
……after a hun defeat / debacle they are allowed to leave the scene…….with dignity.
Imagery is purged, the memory banks wiped and.. the spotlight is dimmed on key personalities,,,,,,,,,,..tomorrow a re-guffed story will aw be aboooooot Weds and no better blah blah blah to get going again.
In scoddland the hun engine bearly falters……..it is never, NEVER derailed. That awful badge of everything bad abooot scoddish fitba is never cracked.
HHH.
Nothin on the beeb website about the sheep shagge** woes.
Funny that.
Lady….
Getca life :)
BANKIEBHOY1
Yes, but they are hurting constantly!
They don’t sleep or smile.
Snarls and denial.
You can pick them out from about 50 yards!
They’re called ZOMBIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oldtim
your memory is strong
Like your style and charm
will chat soon
Why did Sevco get the full stand yesterday and when we go we only get the middle of the stand??
D. :)
‘GG on 27th January 2020 6:24 pm
Hurlock
I watched some it
Was like agame of Kerbie
WHITEDOGHUNCH.
I’ll try and get into the B/Valley on Friday for a wee swally depending how I feel on the day.
I’ll let you know on the day.
Oldtim
same here
dserwrf
Saint sivs
Well put
‘We’re lucky to have such a vibrant press in this country….’
Daryl Broadfoot
Oldtim
You forgot the mighty Stirling Albion got a draw against us in February’67.
I was there, just after my 9th birthday, frozen to death!
But I was briefly on Scotsport because I was standing on the fence near the corner flag – forgot my make up so no Hollywood agents followed up😀
welcome Soro , hope you do well at the training at Lennoxtown or you will be playing in the same team as shved , arzani and the rest .
JINKYREDSTAR.
I know, and I missed out Dukla Prague in the semi final 0-0 away.
Scott Brown. WoW. 👏👏👏👏
15 years to the day that Hibs signed Ivan Sproule.
A £5000 signing from Institute in Northern Ireland.
Here’s the day that he hit 3 past Rangers…
https://twitter.com/spfl/status/895327131676405760/video/1
An Excellent blog topic, as I also noted Gerrard’s over-the-top synthetic anger routine. It is a sign
of huge insecurity and fragility but it’s go-to move and it will yield less return each time. Let me put forward my analysis of Gerrard’s media responses after bad performances. Essentially, Gerrard has used the cult of Steven Gerrard and his not undeserved status as a footballer to intimidate and motivate and bully Sevco players after poor results. He used this tactic last season and it has worked reasonably well. His big problem though is the law of diminishing returns . As pointed out, he overstated and deliberately exaggerated the level of Sevco’s performance against Hearts to scare and motivate. That game had 1-1 all over it and while Hearts matched Sevco for aggression the match was even with few chances on either side with neither team controlling it.
Some things he said of note and did not go unnoticed by me:
1. ‘I hope we don’t see that level of performance in the next 100 games’. Gerrard won’t be at Rangers next season even if he wins the SPFL because if he loses the league he has to go, and if he wins then job done an he’s off to ingerlund. As we all know, as soon as a team realize that the manager will not be there next season their performance levels drop. By contrast, if we win the league then Lennon will still be there. Therefore, Gerrard is trying to convince his own payers that he will be around for a long time an he is fooling no one.
2, Gerrard also said I wouldn’t have thought that we will see that level of performance between now and the end of season’. Gerrard knows that any slips in the next 3 games could totally lose him the league, so he is trying to intimidate those next 3 opponents and also dampen Celtic fans expectations while sneaking the pressure back onto his opponents when it is in fact Sevco now under the most pressure.
With a few days left in the window and having already substantially increased the Sevco squad quality in the last window then he is also approaching a ceiling in sourcing better or similar quality. I would not be surprised if Sevco did pull out another loan deal for a big talent from their parent club Liverpool, or sourced from his former Ingerlund buddies. They are now incurring some injuries and also have not restarted well from the break, so overall I’d say Gerrard knows that it is all on the line in these next 3 games. Our job is to ignore anything from Sevco media as it will be sneaky and underhand . Instead train hard, get in some additional squad quality and win the next 3 games.