I watched Celtic put five and six goals past Oldco and Newco Rangers but never have I seen such a chasm between the sides. We operated on a higher plane throughout the game. Newco goalkeeper, Jak Alnwick, made five incredible saves, three from Olivier Ntcham, one from James Forrest and one from Tom Rogic, preventing a score, which could conceivably have hit double figures.
Ntcham and Rogic pulled all the strings. Their physical presence and use of the ball constantly bought Celtic space. Odsonne Edouard started the scoring with a six-yard box goal, but his second showed what an accomplished striker he has become in the space of a few months.
The pick of the bunch came from James Forrest, who beat three shadows before finishing on the stroke of halftime. Callum McGregor and Rogic got their customary goals against Newco. At this stage, with the goals flying in every few minutes, we anticipated more, but the scoring was over 37 minutes from the end, in part due to Rogic running out of steam, and part due to McGregor moving inside from the wing, where he had been so devastating.
Celtic sailed through the second half pinching police hats and watching Dedryck Boyata put in the most commanding defensive performances we have seen since Virgil van Dijk at his very best. You are watching one of the all-time great Celtic teams.
Once the sheer joy of watching the performance passed, the enormity of winning 7-in-a-row took over. I have watched us win many championships, but can think of only two which comes close to the impact of yesterday. You will remember it fondly for the rest of your life. It was one for the ages and suitably makes up for the missed opportunity at Easter Road last week.
If Jack Nichoson was one of those who stormed the Newco Player of the Year event last night, and made it to the microphone, he would have no doubt looked around the hall and said, “What if, this is as good as it gets?”
There is a great fallacy, believed by those who are in an unfortunate position, that a change will bring improvement. Such claims were made repeatedly by campaigning politicians in recent years, but it is a fantasy.
The truth is far bleaker. If you have structural problems, which could last a lifetime without any progress being made, every passing chapter will feel it was written by Dante, each one a fresh hell. For Newco, these days, where they compete for second place while selling close to 40,000 season tickets, this is good as it will ever be.
When this chapter ends, it will be replaced by one where the club has to stop the pretence of competing for league titles, and live within the budget provided by a fan base who are content to buy season tickets to watch a team of also-rans. They are a joke team, a dumb cash-cow for the rest of the league to get some shooting practice against.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but this really is as good as it gets.
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Tucobenedito, great blog name , you are B.A.D
Bhateen bhoy
I thought it was hugely considerate.
Thank you.
HH
Bobby
I have said before and will repeat
Watching Celtic or arguing about the Celtic with Cosy Corner Bhoy is pretty special ??
Tuco
surely you’re not ugly – that’s a sevco trait
Dallas
I really like our resident Liverpool fan (hun) :)
GERRYFAETHEBRIG
We don’t argue about Celtic,never have. We discuss things. And a la Brian Clough,agree that he is right.
Which is only fair,he’s forgotten more about Celtic than I’ll ever know.
PS-we also agree that as an inveterate Happyclapper,he’s not gonna change now,is he?
Gerry, he’s not to keen on our Neil .
He was in Neil’s companyin Tennant’s on Byres Road a few years ago.
BMCUW,
Your dad sounds like my kind of Celtic man.
Has seen it all and can take the low days and the high days with equanimity, as Mr.Kipling may have baked.
Prefer the high days, though.
Dallas
My son has met Neil in Tennants on a few occasions. He thinks the world of NFL, as does my son’s girlfriend from a Rangers supporting family in Ayrshire. Charming and intelligent they describe the Hibs manager.
Dallas
I like him But when it comes to Celtic I try my best to be quiet ☘️
Good evening, friends. Sitting in the sun, reading CQN, Clyde on in the background. And still to have my dinner!
Life’s Great!
At half time yesterday I looked round at the Dobbers in the upper stand to my left. One stood for the entire break holding a King Billy flag open towards us Tims below. Imagine the mentality of thinking that such an act would seem anything more than pathetic and that it would in some way hurt us. I honestly felt a little sorry for this poor inadequate individual.
Ha Ha. First caller claimed to be a Rangers* fan then suddenly was accompanied by music – Bye Bye Rangets*… before quickly being cut off.
Did someone mention B.A.D:)))
Still one of my favourite tunes.))
https://youtu.be/1Q6V30vEdcU
E=MC2
DDWTHID
Tucos full name in the movie and on the Big Audio Dynamite song Medicine Show, is Tuco Benedito Pacifico Juan Maria Ramirez, known as the rat. That name has been in my head for years.
Gene
Tuco has no Hun traits, in fact his brother is a priest. I never knew whether Tuco was the Bad or Ugly one.
Hail Hail.
THOMTHETHIM
You’ve been there,mate. Just watched a performance which fell way short of expectations.
I’m not talking the-aw Ffs,you just know we’re not gonna score today-performance,where everything was great but we just couldn’t score,I’m talking nothing going right,and frustration building types of games.
Game over,post-match synopsis,trying hard not to scapegoat,BP heading North,he’ll just say something like…
Aye,but I don’t have to watch stuff like that every week now. Like I used to.
Gerry, he is fine with me about Celtic.
He told me Neilwas bannedfrom some pub in Lurgan. I asked why, his reply was because he is Neil Lennon. I never took it any further.
BobbyM,
I wonder at what age do we become philosophical about mercurial team performances?
Is it at the stage when we become less passionate about other things, like politics, or missing a bit when we shave?
bobbymurdoch’s…
Seems to.
Glad you are back with us Bobby. Always a bit scary when people suddenly fall ill.
!!Bada Bing!! on 30th April 2018 5:33 pm
7/1 Killie v Sevco on Saturday?
=====================
Price or score prediction?
I’m with the latter.
SSB GOLD
“ Derek I’ve hud enough a canny take it any
Mair I’m fed up wae awe these Celtic supporters rippin it Oot us “
Pause ……. “ bye bye Rangers background music “
Cut off lol lol .
Good times to be a ToffeeTim ?
Not much I can add to what’s already been said on the blog about yesterday’s superlative performance which equated to some of Celtic’s on -fire displays in Europe down through the years. The football was simply mesmerising at times and i have yet to see the playing surface at Celtic Park as good as it looked yesterday.
Congrats to the Celtic squad and Brendan and the backroom boys who had the lot of us in Paradise yesterday ……..what a way to clinch that title.
Settling down to watch the Glasgow Cup Final from Firhill.
It almost 60 years to the day since I played there in a schools’ final, which we lost.
THOMTHETHIM FOR OSCAR OK on 30TH APRIL 2018 6:25 PM
BobbyM,
I wonder at what age do we become philosophical about mercurial team performances?
Is it at the stage when we become less passionate about other things, like politics, or missing a bit when we shave?
———
Having had the pleasure of sharing CCB’s company I too think he’ll get (still) more relaxed as he grows up!
HH jamesgang
Is the Glasgow Cup Final a 7pm kik off?
Can someone post updates from Firhill please .
HH
COYYBIG
Whatever people say about big Lustig’s footballing contribution over the years (I actually think he has been a fantastic servant), he has given two iconic goal celebration images.
THOMTHETHIM
In CCB’s case,it’s due to going to his first match about ’43 or summat. So a couple of decades where every game Celtic won was reason enough to celebrate like we had just won a cup. A bit like those born in,say,1983. Nearly old enough to drink before they saw us winning a league-I’m assuming that at 3yo and 5yo the memory wouldn’t have fixed itself.
My mate’s lad was born in The Centenary Season. You get my drift…
I admit to being spoiled,seeing Celtic for the first time in ’67. And bloody lucky to have spent most of their nine in London!!!
Lustig is a mad, unrepentant, fenian Viking.
And has been a great servant to the Club
He’s some Bhoy
HH
SCULLYBHOY
Aye,at least. Fond of his headwear for sure.
Awwww. Poor hurting shortbread. Brendan will be away.
We wont see 10 in a row, Iran getting it for ditching the dollar and the Russians will step in, Israel peddling the usual lies that suit the bankers and invasion/bombing agenda. When the bankers have Israeli prime minister operating like a performing monkey, you know its deadly and serious, Iran is lying about nukes but Israel is not lying about Palestinian civilian terrorists attacking their security fence, oh who to believe eh. I for one hope Iran did developed nukes before the agreement, who the fck are Israel to judge anyone on nuke ownership one terrorist state is as good as the next, Iran’s only chance of survival and self determination is if they followed Israels example and ignored the non-proliferation treaty..
Lively start in the first 5 minutes at Firhill. 1 decent chance from the wee Hoops but came to nothing.
KTF
BBC Scotland’s response to our winning the league: how does the deid team improve. I thought they were bad but they somehow plumb new depths. The high heid yins obviously hate us and are quite blatant about it. I used to think STV were biased against us; BBC Scotland is a 1000 times worse. What annoys me most is that we have to pay for their bile.
Just back from visiting William who is home and apart from a black eye and being a bit drowsy from the anesthetic is fine.
Thanks again from me and his mum and dad for your thoughts and prayers.
Young Hoops down to 10 men
11 mins. Rangers break for a Celtic corner and Paterson brings down Rangers player. Straight red.
KTF