I lost count the number of times I heard “Worst Dundee United team I’ve ever seen” on the way out of Celtic Park yesterday. They were guileless, unable to do any more than stand in Celtic’s way, and they didn’t even do that very effectively, as Leigh Griffiths demonstrated. I hope Mixu gets a grip on things soon as I’ve seen a better United team than that relegated.
For Celtic it was an important win on the back of a week to forget. Martin O’Neill was fond of saying the most important thing after a defeat is to avoid another one, when confidence slips it can often do so for a while.
Kieran Tierney won the free kick which led to the second goal and the penalty for the third. His energy levels were high and he looked every inch a Celtic player. Ronny knows teenage talent needs to be developed at a comfortable pace but the stage is Kieran’s right now he might just make the position his own.
Delighted to see Jozo Simunovic after a long and, for some, worrying absence. This was a difficult game to judge central defenders, as Celtic did so little defending, but what was asked of him was carried out well. He also showed a decent change of pace and sent a rasping shot on target from 30 yards.
While last week will take a while to leave the system, the next five days are enormously important: Heats in the League Cup on Wednesday before Aberdeen on Saturday. We can speculate on what’s destroyed Aberdeen, but whatever it is, there will be clear decks for the visit to Glasgow on Saturday, but before then we have one of our biggest domestic challenges of the season at Tynecastle. Need to get it right for both.
My first reaction when I saw the Green Brigade banner yesterday was they some poor sod was likely to get huckled for this entirely peaceful and appropriate protest against a ridiculous law and ever-conspiratorial government and police. Such is the nature of the Offensive Behaviour Act that you can’t really complain about the Scottish Government confident that you are free to do so.
The Scottish Government-Police Scotland pact is set in stone. No amount of ridicule from courts to stadiums seem to affect it. I remain appalled and alarmed.
Brendan Sweeney, legend from Celts for Change and more recently Celtic Graves, is launching his book, Celtic: The Early Years, at the Jock Stein Lounge this Thursday, 29 October. I’ve had a preview, it’s an incredible work. If you’d like to attend the launch, to catch up with the author on some of the most incredible times in our club’s history, email him to book your seat, brendan67@ymail.com
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If only we could take the Dundee United pill after every European game.
4 points in front in the league now and Aberdeen to face at home next week should turn that into a 7 point gap. Aberdeen may well find themselves 3rd after that point.
Hearts shouldn’t present a problem for us on Wednesday and the next test will come from Molde. It is entirely permissible that we could beat Molde and then Ajax at home and go into the Fenerbache away game on 8 points knowing that even in defeat we could go through.
That said, we should not lose sight of the facts of European progress under Deila. I understand that in order to make progress we need to step away from the Uber defensive style that teams adopt when they know they are facing high calibre opposition. However, you need to have the players to play more openly. We do not currently have those players and I cannot see exposure to that more open style improving them. Our best chance of getting into a position of being able to make progress and therefore play more openly is to get players who can play that style.
For me this means playing a less open style to ensure qualification for the money rounds then ensuring we maximise income in each game thereafter. When we get the monetary benefits of that we incrementally improve the team.
If Ronny wants to get back on an even footing he needs to either adopt a more defensive style or tell us that he believes that playing more openly is the only way to improve the team. He needs to communicate that he is prepared to accept no Europe after Christmas for the greater gain.
My own thoughts are that Ronny believed before Malmo that the squad were good enough to play right up against them and still win. That tells me he won’t be telling anyone that we need to accept short term pain for the longer term gain described above.
We could be over 12 points clear by Christmas in the league and still in Europe come Feb but I have no confidence that we would be in the Champions League proper in 2016.
That isn’t progress and I am not sure how many goes you need before all that practice of a wide open playing system with umpteen different players becomes failure.
Tony,
who is going to fine celtic for the banner display ?
Ernie Lynch
Not one elected representative or party official of the SNP has voiced any criticism of the legislation or the way plod is enforcing it. That’s sinister. They are more like a cult that a political party.
Nail firmly skelped on head.
Tony who is going to display the banner for the fine Celtic ?
Huh?
Too many tories too many lords
ernie lynch on 26th October 2015 1:33 pm
Lordy! A rare point of political agreement between us.
While I think the idea that disagreements should be sorted internally then a united front presented to the public is ok – much like keeping it in the dressing room to use a football analogy. It really does appear like no dissent will not be tolerated.
It’s not really a cult though. There are no robes or chanting.
FAVOURITE UNCLE on 26TH OCTOBER 2015 1:50 PM
I’d say at a good guess a big office building in Edinburgh, would be a start no/yes? –
ok ANTHONY and pray remind me what happened the last time some CELTIC SUPPORTERS decided to take their protest there.
– See more at: http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/kieran-jozo-daring-to-complain-about-the-government/#sthash.v5ul6IK1.dpuf
I haven’t a clue, enlighten me?
SAINT STIVS on 26TH OCTOBER 2015 1:54 PM
Tony,
who is going to fine celtic for the banner display ?
– See more at: http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/kieran-jozo-daring-to-complain-about-the-government/#comments
I have not got a clue, and I did say IF, but they really don’t need to try to hard, they where not slow at sticking it to us in other strange decisions don’t forget. NL!
Franchise names
Boston Celtic
Florida Fenians
Las Vegas Lawwell
Does Desmond Dermot know the Rangers play a different game over there?
It’ll be like the ole Democratic people’s Republic of Korea, a one party State in thrall to the cult of Stur Gee Oon.
Do people realise there’s a difference between a one party state and a state where the majority of votes cast in an election were for one party?
The San Francisco 67ers [ peace, man]
One day in a land not far from here my long gone dad fixed his Simca van and took me on a trip to Lanark one foggy Sunday morning over the moors. Test drive you see. My da was a car mechanic aficionado. He tried but sometimes it didn’t work out. This day we broke down somewhere out in the Protestant wilderness between Forth and Lanark. As he was under the bunnet twiddling here and there a cop car appeared. 2 of Scotland’s finest emerged. My da said just shut the fck up and let me do the talking. And on they went … Who are you? Is this car yours? Show us this and that? Etc etc
After a 10 minute disappointment they were about to leave and in my young Scottish innocence I said “thanks for your help” whereupon I was smacked across the face by one of our protect and servers. Your son has a big mouth! I was 12. They left Blue lights flashing into the 20 foot fog. My dad said “told you to shut the fck up”. SNP naw just cops. It’s been a while since I paid taxes in Scotland.
Miami #1 Rocket Launchers FC
Wouldnae get to excited about Celtic involved in an American franchise.
The NYfc franchise fee alone was $100.
Can.t see the Irish raj sticking his hand in his pocket for that chunk a change?
Him and pistol Pete are not going to speculate to accumulate .
India would be the cheaper option.
Should read $100million but both figures would frighten our custodians
Try to avoid knee jerk reactions usually.
However, the defence yesterday, while having little to do, looked quick, mobile and organised by Jozo. Particularly liked the speed he moved us 30 metres up the park, as a unit, when we won back possession, (on the rare occasions we had to win it back), which was not common practice in the Jason/Virgil days.
Kieran did look very promising and Armstrong will excel in time.
Nae tickets, nae telly for Wednesday’s game, just about sums up the contempt this country feels for our club.
Just keep winning, it really scunners them.
EC67
The Miami “Dolphins”
:)
…………………………………………..awready taken?
Who in their right mind thought/thinks the Fenians would get cut some slack in an Independent Scotland?
Boston Broonies…………?
“Nae tickets, nae telly for Wednesday’s game, just about sums up the contempt this country feels for our club.
Just keep winning, it really scunners them. ”
Well said mate.
connaire12 on 26th October 2015 12:41 pm,
The problem is,that the vast majority of people in Scotland,not only SNP supporters,think that this law is OK.They hear about “The fight against bigotry,and offensive behaviour”and think,”Why not,its about time”.They never see the Police Scotland version of the act in its true form.
The general theme on here is that it is aimed only at our fans.This is a nonsense.Why are Motherwell,Hamilton etc fans angry over it.Even Hun forums are on about their mob being lifted,ejected.The Focus mob were set up by the now sacked,Mr House.A man hated by nearly all of the Police force.His own wee Praetorian Guard,like Hitlers SS.Get the number of arrests up,get the budget up.
The law is an abomination to football fans,but to a lot of people in Scotland,who have to put up with football fans,invading their towns,singing their songs,its not before time.I have a feeling that next years elections will determine the fate of the Bill.Hopefully,quietly put to bed.
Notre Bams………..
;)
BAWSMAN on 26TH OCTOBER 2015 2:26 PM
Who in their right mind thought/thinks the Fenians would get cut some slack in an Independent Scotland?
– See more at: http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/kieran-jozo-daring-to-complain-about-the-government/comment-page-2/#comment-2704812
And what”Slack”have you not been cut?.
Minx1888 happy birthday have a good yin :-)
HH
Turkeybhoy,
That may be as you say about Scotland in general. It still doesn’t mean that either the SNP should have brought in the Act or that they should tolerate our Police acting as they do (and that isn’t only when they feel like enforcing the Act). As things stand just now, both the SNP and the Police seem to be a law unto themselves. Is it a question of power corrupts?
If there is promotion and relegation between tiers in MLS, I’m all for CFC playing there full stop. Without the hun. It is possible a league like the MLS would accept us. There are already canadian and pseudo mexican teams there. The displaced irish/scottish/european card may be enough for the MLS to allow us into an expanded second tier, lock stock and barrel, never having to play a league match v the hun again. If it’s true, this is a serious opportunity is it not?
MLS is only going one way and that’s as one of the world’s biggest leagues. Seize the day PL
Turkeybhoy on 26th October 2015 2:29 pm
It’s a point I’ve made before. There are a lot less active football fans than some on here believe. While people continue to paint this bill as anti-Irish rather than anti-football a lot of people won’t listen. Either because they’re anti-Irish, or they think it’s just paranoia.
I don’t think the bill is anti-Irish or even anti-Celtic. I do think it’s enacted by people that are.
It needs binned.
A few random thoughts ….
Agree that he wasn’t overly tested yesterday, but there is something about Simunovic (sp?) that I like … think he will do well, and he and Boyata will develop a very good partnership for us.
Fanatic … agree generally about DD … but, to be fair, the $100 million fee was for NY to join the MLS … and Montreal only (only!) paid $40 million as it is a smaller market … It should be noted that both of those franchise fees were for the MLS …. we are allegedly looking at the NASL, which is the minor league, so the franchise fee would presumably be much less … apparently $750,000.00.
Finally, why, whenever I read CQN now, do I always think of the old guy from ‘Up’?
Mike in Toronto – do you think celtic could get in to the north american set up?
tbj
I can get into enough trouble on my own thanks 8))
In a honest and modern country where all citizens are treated equally the bill may have worked.
Unfortunately it was implemented by people with a specific agenda and therefor in their eyes it has been a success.
Scotland dirty little secret.
I dunno shia’s kill shites and shites kill shia’s all the time!
I haven’t a clue, enlighten me?
the whole sorry episode was given centre stage on here and all other CELTIC FANS WEBSITES.how did you miss it??????? harassment from George sq all the way to embra and back.funny how you can find all kinds of rubbish to copy and paste on here but not that.
maybe some good person who made the journey can print it again.mais alas you will probably miss it again HEEDS N’ ARSES hard to separate.
Coolmore … from what I have heard, they are fairly greedy for money, so, I think they wouldn’t be too difficult to deal with … my biggest concern is that, while football is booming in America …. it is still seen as something of a foreign game …
and while Americans will line up to watch even high school level baseball or (American ) football … and even the MLS, I am not sure they are yet at the stage where they will pay to see ‘minor league soccer’ …. so, I have some concerns about the viability of the NASL ….
The Green Bay Packie Bonners.
PARKHEADCUMSALFORD on 26TH OCTOBER 2015 2:35 PM
Turkeybhoy,
That may be as you say about Scotland in general. It still doesn’t mean that either the SNP should have brought in the Act or that they should tolerate our Police acting as they do (and that isn’t only when they feel like enforcing the Act). As things stand just now, both the SNP and the Police seem to be a law unto themselves. Is it a question of power corrupts?
– See more at: http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/kieran-jozo-daring-to-complain-about-the-government/comment-page-2/#comments
I agree 100%.Its not a law against Celtic fans only though,although many on here would like to believe that.
I seen a Twitter from some Huns today cracking up because the Gestapo were confiscating Union Jacks in Paisley before the game on Sunday.
Maybe we should start a franchise in the Middle East maybe Palestine our theological home and fund “shites for us”?
Just a suggestion