Football is often about the margins. Virgil van Dijk’s header, when Celtic were 0-1 up away to Maribor, beat the keeper and defence, but struck Stefan Johansen on the line. A year later, with Celtic 2-0 and rocking Malmo to their core, Stefan came close to putting us 3-0 and clear, but both Champions League playoff ties turned and a chapter in our history changed.
Trailing 1-0, yesterday’s tie against Astana could have tipped out of control but sublime play by both Patrick Roberts and Leigh Griffiths turned the game on its head. It was a ballsy play. Patrick wouldn’t give up, Leigh used all of his experience to despatch the ball into the net from the edge of the box. It went exactly as I predicted in yesterday’s blog, “A great deal of responsibility will lie with Leigh Griffiths. He’ll have space to receive the ball from Roberts”. Astana were stunned.
Not so stunned they think they’re out of it, in fact, after the game their manager and players were talking about winning at Celtic Park. See Maribor, above, if you think that’s not credible. They reckon the tie is “50/50”. None of them were impressed by Celtic, the sentiment it they let us off the hook. We will have work to do next week.
Kolo, is there anything you can do to sort us out at corner kicks? Eoghan O’Connell lost his man, but we lose too many goals from corners inside the six yard box, or on the line, for me to ask no questions of Craig Gordon. Is his starting position right? Maybe if he started a pace off his line he’d get a fist on a corner before the striker. It feels like there’s more going wrong than just the defenders losing their men. If a goalkeeper comes for a ball in his six yard box but doesn’t get it, he’s responsible.
Irony is finished.
Care to guess which club issued this statement after the Scottish Cup final two months ago?
“Any attempts to attach blame to our supporters for the disgraceful and violent behaviour will not be accepted or tolerated by this club”.
Yesterday, the same club, Newco, not only accepted and tolerated those same supporters being blamed, they led the charge by banning them indefinitely and telling them they would lose their season ticket for the coming season without a refund!
“Any club’s supporters would have done the same”
Here’s the thing, after the cup final, Newco’s statement not only tolerated fans’ behaviour they made unprecedented attempts to justify it:
“We acknowledge that a tiny minority of Rangers fans also encroached on the pitch but only after having been faced with prolonged and severe provocation and in order to protect our players and officials who were being visibly attacked in front of them. Any club’s supporters would have done the same”.
If Celtic did this we would be mocked on every front page for a week. Unfortunately, Scotland does not have appropriate oversight in any walk of life, or the post-final reporting and political reaction would have been entirely different.
Thanks to all who are involved in the eBay auction for this incredible prize:
Courtesy of Celtic sponsor, Intelligent Car Leasing, we have an outstanding auction prize, as the centrepiece of our summer good causes. For the Kilmarnock game at Celtic Park, on 24 September 2016, you can win:
2 seats in the directors’ box
Champagne reception
5 course meal in the Walfrid Suite
Fully expenses bar (pre and post-match)
Half time snacks and refreshments
Car Parking
And a match programme.
The auction is open for only ONE MORE DAY. This is a fabulous opportunity to indulge yourself in some high living while watching Celtic and contributing towards the construction of a school kitchen in Malawi for Mary’s Meals. You can get involved here.
Thanks again to Intelligent Car Leasing.
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The Rifles – Peace and Quiet
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FY74RmVucYg#
Almore
Yip, totally agree and i did mean to mention the affect that it can also have on us……12th man and all that.
When i joined i wondered what the hell do i call myself and partly my stoopid name came partially from Lenny wanting to bring the thunder back and my love for the song.
IF BR can keep doing what he’s doing then its going to be heard once again very soon(not the song!) because he has already filled us with hope(well, me at least!)
The Europa would be a less punishing level and there’s a bit of me that says it would perhaps be a more realistic level for us this season, yet id bite yer hand off to be back in the group stages again this year so our name is back in that elite group although sadly as McJay says……that’s partly……well…..probably mainly with an eye on the money that it can bring, but it’s got to be invested into the starting 11 by then looking to sign 2 players that would walk straight into that 11 to make us better.
There’s no way we are going to compete financially with so many of those teams but the only way we are going to compete on the park is to keep a hold of our best players while trying to find others just like them and that stage is a huge carrot to bring them.
Build it up or keep tearing it down?
Seems Paddy McNair has been told he can leave MAN UTD.
In a shock move,so too has Tyler Blackett.
Window Pane
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7jsLfDOWn9c#
OWEN on 28TH JULY 2016 9:58 PM
great memory
ta for sharing
BMCUW
The wee yin didnae feel fit to travel to Cheltenham this week. Her wee big sister and her Godson drove 350 miles north to surprise her. Tony and Eileen and wee/ big Jimmy asking after you. Jimmy loved your patter. Says no English comedian could live with you. :)
DELANEYSDUNKY
Tell yer wee mammy her fan club in Swindon is thinking of her,bud.
Best regards to Tony and Eileen too. Tell Jimmy he’s gonna have to be a better judge of character to get on in this world(!)-and that I think he’s smashing too!
Kinks
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mmb7TU0OrOI#
THUNDER ROAD on 28TH JULY 2016 11:21 PM
AS I said before , I would spend whatever it takes…….even the whole of the transfer budget………… to keep young Paddy at Celtic Park.
Charlie Tully. Big Yogi. Wee Jimmy. Paul Mc Stay.
Iconic figures. We , the punters , love them.
The guys that get you off your seat.
One basket. All the eggs.
May be worth it.
Tim Fosu Mensah has been told he leave Man Utd. He is a young right back, saw him play a few matches last season, he was very good.
Jamie Lindsay has joined Morton on loan
June 2017
Macjay
Roberts loves it here, especially with his best friend forever Kieran Tierney. If he keeps playing like he is we’ve got no chance. Best case scenario is he goes somewhere else and it doesn’t work out ala Denayer. Then we may have a small chance of getting him back a few years down the line.
Looked at a few of the trash media lines about the Aberdeen result tonight and what a surprise to see prose like “spirited draw” blah blah.
When you’re a tim you’re a tim from your first boot in the baws fae the hun bastard establishment till your last dying day.
Not sure if the above goes with the West Side Story Classic toon but hey ho.
BMCUW
Jimmy was born in Birmingham 15 years ago. His favourite football team is Celtic as he believes we have a soul, unlike the EPL teams his mates support. He has converted a Villa and Liverpool pair of mates in Cheltenham to follow Celtic. Clever bhoy going to Oxford.
THETIMREAPER on 28TH JULY 2016 11:36 PM
Here`s hoping , pal.
I found the departure of big Virgil and Denayer really dispiriting .
As my big lad said on the news of their departure ………………
AAAAAAWWWWWWW .
:-(
A CEILER GONOF RUST on 28TH JULY 2016 11:39 PM
i dont think any are bootin yer baws now.
we won, the dafty backward hun establishment lost.
tim golfers,
keep it lit
Shuggie Otis – Sweet Thang
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oR1nf9NUlpY#
Agree about Mensah,he looked a prospect.Is he a free?
TTR
It is more likely that Patrick will go to Man City next summer along with 15 million best mate KT. Sadly
had a read back and saw Auld Tam’s spat with SFTB about the Jimmy Forrest pass to Leigh Griff.
SFTB, for all the thousands of words you wrote you could have used some brevity and simply admitted Forrest made a horses cock of it. That was a gilt edged chance to put Griff in on the keeper and wee Jamesy done something only he knows how to do.
BTW, I like wee jazzer, there’s a player in there somewhere………………….somewhere, there is.
I even have his picture on the wall so he better buck up his ideas……:_)
ALMORE on 28TH JULY 2016 10:28 PM
ThunderRoad: Excellent post. Much as I would love us to qualify for the CL I don’t think we are ready for that level of football. A decent run in the EL would help build team and supporter confidence imho.
WEEMINGER on 28TH JULY 2016 10:32 PM
We’ll be even more ready for next year’s CL if we’re in it this year.
——-
I agree with you both. But given the choice I’d want us in the CL every time. We cannae match their budgets but they cannae match our support.
And that’s when the magic can happen.
HH jamesgang
MACJAY1 FOR NEIL LENNON on
I was dreading the day VVD left, i loved him as a player. In a wee twist of fate, the day of his last game at home to St Johnstone after the Malmo debacle, i arrived at CP unusually early so watched the team warm up. He wasn’t interested in the slightest and went through the motions. I thought to myself, aye on you go then.
Off to Madrid this weekend so will miss the Celtic Barcelona game,
Best wish to all Celtic fans making the trip to Dublin this weekend,hope you enjoy your stay
PS I want to marry Paddy Roberts…..is that even legal ( I am old enough to be his father )
St Stivs, loads of Tim golfers on the north fife coast tomorrow, wish I was among them. I know you don’t like the game but do you want to caddy for me next Thursday?
why any football supporting observer defends james forrest is beyond my ken,
making excuses for him,
injuries, managers pick him, other players ran away from his passes.
blah blah.,
been telling for years
1 in 15 scoring games.
1 in 15 assist games
the Ineffectual james
WITS
You’ll need to fight me first haha
Have a good weekend!
WITS, did they no have a vote on that in the south last year. Seems perfectly legal to me. Good luck with the proposal and enjoy Madrid.
A CEILER GONOF RUST on 28TH JULY 2016 11:56 PM
St Stivs, loads of Tim golfers on the north fife coast tomorrow, wish I was among them. I know you don’t like the game but do you want to caddy for me next Thursday?
————-
i actually would if i could, but i canny …………… or caddy.
James
God bless you sir.
My stolen phrase from you. Plagiarists r us!
“We canny match their budgets, but they canny match oor support!”
Magic big yin! :)
Gearoid
If you’re still around.
Keys my favourite part of the world.
There’s an active supporters club in Fort Lauderdale, if you are headed north.
Let me know if you need more details and I will post them here.
Enjoy your stay in the Keys and mind the speed limits.
If you drive the 7 Mile Bridge keep your eye on the road.
WITS
I believe young Patrick is single. If you are too? I don’t see a problem to wed him in Dublin. :)
St Sitvs, I have an original painting of wee JF scoring the winner V Karagandy that I bought in the CQ10 auction (Great painting BTW).
I need the coiffured wee starlet to do well to realise a profit when I sell it on. I’ll bring it next Thursday for your private viewing. Its a post modernist classic of a modern day fudba player so it iz.
If naebody buys it I’ll end up having to paint a Hamilton or fissil strip on the fella and hawk it in Dundee flea market.
Lunch is free on Thursday BTW, as is yer swally.
Anybody hearing that Sinclair is getting a medical today? Press conference on Saturday?
HH,
CaliBhoy
Nae bother St Stivs, one day. One day we’ll get a swally. So I guess you don’t want to view my Jimmy F painting either.
I’m snubbed on all fronts:_(
ACGR
Where are we sclaffin aboot next Thursday?
Lookin forward to bein your caddy fae the 2nd. :)
DD
God bless you too brother.
OneLoveCSC
HH jamesgang
THETIMREAPER on 28TH JULY 2016 11:54 PM
Yeah.
He`d given his all.
I remember his furious reaction at the last minute goal loss against Malmo (?) to make it 3-2 to Celtic.
He really cared and I believe may have stayed had we progressed.
The Azzurri’s finest centre half, IMHO, and self confessed wee ten thirty fan Franco Baresi was only 5′ 9″
Their highest capped player Fabio Cannavaro was a wee bit bigger 5′ 9 1/2 “
Where is Catman or LennyBhoy when you need them? Probably asleep.