Hoary old phrases like, “Trophies are not awarded in February” will be heard today. While this is technically true, let me add another, last night’s performance was Season Defining.
I worried before the game that our midfield would be too new for the occasion and too lightweight for the ‘robust’ opponents. As it transpired, anyone in blue who intended to offer a robust and in-your-face derby baptism, were like statues, compared to Reo Hatate, Matt O’Riley and Callum McGregor. For the majority of the game, Callum played the Masked Virtuoso No. 6 role, before moving to the No. 8 position, then ending at No. 10. Quite a shift for a man carrying an injury.
Throughout the first half I continually said, “It’s all about the movement”, but then I watched Josip Juranovic and thought, “When did I last see a Celtic right back put in a performance like this?” Yes, movement was the masterplan, but the reality is, Celtic have far better players.
Metrics detailing the effectiveness of shots from outside the box give you a sniff of what might happen when a player pulls the trigger from distance, nothing more. Outcomes depend on your survey population. If I shoot from 20 yards, one outcome will occur. If Reo Hatate shoots from the same distance, another. Reo’s conversion ratio from distance will surly drop, but goodness, what an outstanding threat he is.
With Cameron Carter-Vickers in front of you, a goalkeeper should put in a calm performance. Joe Hart had a relatively easy evening, but with the score at 1-0, he raced from goal to smother a through ball which evaded the Celtic back line. It was a crucial intervention, within minutes Celtic were 2-0 ahead and there was no way back. Across a pulsating 90 minutes, this detail could be overlooked. That would be an error.
The only goal I have seen back on video (so far) is the third. Before watching, the question was, Where did he come from? When Reo Hatate crossed from the left, Liel Abada was standing at Springfield Cross – believe me, I’ve watched it repeatedly.
You’ll hear people talk about having a change of pace. Liel started his run at a sprint, then, when it was too late for his defending full back to react, he dropped a gear and exploded forward. Barisic, the full back in question, dropped to the ground, knowing the horrors he was about to witness. It was too late to do anything else. That change of pace brought Liel into the heart of the box unmarked.
The finish looked easy. I remember Kenny Dalglish, who watched on from the stands, made the same thing look easy at Celtic Park. It was not easy, it was masterly. Leil met the ball on the drop volley and allowed the pace of his run to apply the necessary force to tuck it away.
At halftime, one of my sons held up his fingers in a ‘5’ gesture? Oh, to be brought up in an era when we expect to score so many against the other side of the city. Ange is too clever for that. Four days earlier, Matt O’Riley got cramp during a game, Callum McGregor has been out with a serious face injury, Reo Hatate is still going through his preseason regime. We started the second half intent on maintaining our winning lead, an objective delivered with comfort.
As we discussed, trophies are not handed out in February. But to paraphrase that old antifascist, this is not the end of the Ange Postecoglou development plan for Celtic. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.
Enjoy your day.
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AIPPLE – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uQ019iAcQM – not fitba, but great – dead interesting.
Daft, sad person(s) – saying ‘controversial things’ to get a rise out of folk who want to speak about the Glorious Glasgow Celtic – not so great.
Ignore them.
Generally, if you you should have the misfortune to meet someone like that in real life, which I never have (I expect such creatures only exist in their own wee enclaves – sad, small, insignificant things with no real, in-person social contact) you would treat them with scorn initially. but – ultimitely – with pity. To quote the guru A.McCoist – “Who Ur Theeez Peepul???”
As the wonderful Michael Gove (!!!) says (when he’s not singing The Sash) – “We should treat them with Christian charity”.
HH
BGFC
God Bless Matt Sean O’Riley, Reo Hatate, Calmac, G Taylor, GG, CCV, Wee Mad Jimmy Forrest, Joe Hart, Starlord, JJ, young Doak, Abada, young (as yet unsigned) Jota (worried about that), GG, not-so-young McCarthay, et al – and, of course, Ange!!!! CSC
The performance from the team and the fans last night was spectacular…once we get our full squad available we will be able to play “Angeball” for the full 90 minutes .Didn’t miss the Sevco fans presence in the Stadium last night at all,atmosphere was electric and toilets were undamaged.Interestingly reading back the lack of the usual negative posters was noticeable for the duration of the game…see Kev J having a go at our manager again …he can only be doing this to crave attention..surely he doesn’t actually believe what he posts…he can maybe ask himself tomorrow.
Many of us have advocated ” No huns in Paradise ” for quite a while now.
Especially on the grounds of safety after the crush a few years back.
Did we miss them, did we f@ ck.
Keep on keeping on.
STILL BUZZIN…
Get those Ball Bhoys on 5 year contracts !
Allan MacGregor……..A Feckin “REPTILE”….like so many other Hun plyers past and present.
He brings it on HIMSELF.
HH
Alex Rae is still a ” QUARK” Lookalike.
HH
MORE LIES from Boris…
Ive watched him on TV recently in The Commons, CLAIMING that HIS Govt has reduced CRIME by 14% ?
What HE and his Priti Patel pal do NOT mention that this ” reduction in Crime”, does NOT include the FIGURES for ” FRAUD and COMPUTER CRIMES”.
Apparently IF you include THOSE Crimes….Crime in the UK has actually RISEN by 14% !
Some Official Office is TELLING Boris and Patel to APOLOGISE for MISLEADING The Commons and the Public….
Who would have thought it ?
Rats are deserting the Tory sinking ship…
HH
Boris, Boyd, Rae, Macgregor…..Just FOUR of the CHUMPS that I would never tire of Booting up and doon The CALTON !
3-0
Big Jimmy,
As the saying (sort of) goes – you can always tell when Boris Johnson is lying, he opens his mouth.
Matt O’Riley must be pinching himself every day thinking how his life has changed over the last few weeks.
I think we’ve acquired another supporter for life.
Majestic Hartson
Certainly appears that way,he seemed in awe of our backing on wed night.it was outstanding and matched on the park.
HH
THE CREEP OF TOTALITARIANISM IN SCOTLAND.
Sturgeon once again jumping into football matters for posturing & cheap headlines, just like she did last year when banning Aberdeen & us from playing, whilst ignoring, even praising, the goings on at Ibrox.
I posted at the start of the week that Val McDermid and the SNP were virtue-signaling and grandstanding over the Goodwillie situation. A compliant Scottish media swallowed it ‘hook, line & sinker, without even attempting to uncover the context.
Sturgeon has completely flouted her regime’s statute on criminal offending & rehabilitation. This law appertains to criminal convictions where a prison sentence has been handed down. Goodwillie doesn’t even reach the threshold because his was a civil, not, criminal conviction, and what that civil verdict didn’t do was deny him the right to work. The Scottish Government states this unequivocally in black & white.
Its August 2020, reform of rules on criminal disclosure reduced the length of time during which previous offences are regarded as an issue in the workplace: “For those aged 18 or over at time of conviction, a six-month custodial sentence would need to be disclosed for 2½ years rather than the current seven years.” Goodwillie had already been employed by Clyde for five years, and as I have said, his was not a criminal conviction.
‘Humza’ stated that the new legislation “balanced the requirement for safeguards” with “the need to allow people to move on with their lives…to seek gainful employment and support their families.” There is no balance in Sturgeon’s diatribe!
Regardless of your views on Goodwillie and/or Raith Rovers, what has just transpired is a state-sponsored witch-hunt by an administration willing to trample over its own recently implemented legislation to score cheap political points.
This case was a decision for Raith Rovers to make and face the consequences – just as Clyde did five years ago. Val McDermid used her position as a sponsor to Raith Rovers to make a personal stand – that is her perogative – but she has no right to use her influence as an SNPcult supporter to persuade the First Minister of Scotland to dictate contrary to the law of the land – a law that her own government enacted. The difference between Clyde & Raith Rovers is plainly Val McDermid and her affiliation with the SNPcult.
Nicola Sturgeon’s outburst was abuse of her power when calling for action to be taken. She knew it was, but also knew that in Scotland she would get away with it. If they can tell if, when & where you can work, then in time they will surely tell you where you can be educated.
Recently we have also witnessed Sturgeon & the SNPcult looking to extend the emergency powers granted during Covid into everyday law. The creep of totalitarianism goes on. The politicalisation of Police Scotland was an early and necessary step in the SNPcult’s long-game plan.
We have in Scotland a government & party, ran by a reincarnation of the husband & wife dictatorship that had its foot on the neck of Romania for years. There is virtually no separation between party & government
Imagine how the SNPcult would ‘run riot’ in the extremely unlikely event of independence.
We all should be worried, those who are not, are sleeping, or, willingly being brainwashed.
3- 0 ?
https://twitter.com/MichaelFox93/status/1489342100369985537?t=GB6cLybaPMCkbeNg38_0nw&s=19
HH
The creep
Got that right
Racist scumbag
Got that right
Ignore the racist scumbag.strasserist.
A Boris apologist asserting the right of the union to be racist to whoever wants to cede from union democratically
Val mc dermis supports her club and is clear on her opposition to employing a rapist
She is a little more clear than George galloway in his ‘support where the opportunity to ‘slip one in’ is unconsciously welcome by the unwilling/sleeping female.
Excusery from rancid and racist falloway
Scum to the working class
Thats what he is
And one last thing listen to rr director and child liason director.He was quite clear.
ol racist george and his racist vomit on here topic pickin,changing whose mind.
Racists enlighten no one,your Romanian jibe is racism from who?
Brit nat vermin
Why are the cult so exercised about Goodwillie now but had nothing to say about him when he was playing for Clyde? (Other than John Mason who boycotted what was left of the season, Goodwillie signed at the end of April, but presumably returned to Broadwood the following season).
It all seems a bit fickle and inconsistent.
Good morning all from Govanhill.
AN TEARMANN on 4TH FEBRUARY 2022 8:02 AM
Careful now!
You’re not allowed to call the cult secessionists.
It upsets them.
For me on Wednesday it was up there with the best of my 60 years going to see Celtic but sadly marred with the extreme drunkenness and disrespectful behaviour of some. Don’t get me wrong i like a good bucket myself but this was something i thought was in the past, something akin to those days of boozin’ at the game and the pish swilled scenes in the jungle.
The behaviour of the young team, who were behind us in the Celtic end on Wednesday was really just moronic. They were totally pished out of the minds. The language, the disregard for others, falling in to others and baying like animals etc etc . It really f***ed us off but they thought it was ok. Some of us who arrived on the supporters bus had a good swally but enjoyed the game and were respectful to others around them ie families with kids, the wee lassie sitting next to us ( who had to leave btw, she’d had enough) but this mob!!!. They just didn’t give a flying F***.
It seems the huns loan deal for Ramsey doesn’t include an option to buy.
An odd piece of business for all concerned.
D9COMEDY on 3RD FEBRUARY 2022 11:13 PM
Special citizen
I was going to go into detail about why I think your comments are way off the mark, about the lack of time Ange had to get any kind of a squad together etc., but the tone of your post makes me think that your mind is made up and that no amount of reasoning could dissuade you. I actually feel sorry for any ‘supporter’ who seeks to generate any negativity from last nights performance.
_______
Was I negative about Wednesday nights victory?
Where?
Please show me where I was negative about a 3-0 first half horsing of our oldfirm partners.
Thanks.
CLINKO on 4TH FEBRUARY 2022 1:02 AM
I too used to think 5 names was Kevj but now I am not so sure. To be honest I couldn’t care less who it is.
They must be a pretty pathetic individual though to go to all that trouble to keep up this facade.
And for what. To try and pull the wool over a crowd of old guys posting on a football forum.
Guys who you have never met and are unlikely to ever meet. Just to get a reaction. One identity talking to another identity as if there were 2 separate posters is pretty sad if you think about it.
Jesus, I hope I never end up like that
_____________
There were two posters on here who posted that they wished Kev J “would just die off and give them peace”, that was back in the days when Kev J used to post on here, I hope he’s ok were ever he is.
ERNIE LYNCH @ 9:39 AM
It seems the huns loan deal for Ramsey doesn’t include an option to buy.
An odd piece of business for all concerned.
———-
Very interesting Ernie.
Cheers.
Where are you getting that from?
BTW – if true, it blows a gigantic hole in the “Sevco only paying a fraction of his wages” narrative.
Juventus clearly tested the big markets and found no takers.
Only option left is a “bugger off for a few months and cost us less” loan deal.
Step forward Sevco complete with their
“We must win the back pages” mission statement and the
“we ground them into dust during negotiations”
narrative already typed.
BACK TO BASICS – GLASS HALF FULL on 4TH FEBRUARY 2022 10:01 AM
Fabrizio Romano
@FabrizioRomano
·
1h
Aaron Ramsey deal. Rangers have officially no buy option clause included with Juventus, it’s a straight loan until June – but the Scottish club will have priority to negotiate Ramsey’s permanent signing if both sides wish. 🔵🏴 #RangersFC
https://twitter.com/FabrizioRomano?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
Quite happy to never see the huns fans inside Celtic Park again.
Only problem is that they will probably continue to riot in Duke St , like they did on Wednesday night before the game.
Which hasn’t been publicised anywhere.
ST TAMS on 4TH FEBRUARY 2022 10:25 AM
I reckon the broadcasters will decide what happens on that front.
Dearie me,
poor fare for a breakfast.
ERNIE LYNCH @ 9:39 & 10:18
BTB GHF @ 10;01
——
Good information. It seems to me, that being the case, and if indeed Juve is tied to a £20m/year contract, the deal could be a four month audition and fitness-proving exercise, hoping a club may be tempted to offer a return to the EPL, or, perhaps the Championship. The rationale also being that five-star performances will be easier to achieve and be reported in Scotland. The headlines to date have been gushing and he hasn’t even kicked a ball.
There is also the possibility that the Ramsey contract has a trigger-extension and/or bonus based on appearances, which could be the reason why he is apparently ‘persona non grata’ in Turin……in the same way Bobo was a few years ago.
AN TEARMANN
Tom mclaughlin earlier you mentioned 4-0 69 cup final.first final.
Little bit of internecine violence broke out among those who follow the symbol of the union in Scotland at half time if I recall,her majesty saw an end to that pretence in 2012,when Sir Hunner of Pence,tax avoider like his da before him toileted that club and a new club,not newco,was ‘accepted into’ scotlands lowest tier of senior football
I had a Rangers supporting pal in 1969 who described how at half-time he decided to go for a leak – yes he was one of the more civilised huns – and as he ascended the passageway he was punched, kicked and spat on by fellow bears and told he wasn’t leaving. Because of that he actually did leave and for the 4 or 5 years I knew him after that, he never went back to a Rangers game.
5 names reposts to my overnight musings and responds as if I was talking about someone totally different.
Shakesheadinpitycsc
Sorry, fat fingers
Just Googled “dearie me”.
DEARIE ME (as used on blogs)
” Nothing worthwhile to say – signifies an unseen wry-smile and head-shaking manoeuvre – designed to act as a call-out for the rest of the gang to provide back-up”.
Dearie me
Thinking of the new recruits to Ange’s bhoys team…………………
How enjoyable must it be for the team, the wider squad and The Club to have a strong capable leader in charge of the fitba?
Your Boss is always the most important fixture in your professional life. Ange strikes me a the right kind of Boss.
I’m glad he’s on Team Celtic
.
it’s Good To Be A Tim.
HH
JHB on 4TH FEBRUARY 2022 7:53 AM
………..
A few days ago you Posted about ” Mr Goodwillie”, and in THAT post, YOU were basically defending him, and his ” Right to work” etc.
I told you in a Reply that I Posted…that ” YOUR opinion of Goodwillie, would be somewhat DIFFERENT IF it was YOUR Daughter or Sister etc, that Goodwillie had Raped” ?
Of course you didnt respond to that…NO Surprise there.
This morning YOU are yet again having a go at Scotlands First Minister for having a ” SAY” on Goodwillie The RAPIST !
YOU may NOT have noticed, but Scotlands First Minister just happens to be a Female, who is obviously and ( Quite Rightly) angry about the LENIENCY shown towards Goodwillie.
NO ONE has to be a Female to be DISGUSTED with the Goodwillies of this world, and I will attempt again to ask YOU these to SIMPLE Questions……
IF YOU were an Employer would YOU HIRE Goodwillie, DESPITE knowing that it would cause great anger and unrest with the rest of The Work Force….and..
.If YOU were an Employer would YOU still HIRE Goodwillie DESPITE his Victim being YOUR Daughter or Sister etc ?
On a lesser note….YOU have Posted this morning JUST to have yet another wee DIG at Scotlands First Minister…while at the SAME TIME….YOUR Feckin TORY, UNIONIST HERO Boris the Bawbag is causing HAVOC throughout the UK ( A UK…. That YOU Love) EVERYTIME he turns a corner and/or opens his Fat LYING MOUTH…..and yet…YOU Say nothing…and post nothing about THAT LYING, TORY, UNIONIST CHUMP/BAWBAG ?
YOUR TORY Hero BORIS is causing YOUR beloved UK MORE trouble than Nicola Sturgeon EVER could…and yet…YOU say nothing !
YOU are not just a CHUMP…But an ABSOLUTE TORY FANNY to boot.
Be assured,its Kev J.We were subjected to these posts a few years ago.Stopped ,now back wit a new array of personalities.
ERNIE LYNCH on 4TH FEBRUARY 2022 8:55 AM
………..
YOU arent much better than YOUR TORY, UNIONIST CHUMP Pal called ” JHB”.