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.
285 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
Ernie Lynch 1028
Keiran Maguire , gave an opinion on Wednesday’s “The Price of Football” podcast , about how the Ramsay deal was being financed.
For tax purposes , Ramsay remains fully employed by Juventus and will pay an effective tax rate of approx 26per cent on his salary ,as he currently does, to the Italian tax authorities. Rangers will pay a loan fee to Juventus for his services short term, rumoured to be £2m. They will not be paying national insurance in the uk as he remains an employee of Juventus.
They may have to pay tax in Britain on any performance bonuses that may be triggered.
Maguire, an accountant and lecturer in football finance, concludes that everything is above board, although “crafty”, but that the tax man in Britain will be losing out.
It can be found on Spotify from 2 minutes onwards.
JHB on 4TH FEBRUARY 2022 7:53 AM
……….
Dearie Me…My oh my….What a feckin TOSSER we have in ” JHB”…
YOUR Pal Boris is CREATING even MORE Job Vacancies within his Government….with TORY Rats running away, and deserting the UNIONIST, TORY Sinking Ship as quickly as possible…
Why dont YOU APPLY for a Job with Boris…YOU would certainly FIT Right In, as YOU are a THREE YEAR OLD…..with a TWO YEAR OLD BRAIN.
KC Vic
But he can use the NHS for him and his family while he lives here?This is the effect of dodging tax in your country of domicile, a service set up by a Welshman potentially be used by another Welshman who doesn’t pay.Something no right about that on a moral level.
Deary,Deary me.One manages to bring the SNP,into the RR fiasco,the other,on like shot to back him up with the “Cult” nonsense.They then plead that thy did not start it,when pulled up.
Deary,Deary,Deary,Deary,Me.What a to do.
DearyMeCSC.
BIG JIMMY on 4TH FEBRUARY 2022 11:19 AM
Ignoring the misuse of the word disinterest, this tweet suggests there’s more than a little hypocrisy involved in the politicos joining in the pile on.
Maybe it’s touched a nerve with Sturgeon. She is after all someone who was very closely associated for years with a man subsequently suspected of taking sexual advantage of women. Not that she was aware of any such allegations at the time. And of course the man in that case was prosecuted and acquitted. So completely innocent. Difference balance of proof mind, so who knows how a civil claim would have turned out.
*************
‘Neil Findlay
@Neilsocialist
·
Feb 2
As someone who raised the case repeatedly on behalf of my constituent who was raped by him this is spot on
The double standards and disinterest of people in power to do something sickened me then – now they are all aboard the bandwagon – meantime no real justice for Michelle
———
Quote Tweet
Dink
@r0cketbaws
· Feb 2
David Goodwillie has played 121 times over the last few seasons for Clyde and was their club captain last season. Why was there no outrage then?
————-
https://twitter.com/Neilsocialist?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
It’s my birthday today – so engaging in a wee bit of philosophy.
We were all hugely gutted at not achieving 10 in-a-row – racked with internecine strife and the suspicion that all was not above board at Ibrox wrt Covid compliance.
But if we had scooshed it to the 10, Neil Lennon would probably still be in the managers seat and Ange, Kyogo, Hatate, Maede and Idegughi would have remained anonymous to all of us.
Our players, fitba style and prospects are probably at their best since the Tommy Burns days – certainly at a level that we could not have imagined under last years regime.
It’s funny how things work out – we never really know whether things transpire for the better or worse. I certainly feel more positive and optimistic than I have for a long time wrt Celtic – Ange Postecoglou is like a throwback to Jock Stein in more ways than one.
Oh Oh ,here we go.Ernie “God Save The Union”Lynch is on a roll.
Deary Me.
Tim Malone,
Correct,10 in the bag,but going nowhere.
Jonathan Pie scathingly tears Boris a new one, specially for the New York Times. Enjoy:
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/04/opinion/boris-johnson-party-scandal.html
Birthday best, Tim Malone.
I see Van Broken is claiming “Jack was the best player on the pitch in the second half “
Just as well for us he wasn’t unleashed in the first half
Hail Hail
Stay Safe
I think there’s a coup taking place in UK politics, that will see Bojo for one reason or another leaving 10 Downing street, then a carefully “rigged” GE will take place with carefully chosen counters of votes will be placed into each UK constituency, and as George Galloway often says….
“it doesn’t matter how many votes you get, its ‘who’ is chosen to count those votes which is the crucial factor.”
I think there’ll be a rigged GE to get a party which is facing £liquidation that no media will mention, that of course is the Labour Party, which was the biggest and richest political party in Europe, as Jeremy Corbyn and his soft Socialist offerings were hounded to hell, the previous leader had attracted 600,000+ membership and when he was skulldugged out of the party in 2020, it had £13+ million in the bank, now a huge chunk of members have either left or been stitched up and controversially dismissed, 200,000+ members gone, the main trade union backer, Unite, has withheld most of it s backing because as its new leader, Ms Sharon Graham, has said….
“Labour no longer speaks for the workers, or the communities from which these workers come.”
So for Bojo and the Tories to be replaced, it would have to be a Sir Starmer led Labour Party to be the new UK govt. The objective, overturn Brexit and kick the can down the road for a United Ireland. Now, for this to happen, all of Scotland, and north of England constituencies would have to be rigged for Labour Party to win a GE, but that would look too obvious. So either we nippy face in Scotland has agreed to this as it would allow her to slip away from all of the carnage that’s been created by her and her corner shop 35% of the vote party = 100% of the power, a bit like Desmond at Celtic, either that or wee torn face will link arms with Sir Starmer and create a anti-Brexit alliance and in turn, cause havoc on the streets of UK, but its either that kind of havoc, or the havoc in UK from a united Ireland??
Sir Starmer couldn’t win a raffle. 👇who would vote for a creep who got Sir Jimmy Saville off of the hook, and his unequivocal backing for apartheid?
If this happens it will kill indy2 as a Sir Starmer led Labour Party would be more Tory than Bojo Tories, mark my words, so there would be no indy2 under pedo protector apartheid Labour Party. Also the vaccine dictators of EU would demand a Sir Starmer Labour Party to fall into line with their social credit digital id system with the EU leader only the other week hinting about digital identity??
George Galloway (@georgegalloway) Tweeted:
Batley, bouncing… https://twitter.com/georgegalloway/status/1489398898019946496?s=20&t=UfFJ5xLvFoTs1tLHMfAqyw
Deary Me,
Liel Abada wanted by Crystal Palace.
Sigh,what already,only two bloody days after the game,and your out with this pish already?Deary Me.
JHB
Cheers re Ramsey.
IMHO you’ve set out a fairly plausible scenario.
“The headlines to date have been gushing and he hasn’t even kicked a ball”
Too true.
Quadrophenian.
Ooft,Jonathan,the best satirist I have ever heard.And the funniest.
new article posted.
KC VIC on 4TH FEBRUARY 2022 11:25 AM
Thanks for that.
I can’t help thinking that following Wednesday’s result the huns might be regretting the deal. Even if it’s only costing 2m it’s still money down the drain if they don’t win the league.
Still, at least Ramsay won’t catch Covid where he is now.
Ordinarily I am dead against Celtic sites raking up negative comments by imbeciles about our beloved club and turning them into click bait.
But I’d make an exception here.
https://celtsarehere.com/kris-boyd-unhappy-callum-mcgregor-wasnt-further-injured/
Credit to M.Ross
The written inference from the Sky Sports employee is clear and unequivocal.
I’d ban them today.
TURKEYBHOY – agree on ‘Mr Pie’
There or thereabouts w Frankie Boyle too.
Amazing how someone posts a comment ridiculing Boris Johnston and within minutes JHB followed by Ernie Lynch post comments criticising Nicola and the SNP like some sort of puerile revenge mission.
Happens every time.
Not a unionist cult. Definitely not a unionist cult.