“Decapitated” was the word Hearts manager Robbie Neilson suggested would be necessary for a Celtic red card after a challenge by Alexandro Bernabei on Wednesday night. Why he thought it was necessary, or helpful, to add invective language to the ether ahead of Saturday’s Scottish Cup quarterfinal is a puzzle.
Whatever his desired outcome, he has reason to ponder before giving Celtic players a cause to rally against again. The game was clearly a no-contest before Aaron Mooy converted Jota’s cross inside two minutes at Tynecastle. Hearts were lucky to escape with just the three-goal deficit.
You can train players all week, but send them into their 42nd game of the season and getting absolute sharpness from the same voice can be a challenge. Footballers are not machines, they can only climb the mountain so many times before it feels like another hill walk.
When Neilson picked on a young player, still settling in Scotland, it gave his team-mates a cause célèbre. Ange Postecoglou had an opportunity to proverbially pin the Hearts manager’s words to the dressing-room wall. It was a rookie mistake from an experienced manager.
You and I have seen Inverness, Falkirk and Newco take us out at the semi-final stage of the Scottish Cup. Maybe we should shout for Ayr United tonight?
186 Comments- Pages:
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- »
Oh bad bad memories there PAUL67, por cierto
Second?
GG
“Is it pure wishful thinking that maybe with another class signing or two we can have a side capable of a sustained run in the CL in the next season or so?”
——————————-
Depends on what you mean by sustained?
The biggest hope we have got is from automatic entry to Group Stages. The sheer odds of getting by 3 or 4 qualifying ties, even against teams where you are favourites to win, was what hampered us most years. Anyone trying to get a treble or quadruple bet of “certainties” up will know the difficulty ( I liked the response to an online betting tout offering to sell you “Certainties” tips at Cheltenham; a responder said ” In the past 30 years of Cheltenham racing there have only ever been 12 certainties and only 4 of them won). Even as 4th seed, we have a fighter’s chance of besting the 3rd seed and an outsider’s shot at one of the top 2 team if they decide to play reserves that upset their rhythm against us.
Then we need one further miracle to get by a last 16 tie. We came very close against AC Milan once but it is a big ask. Smaller teams than us have made it into the quarter finals but it is very rare. Teams with a far superior recent European record to us (Benfica, Ajax, Porto, Sevilla, Shaktar Donetsk) can make q-finals but very rarely do they get to semis or finals.
The odds against getting past a q-f stage (of the CL) are exponential with the increase in teams allowed entry from the big leagues. No longer do you need to get a favourable result against one Spanish, English or German team; you now have to defeat 3 or 4 billionaire teams from each of those leagues plus Italy and France.
Of course, the Huns have shown that getting deep into Europa is possible if we prefer but……
I have said it before and will repeat it again. Our Seville achievement in being a losing finalist has been matched by the likes of Alaves, Fulham, Middlesborough, Bragg, Dnipro and Sevco (2x). However, if you look at the 6 sets of finalists before that Frankfurt:Sevco final, you will see the names of CL level teams competing in the finals so that may be becoming harder too. Getting to a Europa final is about the same level of achievement as getting to a Q-F spot in the CL.
We can hope and we can dream but achieving it is going to be hard. Whatever signings we make to enhance our very promising team this summer coming, will be eclipsed by the player expenditure of more than 20 clubs who will be our competitors in the 32 team group stages of CL and by around half the teams that get to Europa League last 16.
Couldn’t bring myself to shout for either Ayr or Falkirk. One of those games where you want them both to lose.
FIELDOFDRAMS on 13TH MARCH 2023 12:05 PM
Second?
——————-
Does that make you Rangers? 😳🤷🏼♂️
Gary Lineker back on MOTD:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64936917
AT,
Interesting you want to use historical data.
A founder of the SNP Andrew Dewar Gibb (correction) his replacement Young spent time in prison for being a Nazi collaborator (he was actually anti-conscription for Scots). However the SNP history is riddled with fascism.
Going on the logic you display everyone who votes SNP has Nazi and fascist sympathies or are only your generalisations valid?
Pal of mine is a big Pars fan, who despises Falkirk and would probably never speak to me again if I backed them to win. So, I’ll go for Ayr I reckon. 😂
When’s the draw for SC semi?
That last post is in response to Field of Dreams. 👍🏻
“Ange Postecoglou had an opportunity to proverbially pin the Hearts manager’s words to the dressing-room wall”
——————
Very ‘old school ‘, Paul. I’d be surprised if Ange was the slightest bit bothered by that sort of nonsense. He makes it clear every week that his focus is on improvement. Getting distracted by noise coming out from other clubs is not going to improve your own team.
Huns in the semi final please.
I see that Signature Bank has also collapsed, were they not recently advertising in the UK as one of those internet banks bragging about their customer base being about 9 million?
WEEJOE re: semi draw
After the game tonight.
Ps Clocks went forward here at the weekend. New articles no longer appear as I sip my morning coffee.
Enjoyable weekend of sport, watched the Hoops on Saturday and the rugby on Sunday and luckily two favourable results. Disappointed with the with the Cup match expected a contest but Hearts had no answer to Ange’s Celtic machine firing on all cylinders, it’s just relentless stuff.
We certainly got a contest in the rugby in a tough but sporting game without any rancour and the best team winning on the day despite losing four of first choice players through injury in the game, these guys certainly earn their money. Both Scotland and Ireland are having a great season in fairness
canamalar
Looks like HSBC has bought Silicon Valley Bank UK. For £1.
Seem to remember another major Company being sold for the same amount back in 2011.
Wonder how that worked out?
CELTIC MAC on 13TH MARCH 2023 12:49 PM
I seen Elon Musk was also making an offer, it’s a no brainer for anyone taking it over since the FED just announced they’d cover all debt and deposits.
Rest in Peace Alice Sheridan.
HH
I’ve booked travel over from the US to be in Glasgow with one of my boys for Easter weekend. First chance to see the bhoys live for quite some time. I know it’s a long shot, but if anyone knows where I can buy 2 tickets for the April 7 game against the Rangers please let me know or contact me through Paul67 on the site. I’ve got an appeal into the ticket office but not holding out much hope there.
Failing that, I’ll be looking for a good Celtic pub in the city. Either way, can’t wait to be there.
APPLE, Thanks for your information.
AIPPLE.
PAUL67 has many skills,when i read that this morn i nearly thought surely not time travel :-)
HH
AIPPLE 🙄Don’t you just love predictive text?
canamalar
Doubt the Fed would cover the UK accounts, hence HSBC and the £1 note.
Elon Musk you say? Of course other Motherwell born billionaires could be tempted.
The Quality Street Kids had 2 definite world class players, Kenny Dalglish and Danny McGrain. They had the one and only George Connolly, quite possibly the best of all but sadly that was never to be realised, Then there was Davie Hay and Lou Macari, who left for better money in England. As was said, there was John Gorman, who ended up at Spurs and my uncle Eddie’s favourite, Vic Davidson.
I think Jock played them in the Glasgow Cup against the deid team’s 1st XI and they won.
MNCELT on 13TH MARC,bH 2023 12:57 PM
“I’ve booked travel over from the US to be in Glasgow with one of my boys for Easter weekend. First chance to see the bhoys live for quite some time. I know it’s a long shot, but if anyone knows where I can buy 2 tickets for the April 7 game against the Rangers please let me know or contact me through Paul67 on the site. I’ve got an appeal into the ticket office but not holding out much hope there.
Failing that, I’ll be looking for a good Celtic pub in the city. Either way, can’t wait to be there.”
Sevco game the 8th April 12.30pm KO, por cierto
CANAMALAR IT LOOKS LIKE OCD OBSESSION
Biden says that managers of Signature and Silicon Valley banks will be sacked.
Iceland jailed their bankers.
In Scotland Goodwin and co. “are now working in new highly salaried posts or living in luxury with company pensions beyond the dreams of avarice.”
Only a Catholic from Brucehill, Dumbarton, “has been fined £500,000 and banned from working in the City of London by the Financial Services Authority.”
If you want to know how Scotland works, look no further.
CELTIC MAC on 13TH MARCH 2023 1:09 PM,
Of course not, the UK has its own criminal bankster enabling regulator.
Tell you who does not have a problem with any of last weeks three bank collapses, the Chinese, apparently they don’t trust banks and have draconian regulation and punishment regimes for financial organisations that fail to protect depositors and investors, damn commies eh.
Happy Birthday SFA….150 today :-)
BRRB– my mother was a Quinn,from Glenties,Donegal
VALE BHOY on 13TH MARCH 2023 1:19 PM
Was reading the guy in charge of Silicon Valley was the same guy in charge of Bear Stearns when they collapsed, talented guy eh, also hearing he sold his bank bonds 2 weeks ago, luck eh.
Has anyone mentioned the absolute stonewall penalty we were denied when Halliday followed through on a Celtic player in their box after he’d crossed the ball?
Think it was Johnston or Jota.
Apologies if this was discussed on the match thread. I’ve only looked at a few pages on there. Thread was massive! 😳😃🍀
PARKHEADCUMSALFORD on 13TH MARCH 2023 1:09 PM
I think Jock played them in the Glasgow Cup against the deid team’s 1st XI and they won.
*Almost correct PCS, we rested big Billy, Brogie, Luggy, Jinky, Harry Harry, Buzz Bomb, Yogi, Stevie and Ten Thirty and still won very comfortably.
Williams, Craig, Gemmell, Murdoch, Connelly, Cattenach, Callaghan, Hay, Wallace, Macari, Quinn (Davidson).
Goals:- Big Tam 2 (3 19), The Mighty Quinn (48).
While they had 10 first teamers out there with the exception being goalie watson, a player that we had actually coveted, don’t believe he played another game for them after that sunny August night
RM Watson, Jardine, Mathieson, Greig, Jackson, D Smith, Henderson, Conn, Stein, McDonald (Miller), Johnston
Goal: – their greatest living thug (27).
BTW the Big Mhan has always maintained that Vic Davidson was his greatest disappointment in the game.
Also found this excerpt fae big George’s biography while researching this:
“They decided they were gonna do Alex MacDonald during a game v Rangers as he was always a dirty bastard against them. The chance came and Cattenach caught up with him around the throat with his boot as Macdonald bent down to header a ball. MacDonald got carried off and Cattenach gets away with it.
They go in at half time, dressing room cock a hoop at getting rid of MacDonald. Stein comes in and goes mental at Cattenach: “If you ever make another tackle like that again it will be the last time you wear the hoops!”.
Dressing room falls silent and all the players have their heads down as Stein goes for it.
“I was walking towards the door to go out for the second half chastened with my head down” said Davie Cattenach.
“Next thing is I felt an arm going round my shoulder, I look round and it’s Sean Fallon.
“Sean Fallon whispers in my ear: “Son, that’s the greatest tackle I ever seen in my life!””.
Another £5billion for new nukes, just what the doctor ordered.
MELVIN UDALL on 13TH MARCH 2023 1:36 PM,
Was commented on by a few, I also seen it commented on in the CTV commentary.
AN TEARMANN on 13TH MARCH 2023 12:55 PM
Rest in Peace Alice Sheridan.
………………
Yes AT, very sad tragic news indeed.
Rest In Peace ALICE.
YNWA
Bada 1.30
Quinns and Sweeney rule the county. Allegedly. 😁
Good afternoon all from the Victoria Bar. A pre Cheltenham warm up and then into battle with those dastardly bookies at 1.30pm tomorrow. Gerrintaethum!!!!
BIGRAILROADBLUES on 13TH MARCH 2023 2:02 PM
Bada 1.30, Quinns and Sweeney rule the county. Allegedly. 😁
*as a young lad I worked for Wimpey and it seemed so did hauf of Donegal and they all seemed tae be called Sweeney or Swannie as they pronounced it, the jackhammer was known as the “Donegal motorbike”