Despite a remarkably solid defensive record, we have lost four and three goals on our two visits to Ibrox this season, although two of yesterday’s goals were lost with a two man deficit. We were deservedly a goal down before Cha Du-Ri was ordered off and the contest irrevocably skewed. Several Celtic players looked panicked from the opening minutes and it wasn’t until Kris Commons started to menace the Rangers midfield that we appeared comfortable in possession.
Until then, we looked pretty ordinary.
After a remarkably consistent run of games that ensured this season’s league title is Celtic’s, two big games, which could each have delivered a trophy, have been lost.
The drive to the line which is needed for teams to fulfil their potential is not there yet. It will come. Days like yesterday, months like October, are what team building is all about.
If you need a pick-me-up, enjoy The Celtic Family video above, its’ sure to hit the spot.
To read CQN Magazine go to the dedicated site the graphic below is just an overview.
Thanks to everyone who has bought a hard copy of issue 7. Order your copy for delivery by clicking on the link below for news and views from Celtic supporters.
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1,243 Comments- Pages:
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someone should do alternative highlights of the hun games
bbc is so HUNrelyable huvnae seen the last min of the game
mccullochs elbow on brown
and ledleys pen incident
as well as whitakers tackle on izzy
and the numerous tackles on samaras
WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS
CAN ANYONE POINT ME IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION
2ND GOAL OFFSIDE
CHA YELLOW AT MOST OR A YELLOW FOR A DIVE FOR WALLACE
WANYAMA YELLOW +ONE FOR WHITAKER TOO
32
Brines is one that needs watched the most.he was the one,during Lenny and the fat slob fracas,who tried to push bye everyone to get a hold of our manager.Just look back at the incident and see the intent and hatred in his face.
The Spanish summit is showing its intent,their cartel is crashing all around them,this is their last hurrah.
TAL.
Soal
Frequently but rarely are they correct as you well know! :-)
Ghuys,
If you think the ref standards are poor at present moment then fast forward to when Dignity are either extinct or reduced to a non-competitive rump …… we ain’t seen nothing yet.
Refs can make individual mistakes (just like players) but what we got on Sunday from Murray was a blatant display favouring the home team, as he refused to punish the Dignity defence for constant fouling for balls played up high or on the deck, any sort of 70-30 in our favour in their half he just turned a blind eye to.
We were not extended the same courtesy …….
I believe we are now so immune to accepting that opposition forwards can jump early and into our defenders with arms and elbows swinging that we do not see these as fouls…… Think back to the refs strike when the
Luxembourg ref punished, early in the game , the ICT forwards for jumping all over the tic defence when a high ball was played to the back post …….. It was a revelation that a foul was actually given, and the ref consistently blew up for this the whole game …….
The problem with the Scottish refs is that they will only get worse ……. What we need a series of cataclysmic events in European football to allow for a re-shaping of the leagues, and a move away from the backwaters of Scottish football. Dignity being liquadated would be a start , then some high profile EPL teams …….to follow follow.
I suspect the club / board are looking to keep a low profile at the moment, to allow the focus to be retained on Dignity, however the media coverage will never really change , so a blanket ban in perpetuity would suit me fine.
Offtothegardencfc
67 European Cup Winners on 27 March, 2012 at 08:28 said
Try reading the Phil Gordon piece if you want to see sensible balanced journalism, Stuart Bathgates piece is anything but…
Equanimity?
Some posters have said that we have a balanced report from an impartial Stuart Bathgate in the Hootsmon who says:
ONE day, Celtic will lose a big match and their manager will accept that the better team won fair and square. That the result was produced by the other side playing better football, not by criminality, incompetence or any kind of malice aforethought on the part of any match official.
Snake says:
I think on many occasions Neil Lennon has lost big matches and not done what Mr Bathgate is suggesting. It just so happens that when Celtic have lost to Rangers in a number of games refereeing decisions which unevenly deal with the players of Celtic and Rangers have taken place – The Collum penalty and Callum Murray’s obvious one rule for Rangers’ tackling and another for Celtics’ being the most obvious. To ignore the significance of these decisions is folly in my estimation and it explains why on occasion Neil Lennon becomes infuriated with the officials and with just cause.
The key phrase Mr Bathgate uses is “Malice of forethought” in reference to Neil Lennon’s criticism of referees. Now correct me if I’m wrong but Neil Lennon has NEVER EVER said a referee has gone out to deliberately disadvantage Celtic. He has never intimated it nor has he made cryptic comments or allusions to it. Mr Bathgate has shown his hand here rather badly. He is feeding into the mentality of his audience and he is attempting to suggest Neil Lennon is paranoid without using the word despite the fact that Neil Lennon has never made such an accusation to my knowledge.
He then goes on to write:
One day. But will that day come while Neil Lennon is still the man in charge, or will we have to wait for a new appointee before we see that kind of equanimity?
AND
Right now, it is hard to see Lennon developing that ability. And unless he does, it is hard to see him making a long-term success of football management.
Snake says:
That kind of equanimity gets you a dribbling moping Tony Mowbray who takes it on the chin and thankfully has moved on. That kind of equanimity as he puts it is a question he should ask himself when he decides to have another rant about that uppity ginger haired Celtic manager who like all passionate managers – Ferguson, Wenger, Mourinho, and even the lower scale Warnock’s and Allardyce’s let the referee know if their decisions in big games have been in their eyes biased against their team or so baffling that they are worthy of complaint. To take the man who is named Sir Furious by fawning Scottish hacks – David Ellory was pilloried by this man when he sent off Dennis Irwin in a match at Anfield which led to Liverpool gaining a 2-2 draw from a position of being 2-0 down at home and putting a dent in Manchester United’s title hopes that season (Ferguson made references to this referee’s “previous” against his team). Mr Ferguson was not told be behave in a more dignified manner nor was his grasp of equanimity called into question nor was his future ability to work long term in management called into question. He was a passionate manager who merely wanted the best for his side as Neil Lennon is midst a sea of provocation from a variety of sources.
No. Sorry. The most ridiculous thing is the suggestion that this will stop Neil managing in the future. Any number of names could be given who act or have acted in a similar manner but there is something different about Neil Lennon to all of them. I wonder what it could be. Answers on the back of a postage stamp. But this of course is the key thing – it is all about Neil Lennon’s behaviour and it needs to be controlled (by whom and for whose benefit?)
Bathgate goes on to say:
He should learn to curb his wrath.
Snake says:
He already has and this season has largely been quiet. Neil Lennon when he lost matches to Rangers and Hearts early in the season was less than full of wrath but two huge matches filled in one case with decisions that were beyond the pale is a lot to take.
When McCulloch attempted and succeeded in ending Beram Kayal’s season in a match he should not have played in thanks to the SFA not being able to open their offices on a Tuesday before a Wednesday game (fit for purpose?) Neil Lennon not only showed restraint, he actually dismissed the tackle despite the obvious ramifications. With the benefit of hindsight Neil should have said it was a disgusting tackle and in my eyes an attempt to seriously injure a Celtic player but had he done so he’d have had another article like Mr Bathgate’s saying “Lennon cannot even win graciously”. The old damned if you do……
___________________________________________________________________
Now in fairness Mr Bathgate does go on to list the pressures Neil Lennon was under from things not related to football and makes an effort to talk about how Neil Lennon was more in control this season than last even during the more difficult times of this season but he then goes on to attack Neil yet again regarding his description of Collum’s decision as “Criminal”
He writes:
Would Celtic really have won the treble had Collum pointed to the spot? Would the equaliser have been scored? Would Celtic have gone on to win the game? Lennon was right to regard the league as in the bag, but why was he presuming his team would win the Scottish Cup too?
Snake says:
Now these points have some validity but as with the rest of the hack pack, Bathgate fails to understand something – Neil is not saying Celtic would DEFINITELY have won the treble but that decision cost them the chance of a treble. That Collum had a clear view of this and chose to book Stokes when he was round the keeper as he had dummied Bell who was on his way down when the tackle came in is criminal when there was clear contact from behind no less and that decision did cost Celtic the opportunity of a treble.
It seems rather obvious if you have a thoughtful mind. Neil was not saying the Scottish cup is in the bag along with the league already (we leave that kind of rubbish to runaway diving Croat strikers and numpty wind-up merchants like Keevins), he was saying that Collum’s decision not to award a clear penalty despite the usual suspects and Rangers apologists’ claims there was no foul and a dive, cost his team that chance and in the cold light of day it did and it was criminal when you think that this man awarded Rangers a penalty he didn’t see and gave them another 3 at Tannadice when only one was a penalty. Collum is a poor referee and his decision can be described as criminal especially by a manager whose disappointment after the game will be compounded when he speaks to his player. In other words it it natural.
They can cite two possible goals at Tynecastle and Celtic park for the opposition on this man’s watch all they like – he had no way of controlling those decisions and required his linesman’s input on both occasions – those were real honestly made decisions (or non decisions) which no amount of video replays have ever been able to prove conclusively (certainly in the case of the first one as it happened at such speed) – it isn’t even close to a Cadete goal being chopped for for an imagined offence or and Andy Davis at Tynecastle special and after three years of every decision under the sun going the way of Rangers, I think Celtic would be due two pieces of luck because they weren’t even decisions, they couldn’t be made).
____________________________________________________________
Everything else Neil said that was reported by Mr Bathgate is factually true yet the twisting of the words and certain omissions is telling. It is always the same as the mantra of all hacks is – when Celtic lose it is just because they didn’t play well and if that happens they don’t deserve big decisions in their favour:
Cha Du-Ri’s sending-off “changed the game”, he claimed. The contact between Cha and Lee Wallace “absolutely minimal, and he [Murray] couldn’t wait to get the red card out.”
Rangers’ “second goal was offside,” he added. “Again the linesman was not doing his job. At their third goal, we’ve got caught chasing the game, then we’ve rallied brilliantly with nine men.” Others might think that Rangers were far the better side and were strolling to victory before two last-gasp goals from Celtic produced a 3-2 result. And maybe if Lennon watches the game again in a couple of weeks he will spot the shortcomings in his own team which were not immediately obvious to him.
Snake says:
Is Neil not allowed to give his view then?
Neil knows about his team’s short comings but do you want him to come out and say we just weren’t very good today and they were and walk off? He praised Aluko’s goal (something very carefully omitted from your report Stuart) and then talked about how well Celtic had played before the red card. He also said Wanyama’s red card was debatable but conceded you cannot tackle like that in the modern game (again something you chose to omit from your report for reasons known only to yourself) and he highlighted major decisions that had gone against his team – which he is entitled to do. I only wish he had made more of McCulloch again attempting to seriously injure a Celtic player deliberately while feigning injury and the Ledley penalty incident and the continual fouls on Samaras that went unchecked and unpunished including having his jersey pulled back by Goian when he would have been running in on goal and the behaviour of Whittaker throughout and his assault on Izzaguirre or Davis’ kicking into Izzaguirre or going through Samaras’ ankle from behind and not gettting a booking.
No hack has reported any of these genuine complaints.
You’d think a balanced piece of journalism would actually highlight that Neil Lennon had cause to complain about the way the referee handled certain players and certain incidents other than focusing on only two red cards for Celtic players and an offside goal which was offside but I’d have to go somewhere else for a balanced view.
Regardless I know it sticks in the craw of many people in Scotland that Celtic and Neil Lennon are going to be champions and can still win a double when by your own admission earlier you want that “equanimity” to return when Neil Lennon leaves his position as Celtic manager. Perhaps you should have a look at your own body of work and see if it displays the equanimity you demand of Neil Lennon. I’ve shown conclusively that it has not so perhaps you (accountable to very few people and with a platform to write something influential and who should take cognisance of that fact) should be that bit more reflective when it comes to your writing.
I may come across as biased but I’m a fan and a blogger and that will inevitably happen but I know a largely one sided piece of journalism when I read it. Language always gives you away Mr Bathgate and you used all of the following in your piece:
Criminality
Incompetence
malice aforethought
equanimity (although you don’t do irony with that one)
curb his wrath
supress
self – indulgence
self – control
toxic
axe to grind
out of order
hyperbolic assessment
shortcomings
13 words and phrases used by you Mr Bathgate which you would do well to reflect on and consider in terms of your own performance.
Neil Lennon is a human being with faults like all of us and he has little or no chance at rebuttal against the plethora of people who write pieces like the one you have. Think about that.
O.G.Rafferty on 27 March, 2012 at 10:04 said
Cld you elaborate? A Thomsons twitter mentions something about a report on the disabled on tonights bulletin…..
Timabhoy @ 10.32 & 10.33
It was funny the first time you posted that….400 times later it becomes quite dull
Sammi and Broony
Now that the football is but a distant memory, a question about admin/liquidation.
Over the weekend I heard or read that D&P have given up on the 3.6m, that they’re not going to go back to court for it.
Why is this? Have they realised they have no right to it? Or that it’ll come too late to save them? That would suggest liquidaton is a definite and that they have a date in mind, else it would be worth hanging on for a chance of that money, no?
Snake Plissken on 27 March, 2012 at 10:37 said:
Thank you Snake, by their own words they give themselves away because quite simply they cannot hide their hatred and fear.
I was astonished to see Bathgate’s article posted here as some kind of guide to how Neil should conduct himself.
In whose eyes I ask myself??
Starry
fanadpatriot on 27 March, 2012 at 10:33 said:
Ive said this for years, Brines has a thing about Lennon.
Years back when Lenny was playing, Lenny said something about Brines (4th official during a game with ICT)
The following week Brines was referee during our game with Falkirk and both Lenny and Patrick Cregg had a tussle between the Falkirk box and the half way line.
Anyway, Lenny gets a red card and although it was all 50/50 I know for a fact Brines didn’t give the same punishment to Cregg.
Also check Brines’ rection to the Lenny / Moisty squabble last season and check the pics of Brines looking down at Lenny in the dugout pointing in his face.
SFTB/Italiabhoy
Great stuff.
I tend to encounter the “suburban bowling club” types on a regular basis. Stuart Bathgate panders to this. Ideologically Stuart Bathgate comes from the background of “The Absolute Game” which was an 80s fanzine. It had its moments but got really tedious in its support for diddy teams and loathing of “the old firm”. It’s agenda was the usual “they’re as bad as each other”, all who support Celtic and Rangers are bigots. Instead real Scottish football fans should be along watching East Stirling v Arbroath (when not playing subbuteo or listening to 1/2 man 1/2 biscuit).
Now he’s too old for middle class students, his frame of reference is Hootsman readers, the “suburban bowling club types”. Super Ally = dignified, should be knighted blah blah Lennon = hothead, brings it all on himself.
The Glasgow University Media Group used to analyse racism and trade union/management issues and identified all these subconscious as well as conscious biased attitudes. Was great stuff. Scope there surely for someone to do a similar study of the media treatment of Neil Lennon?
I believe the problem position at Celtic is in fact at centre-half. Having made an ‘in-dept investigation & analysis’ I believe the ideal player is 24 year old “Moreno” who plays for Espanyol.
I’ve actually no idea how good he is though.
The quality he brings to the team is simply this: his first name is Hector.
Just naming him on the subs bench would give us a goal of a start!!
Ernie
Is that you’re 2 votes?
hamiltontim
Scott Brown and Fraser Forster , get my votes
The Honest Mistake loves being first on 27 March, 2012 at 10:25 said:
Not sure on Adams – to be honest I am not sure who he is (this is my lack of knowledge on the subject)
But I do know who Neil Lennon is – and I do not believe he gets a fair hearing from MiB or SFA orany other official body – as a consequence Celtic – and you and I – suffer
The question is why does he not get a fair hearing ??
Is it because he is not aggresive enough ?
Does he not stand up for Celtic ?
Should he shout louder?
Maybe he should headbut somebody – then they will listen and we will get a fair hearing
You and I both know this will not work
NL needs to find a communication style that gets his point across without causing a war
There is not much that I disagree with when NL talks
But I would like people to HEAR what he says rather than dismiss him because they think he is off on one again
He has a great Celtic future ahead of him and we have a great Celtic success story in front of us – but dignity and civility cost nothing
Hail Hail
67ECW
Sorry I got the game wrong with Lenny & Brines, Brines was the 4th official the game where Lenny was denied a stonewall penalty at Ibrokes.
Google “Lennon red card falkirk” and check the match report in The Independant.
taggsybhoy on 27 March, 2012 at 10:46 said:
Bathgate did actually write for the Absolute Game – he was one of their major contributors. Any idea who he supports as a matter of interest?
You are on the money with that fanzine…. a load of ‘in jokes’ about st mirren etc that virtually nobody would understand.
Bathgate sometimes has to double up and write about rugby. As a big rugby fan, his uninformed codswallop about that sport really sticks in my throat… some of the stuff he writes about rugby displays a quite astounding level of ignorance.
Amieelton Tim.
Chirlie Milgroo and the ither one Chirlie Milgroo too.
archdeaconsbench, 10:37
Two directors, paper-shredding, EBTs.
A paper trail and an incriminating email.
Aye, perhaps Neil should emulate the great communicator….the Reagnesque ‘walter’…….
Or perhaps scoddland’s fourth estate should ask themselves what it really is about Neil Francis Lennon they don’t like?
smashingmilkbottles
Im glad you found it amusing
last year !
Hamilton Tim
Charlie Mulgrew player of the year, Scott Brown runner up.
hamiltontim on 27 March, 2012 at 10:47 said:
‘Ernie
Is that you’re 2 votes?’
Yes.
Though if there’s to be a young player of the year I’d give it to Forster and nominate Brown in his place.
Ledley and Mulgrew for me.
Kraljski on 27 March, 2012 at 10:48 said:
just checked it out (Indy article) – enlightening to say the least. That one will be kept on file – clearly brines has a personal agenda here.
LuxCelt on 27 March, 2012 at 11:02 said:
‘– clearly brines has a personal agenda here.’
Since they were humiliated by the failure of their ‘strike’ they all have a personal agenda.
They regard us as the enemy.
I still don’t know how to feel about the defeat on Sunday. I’m obviously disappointed but only losing 3-2 and given another few minutes probably a draw with 9 men and all that went against us must make their victory hollow.
Cha’s sending off was a nonsense, the ball was running away from the man, if he had to to it, it would have been at a tight angle, there was centre back cover. Let’s not forget the contact has to be enough to go down or it’s a dive – we had ex-referees giving it the “Stokes might have been touched but not enough to go down” so it can’t work both ways. Wanyama’s was a stupid lunge but his studs were down and he took the ball cleanly – I’d say it was a booking for a lunge – Whittaker should have seen yellow if not red for going over the ball and stamping on Wanyama’s shin. Their 2nd goal was offside, we’ll get no apology from the officials for that – I could see it from a TV angle in real-time, half cut, why couldn’t the linesman who was in line? The typical fouls going against rather than for our strikers was in play which was even more galling since we were down to 9 men. To put the cherry on the cake, after we had got 2 goals back there was supposed to be 4 minutes added time, a goal in injury time should have extended this to 5, we hadn’t even got to the 4 minute mark when Murray lost control of his bowels and blew for full time.
I’d imagine, and hope, that Lennon will fight his sending off all the way and hopefully in a public way. If there are different versions of events again then I hope and expect to see some casualties – they’re running out of officials.
Fraser Forster by a country mile.
Then the Prodigal Son.
TT
Gordon J, ah Rhys McCabe. Potential superstar of Rangers, maybe he is the new John Fleck or Danny Wilson. How are those 2 doing by the way? I don’t get to see much of Liverpool reserves or Blackpool reserves.
SffS
Looking back at the Duberry juggling act in the box, applauded by Brines like some audience member in a circus instead of the category 1 referee that he is, it is plain to see what his agenda is.
Luxcelt 10.52 I’d put good money on him supporting Hertz
Henriks Sombrero
i lost your ps3 id since my old one died…what was it again?
O.G.Rafferty on 27 March, 2012 at 10:57 said:
In the words of Montgomery Burns ‘Excellennntttt…’
RCF giving money to commercial organisation, is not allowed under charity law http://www.scotzine.com/2012/03/friday-30th-march-promises-to-be-a-gala-night-at-ibrox/ -If RFC receives funds it will breach law
Retweeted by Phil MacGiollaBhain
Rangers “charity match” under investigation….
Has the search party found the vastly overated Joe Ledley yet .
TT
hamiltontim
Frazer Forster
Charley Mulgrew